One For All: A Reverse Harem Box Set

by Mia Moon

  “Oh my God,” I whispered. “Stars. Look at all the stars.”

  The Milky Way was splashed across the night sky like I’d seen in books and movies. I didn’t think panoramas like this existed outside of Greenland or possibly Canada. The blue-black sky was dotted with millions, billions, of twinkling stars and a swirling band of light, a breathtaking view of the heavens.

  “That’s really the Milky Way, isn’t it? Our galaxy.” I was frozen to my spot on the ground in awe, staring up at the sky with my mouth open.

  “You don’t get that in New York, do you, Lauren?”

  Cassidy stood near me, looking up. The way he said my name, husky and slow, tugged something deep inside me.

  This needed to stop. I inhaled and pasted on a smile. Time to be a professional. That notion was dashed when my eyes darted to my suitcase, then to his muscled forearm.

  “We’ll go in the front door of the lodge, so you get the full experience.”

  I followed him up a walkway and he opened the door. Stepping inside, I stopped. And gaped. A massive stone fireplace with a crackling fire was the centerpiece of the room. But the wood walls, the rough-hewn wood tables and the low lighting gave it a homey, yet distinctly masculine feel.

  “Look who I found in the dark. Our reporter,” said Cassidy.

  There were two men in the room. One was in a brown leather chair, the other, sprawled on a matching sofa.

  They both rose, grinning. They were about as tall as Cassidy, which meant all were at least a foot taller than me.

  “Guys, this is Lauren. I came upon her and her broken down pile of metal, excuse me, her rental car, on Creek Highway. Lauren, these are my business partners and best friends, Hank and Jaxson.”

  I blinked rapidly. Maybe I was exhausted from travel and the stress of the car breaking down. Maybe it was because we were high in the mountains and I had some sort of altitude sickness. Or maybe I’d traveled into some sort of time warp where every man I laid eyes on was unbelievably, impossibly hot.

  Close your mouth, Lauren. Don’t gawk and don’t drool.

  “I’m Jaxson.” He held out his hand and I blinked, staring into his intense blue eyes. He had dark hair, bronze skin and a jaw so chiseled that he could easily be a leading man in any western movie, any day. “Welcome to Fire Mountain Ranch.”

  “And I’m Hank. The other one you’ve been emailing with.” He looked more rugged than the other two, broad and beefy. He had tousled blonde hair and a blonde goatee that made him look devilish. I spied a tattoo of a lasso snaking up one tanned bicep, and I wondered if he had more ink, and where. I imagined him shirtless, and as if on cue, he grinned at me, a smile so salacious that my forehead started to sweat.

  I repeated their names in my mind. As if I’d forget. Cassidy was the sweet one, Jaxson was the movie star handsome one and Hank was pure, sinful bad boy.

  I fanned myself with my hand. “That fire gives off a lot of heat. I guess that’s because it’s Fire Mountain.” I paused at my terrible joke, then doubled down. “Fire. Mountain. Ranch. Heat. Fire.”

  The guys guffawed, but I’m sure they were groaning inside at how lame I was.

  What was I doing? Auditioning to write a porn movie script? I wanted to roll my eyes in disgust at myself.

  “Anyway, thank you for inviting me here and allowing me to tell the story of this part of Montana for our readers,” I said, snapping into professional journalist mode. “I think my editors will love this.”

  “We think you’ll love this,” Hank said, making me swoon a little. “We’ve got a great week planned for you. Hope you brushed up on your riding skills.”

  I laughed nervously. I’d never been on a horse, or to a ranch. “Well, I’m willing to try everything once. But right now, I’d really like a bed and a shower. It’s been a long day and I’m beat.”

  “We’re going to put you up in one of the guest cabins. That sound good to you?” asked Jaxson.

  “It sounds perfect.” Truthfully, that was for the best. I needed my own private space, away from all this testosterone.

  “Cass, why don’t you take her back? Lauren, we’ll see you bright and early, ‘kay? We’re doing a morning ride tomorrow, and I hope you have an appetite. Dunno what those New York guys are like, but us Montana men cook a mean breakfast.”

  “My favorite meal of the day.”

  Cassidy grabbed my bag and nodded toward the side of the house. “Follow me.”

  I seemed to be doing a lot of following tonight. That wasn’t my style back in New York, but somehow, I was happy to let Cassidy take control. We walked out a side door and I was again stunned by the vastness of the sky, the crisp air, the pure pine scent.

  “Aren’t you cold?” I blurted. I shivered a little because my sweatshirt wasn’t enough. I had a heavier jacket in my bag; hell, I had an entire four-season wardrobe in that suitcase. But Cassidy was just in a t-shirt and jeans. Not that I minded.

  He shrugged and grinned. “I’m used to it. This is spring, feels pretty warm to me.”

  A short walk led us to a cluster of large cabins. “That’s Jaxson’s cabin on the end. Those three over there,” he pointed, “are empty. You’re our only guest this week. So you get personal attention from us.”

  I bit my lip and nodded.

  “My cabin’s right there, and this one’s yours. So you’re in between me and Jaxson. They’re not much, but they’re home. At least for us. And for you, this week.”

  “They look pretty big to me,” I said.

  When he took the two steps to the cabin, I admired his ass for the second time that night.

  “Do you ever lock anything here?” I surveyed the one-room cabin, which was like a smaller, cozier version of the main lodge only without a fireplace. It was still five times the size as my New York apartment. Thankfully, the cabin had central heating so I wouldn’t freeze to death. If it was this cold in the spring, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like in winter.

  He frowned. “Not usually, but you should feel free to use the lock if it makes you feel comfortable.”

  “City girl habits.”

  He nodded. “I remember those kinds of girls back in Chicago. Anyway, if you need anything, just come knock on my door or Jax’s door.”

  “Thanks again for everything. For rescuing me. I probably would have been eaten by a bear or a moose or whatever if you hadn’t.”

  He grinned. “Sleep tight, Lauren. You’re going to need your rest.”

  And with that, he was gone. I paced around the little cabin then sank onto the bed, running my hand over the blue quilt. What had Cassidy meant by those kinds of girls back in Chicago?

  I flopped back, the mattress feeling like a hug. What a day. I laughed out loud. At some point, when I had cell or internet, I needed to call my best friend Heather back in New York. She’d never believe that I landed an assignment in the mountains of Montana where three hot men were going to cater to my every need over the next week.

  I could hear her now. Set me up with one of them! I’m flying out!

  I tried to imagine which one I’d pair her up with. Square-jawed Jaxson? Cassidy with the kind eyes? I’d noticed the golden-caramel glints in his hair one we’d gotten inside. Or Hank, clearly the most alpha of the bunch, with that smile that promised dirty, raw sex?

  Trouble was, I couldn’t imagine Heather with any of them. I didn’t want to. I’d love to have all three of them for myself.

  As I opened my suitcase, I shook my head. What was I thinking, fantasizing about that? I was here for an assignment. Hooking up with one guy might not be such a bad idea. But all three? Was I crazy?

  I rolled my eyes and laughed out loud.

  Chapter Three

  The ranch was gorgeous in the morning light.

  I woke early without an alarm, just after sunrise, feeling unusually refreshed. Normally in New York I dragged myself out of bed and mainlined coffee, jumping into the frenzy of the city.

  This morning, I stretched in bed, ros
e eagerly and opened the cabin’s curtains, just in time to see the filtered morning sun over the lodge and the mountains. Everything was varied hues of green, a color I hadn’t seen in months after a long New York winter.

  I dressed quickly, putting on a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt, a red turtleneck over that and a red fleece. Plus my sneakers. Today I wasn’t in all black, at least.

  It was my intention to head straight for the lodge to eat breakfast with the guys, but the air was so delicious and the sun so warm that I walked around the property for several minutes, soaking up the silence.

  New York was never quiet, and now that I was somewhere calm, I felt soothed, as well. The worries and problems of the previous day’s travel melted away. So what if I didn’t have a rental car? The guys seemed like they’d take care of me. And I could buy another e-reader.

  I found my way inside the lodge and followed the smell — and sound — of sizzling bacon. “Hey,” I called out.

  “In here,” a masculine voice came in return.

  There, in the kitchen, was Jaxson. Dear God, he was even more handsome than I’d noticed last night.

  Today, he wore jeans and a dark blue plaid western shirt that made his eyes even bluer. Like electric blue. They seemed to pierce right into my chest and brain and a couple of other places.

  “Good morning,” I said, reminding myself to be a professional. I smoothed my ponytail, wondering how I looked. It was difficult to be around a man this handsome and not be self-conscious.

  I slipped onto a stool that sat next to the kitchen island.

  “Morning. How did you sleep?” Jaxson flashed me a dazzling white smile as he flipped pancakes on a griddle.

  “Like a rock. It’s so weird to be in a place so silent.”

  He paused, the spatula in mid-air. “Weird bad? Or weird good?”

  “Weird good,” I said quickly, hoping I didn’t offend. “It’s so noisy in New York, I can’t hear myself think most of the time. It felt good to wake up without jackhammers and sirens and horns. I walked around the property for a few minutes this morning because it was so refreshing.”

  “Yeah, we saw you.”

  I quirked an eyebrow. “Spying on me?”

  Another gorgeous grin. “Not exactly. We were all in the office when we saw you walking past the window. It’s not often that a beautiful woman is right out our back door.”

  I was probably blushing because my face felt hot. “Well, I’m certain none of you have any trouble finding beautiful women.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a small town, and we have our own preferences. So, do you like butter on your pancakes?”

  He’d shifted so casually from preferences to pancakes that I almost missed it. Almost. “Butter would be perfect. Where are the other guys, anyway?”

  “Cassidy went to check on your rental. Hank’s in town, at the veterinarian’s. Coffee?”

  “Of course.”

  “Sugar? Creamer?”

  I shook my head. “Black. And do you have a sick animal?” Their way of life was so different from mine that I was now insanely curious about everything.

  “A woman after my own heart. Black coffee.” He sat the forest green stoneware mug in front of me. “We have twelve horses, four goats, and some sheep. There's always something going on. We have an ewe, and we need to give her vitamin injections.”

  I blinked.

  “An ewe is a female sheep.”

  I laughed. “I knew that."

  I didn’t know that, of course. I thought an ewe was the same as a lamb.

  He winked at me, and I realized he was flirting a little.

  “Okay, I didn’t know that. I don’t know much of anything about ranch life, but I’m eager to learn.”

  “Good. Well, for today’s agenda, I’ve been nominated to take you on a ride.”

  I swallowed. It sounded so… dirty. Deliciously dirty. I imagined myself atop Jackson, unbuttoning that shirt. I licked my lips as he continued talking and piling a plate high with food.

  “We’ll take a trail into the mountains, and then we’ll have a picnic.”

  I crunched on a perfectly cooked slice of bacon. “You’re determined to fatten me up, aren’t you?”

  “You’ll burn enough calories riding. You’ll see.”

  As I ate, he talked about the ranch and its history. I asked a few basic questions. Talking with him was easier than I initially anticipated; for all of his beauty, Jaxson was remarkably easy to chat with.

  When I was finished, he piled the plates in the sink and nodded toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll leave the dishes for the other guys.”

  “I kind of figured you’d have a housekeeper, Jaxson,” I said, following him outside.

  “We do, twice a week. But we try to pick up after ourselves. We’re house trained. And call me Jax, everybody else does.”

  That made me giggle, the part about being house trained. The guys actually seemed more mature than men their age back home in New York. Maybe it was the responsibility of running a ranch and the tourist lodge.

  Jax and I walked to the stables while he explained different details about each horse. My eyes grew bigger by the minute, and I was wondering how I was going to tell him my secret.

  We came out the other end of the stables and two horses were tied up, eating from buckets of feed. One was pure black, and the other a spotted brown and white. They both looked enormous to me, and I trembled a little. Truth was, I was afraid of getting on a horse.

  “You must have extra-large horses out here,” I squeaked out.

  He looked at me as he patted the black horse’s side. “These are run-of-the-mill ranch horses. Working horses. They’re not so big.”

  I swallowed.

  He patted the brown and white horse, which admittedly was a little smaller than the black one. “You’ll be on Hope today. She’s nice and mellow.”

  I chewed on the inside of my lip and kept my distance. I knew I’d be riding horses on this trip and would be forced to get over my irrational fear of large animals. But I didn’t think it would be this soon. I thought I’d be able to work up to this part, maybe start with petting some smaller farm animals first.

  God, I was such a city girl.

  “What?” Jaxson’s voice was low and caring. He walked over to me and stood close. “You okay?”

  I looked up into his blue eyes, which were shielded from the sun by his silver cowboy hat. “I’ve never ridden a horse.”

  “That’s okay. We’re going to take this nice and slow.”

  The way he said it made sensual heat pool in my belly, an unusual feeling since I was also shaking from fear.

  “I’m a little afraid of large animals. Okay, a lot afraid.” I looked down at my Converse and at his black cowboy boots.

  “Hey.”

  I felt his fingers on my chin, and he gently tilted my face up to meet his. My breath caught in my throat.

  “Lauren, I’m here to make sure you’ll be safe. I wouldn’t put you on a crazy, wild horse. I’ve been around horses my whole life, and we do have a couple of crazy ones. Hope is like a kitten. Look at her. See those big brown eyes?”

  I glanced over to see the horse blinking. She did look unthreatening.

  Just then, Jackson’s thumb stroked my jaw. “Such soft skin. Whatever you do in New York to your skin, keep doing it.”

  I bit my lip. My god, he was like sex personified.

  “I’ll keep up with my skin care routine if you promise that Hope will be gentle.”

  “Promise. Hope and I will be gentle.”

  I watched him put the saddles on the horses, thinking about how gentle he’d really be in bed. For some reason, I think he’d probably break that promise. God, why was I thinking about this? I needed to focus on not falling off this horse. If I could even get on top of her.

  He untied Hope and led her to me, explaining how to balance myself, keep my back straight and to not grip the reins too tight. Go easy, he said, and move with the flow of th
e horse.

  “Can I touch her nose?”

  “Of course.”

  Hesitantly, I reached out and stroked her soft hair. She accepted my touch and I laughed. “She likes it.”

  “She does. And she loves to ride the trails. C’mon, I’ll help you get in the saddle.”

  He instructed me to put my left foot in the stirrup and swing my right leg around and over.

  “I won’t hurt her?”

  “Darlin’, you’re so tiny that she won’t even feel you getting on.”

  My body sparkled at his flirtation, and it bolstered me enough to do exactly as he said. I heaved my body over the horse's back… and there I was. On top of the horse.

  “Oh God, oh God,” I whispered, trying to clamp my legs around her, afraid she was going to gallop away. “Is she going to take off? Please don’t let her take off.”

  “Just relax and breathe. She’s going to follow me and Buck. Don’t you worry.” He handed me the reins. “Don’t drop these, okay? And remember to relax your muscles. Hope knows what to do. She’s a gentle old girl.”

  I didn’t dare move or turn my head. My eyes remained on Hope’s neck. As I listened to Jax get on his own horse, I clutched the reins.

  He and his horse, the magnificent black beauty, pulled up alongside of us. “You did that so gracefully,” I said, admiring how gorgeous he looked atop the horse. Like he was in a country and western music video or something.

  “Did what?”

  “Pulled up alongside my horse.”

  “You’re funny, you know that? I like a woman who can make me laugh.” He chuckled and his eyes twinkled. “Just hang on to the reins and follow me.”

  He tapped the sides of his horse with his boots and moved in front of Hope and me. Then he whistled, and we were off. I was still shaking, but Hope seemed to know what to do, and so I let her, and Jaxson, take control.

  Chapter Four

  I won’t lie; I was nervous at first. But I realized that we weren’t going all that fast—for some reason, I thought we’d gallop like in the movies, but this was more like a slow crawl—and I became accustomed to the rhythm. I even stopped shaking long enough to enjoy the trail, which wound through a golden stretch of grassland and then into a pine forest.