by Sharan Daire
I thought for sure that he’d slide his fingers higher beneath the red dress. Half of me wanted him to. I didn’t even know why. Only that I loved the pounding of my heart. The race of adrenaline rushing in my veins. Within an hour of meeting him, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the kind of man who’d throw you up against a wall, pin your hands above your head, and ravish you senseless.
And he wouldn’t mind getting down on his knees, either. He looked at me with raging hunger burning in his eyes. Blatant heat, scorching attraction. He didn’t hide what he felt, though he didn’t make a single inappropriate move.
When he stood up and scribbled a few notes in his notebook, I was actually disappointed. Not that I wanted him to act inappropriately—not exactly. Oh fuck. I didn’t really know. I was so messed up, off balance and so overwhelmed. This was all so crazy.
I’d set out on a last-ditch effort to have a roof over my head and somehow had landed here.
With four very different, very sexy men, who weren’t shy telling or showing me their attraction. I was definitely far into foreign territory with no idea how to get back to safe ground.
“I’ll get this altered by tonight,” Chris said. “What day is it? Saturday, I think. I’ll get the rest of the collection altered tomorrow. You can try them on first thing Monday morning.”
“Okay.” I hesitated, trying to decide what else to say. Thank you? But I was doing him a favor, evidently...
“Everett will have the papers drawn up.”
I gulped. That sounded official. “Papers?”
“Your contract. You want to be paid, don’t you?”
I blinked rapidly, trying to keep my confusion from showing on my face.
“I don’t take advantage of people. Especially people who work for me. You’ll be well compensated for your work today.”
Work? But all I’d done was try on this dress.
He grinned suddenly, a flash of startling white like a predator displaying his fangs right before the strike. “You know, those pictures you let me take? When you were kissing Derek and Everett?”
My cheeks blushed so hotly that I swayed slightly. “Oh.”
“That was some damned fine work, Shelby. I can’t wait to shoot you in this dress. I can’t believe out of that entire rack, this is the one you picked. I guess it was meant to be.”
I shook my head. “I thought this one would be the least... conspicuous?”
He laughed. Like deep belly laughter that seemed to startle him as much as me. “Like you could ever be fucking inconspicuous. No, the red velvet is perfect. Watching you earlier, I decided on a name for the line, so this is the perfect gown to headline the collection.”
I was sure my cheeks had caught on fire and were redder than the dress now. What had he settled on? Trailer park trash? Something slutty...? Because it wasn’t every day that a woman was kissing two men that she barely knew.
“Red Velvet Angel.” He reached out and twirled a lock of my hair around his finger, a quick caress that I felt to the soles of my feet. “This hair, Shelby. And your face. Yeah. You’re my angel. I’ll see you Monday morning. Eight AM sharp or I’ll send Everett to drag you up here.”
KALEB
Though I was glad to see Shelby headed back toward me, I was also sad to see her coming. Because that meant she’d be taking the kids.
When I’d turned thirty, I’d resigned myself to always being an uncle and never a father. I had no interest in settling down with a woman if it was just me. I couldn’t explain it, but I’d always seen Derek in the picture. Even before Chris and Everett had come into our family for good. It was more than the twin thing, though that was also very real and sometimes scary too.
I felt Derek’s anticipation. Hope burning in his chest. And yeah, dread. Fear. No, downright terror.
I’d never felt such a strong connection to a woman before. If we lost Shelby...
Not to mention her kids. Some single guys might be turned off by a woman with two kids of her own, but damn it all to hell, I couldn’t wait to be a father. Allie especially had already wriggled into my heart and taken up residence. Such a cute, sweet kid—who’d obviously never really had a dad of her own. Every time I said something even somewhat nice to her, she looked at me like I was a fucking hero.
It only made me ache inside, determined to be that white knight she’d dreamed of. Both for her, and for her mother.
“Mommy!” As soon as Shelby stepped back into the room, Allie ran straight for her. “Come see what I made.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away, not for a million dollars, as Shelby scooped up her daughter. “Yeah? What have you been up to?”
“Kaleb and I had a tea party with Wally. Then we were coloring. He drew me a unicorn.”
Shelby sat down with the little girl in her lap. She looked a little shell shocked. Dazed, maybe a little overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Did I dare hope that maybe, just maybe...
Everett magically appeared—as if he had a sixth sense of her nearness—carrying a tray with several drinks and a platter of cookies. “I thought you might want a snack.”
Allie hopped down and squeed with delight. Sally had outdone herself as usual and decorated sugar cookies into cats, dogs, and butterflies. The little girl grabbed one off each and ran outside to take one to her brother.
Shelby wilted a little in the chair, smiling tiredly at Everett when he offered a cup of coffee.
“I see you survived meeting Chris unscathed,” I said.
Sipping the coffee, she smiled wryly. “I don’t know that I’d say unscathed, but yeah, I met him.”
“You did great.” Everett sat down beside her. By the way he looked at her, I knew he’d touched her. Maybe even kissed her. It was like she was a magnet, and his body was helplessly homed in on her.
Dude, I felt the exact same way. But I was starting to get pissed off. Derek had kissed her. He’d told me last night. Now Everett. She’d met Chris. I knew he wouldn’t have risked scaring her off, so he would have refrained from so much as touching the back of her hand, let alone a kiss.
That meant I was going to be the last asshole to see if she physically felt anything for me.
She had to like me. At least a little. I didn’t want to be the one who fucked this up. Shelby alone was amazing. But add in Allie and Liam...
I’d drive headfirst off a cliff if she decided to leave because of me. Because she didn’t feel anything for me.
"I should be able to pay you something," Shelby said, a wan smile hovering on her lips. "At least a little."
My eyes narrowed, ready to retort that she would do no such thing, but Everett beat me to the punch. As usual.
"I'd say you'd be able to buy a dozen brand-new cars when all is said and done, Shelby. Don't worry about paying Kaleb anything."
I had to turn away, jaw clenched, so they didn't see the blistering rage and overwhelming grief that choked me. Fixing her car was the one thing I could do. I wasn't a high-power attorney like Everett, though he hadn't been at a firm in years. I certainly didn't have the family wealth that Chris had started with, though he'd gone on to easily multiply his inheritance ten times over and then some. I didn't even have the power and authority of a sheriff.
I was just the grease monkey. The younger Anderson twin. Not a war hero, a small-town country cop, or a West Coast attorney.
Shelby laughed uncomfortably, as if she thought Everett was teasing her. "Of course I'll pay him. I need Bessie fixed up. Though it might take every penny I have, I'm good for it."
"Didn't Chris tell you what he was shooting those pictures for?" Everett shook his head slowly. "You're going to be wealthy, Shelby. He's going to compensate you well. Very well indeed. I don't have the exact numbers yet since I won't meet with him until late tonight after he's through with the alterations, but he's going to pay you thousands. Tens of thousands. Maybe even more. It really depends on how quickly the line takes off. Even though I'm his attorney, I'll make sure the terms of the co
ntract are completely fair, though you should definitely have someone else take a look at it for yourself."
When she didn't answer, I glanced back at her. Wide eyes dazed, she stared at him and then me. Her mouth hung open a little, her eyes pleading with me. For what? I'd give anything to be able to help her in the smallest way.
"He can't be serious," she finally whispered. "Right? Kaleb? You'd tell me if it was a joke. Or a scam. Wouldn't you?"
Everett made a rude noise beneath his breath. "I would never scam anyone, let alone you. I'd try to beat the shit out of Chris if he told me to cheat you somehow, even though he'd whip my ass. Then I'd quit. I mean it, Shelby. I would never..."
I couldn't bear the doubt in her eyes, though I couldn't blame her. She didn't know us. Any person in their right mind would think the exact same thing, especially a vulnerable woman trapped alongside the road and dependent on some strangers not to take advantage of her. I stood and moved closer to her, dropping down before her so I wouldn't scare her with my size. I dared to take her hands in both of mine, cradling her fingers in mine. I willed her to believe me. To feel safe.
"Let me tell you a story, okay? I think it'll help."
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Chris' dad was a wealthy businessman famous in these parts. He built a massive golf course, several hotel chains, some shopping centers. You name it. He was a bigshot, one of the wealthiest people I'd certainly ever known. He even owned his own plane. Like that's how wealthy they were. Chris grew up always having money and a lot of kids at school hated him. They were jealous, of course, because he lived in a huge house and had the coolest clothes and the nicest shoes. But you know what? He was fucking miserable. His dad was a class-A bastard and treated his mom like crap. Nothing Chris ever did was good enough for him. Like if he brought home all As on his report card, his dad would say, ‘Why aren't you on the football team?’
“So Chris joined the football team and drove himself—and us—to be the best damned team our school has ever seen. Took us to the state championships. Still wasn't good enough. His dad didn't care and only rarely came to the games. The one time Mr. Blakely actually came to watch was the last game of our senior year, and Chris played with a separated shoulder. Do you have any idea how much pain he was in? It wasn't his throwing arm, but every time he took a step and threw, it wrenched his entire body. Let alone when he took a hit. But he did it, because by god he wasn't going to disappoint his dad."
"We won that game," Everett said softly. "The whole town had carpooled in a giant caravan all the way to St. Louis, which is like a four-hour drive from here."
"Chris played like a beast in the first half," I continued. "But with his shoulder, we were struggling. He couldn't physically play at his best, no matter how hard he tried. At halftime, we were tied with the other team. Chris asked to speak to the coach, and when they came back, Coach Floyd put the back-up quarterback in for the third quarter."
I waited a moment, letting her think about it. I wasn't sure how much she understood about sports, but she got the gist. "He put his ego aside for the team," she said slowly. "Even though his dad had finally come to a game."
Nodding, I squeezed her hands gently. "He sure did. He wanted us to win, and he knew he wasn't at his best. Mr. Blakely came down to the sideline and chewed the coach out in front of everybody during the game. When he found out Chris was hurt and had to be pulled, he screamed at Chris. In front of all of us. The fans, his teammates, even the other team. Called him a loser. A quitter. Then he left in a huff, dragging his mom along too."
Shelby winced. "That's awful."
"Chris turned to us and said, 'Fuck him. Let's win this game once and for all.' And we did. We ended up pulling ahead, everybody fired up and playing harder than ever. Not just for us, for the team, but for Chris. We wanted him to win, even though he was hurt. At the end of the game, our friends and family ran out on the field to celebrate. And there our star quarterback stood without his family but surrounded by his championship team."
"He told us then that we were his family," Everett added. "Not his rich parents. Us. We never forgot it."
"And that's why you are all still friends."
"One reason," I replied. "When we returned home, cops were waiting at the school for Chris. His dad's plane had gone down. Everybody on board had been killed."
"Oh no," she breathed softly, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"He blamed himself a long time, despite anything we told him. All he could remember were the horrible words his dad had thrown at him in front of everybody. In his mind, his father died thinking he was a complete loser. Instead of going to college or taking over any of his father's businesses, he joined the military."
"Not just any military," Everett added. "He joined the Marines. Even then, we think he was trying to kill himself. Punish himself. For letting his father down."
Her lips trembled and she pulled her right hand free to swipe at her cheeks. "God. That sucks."
"That's why we took it seriously when Derek called us and said Chris was in trouble. We knew what he'd been through already."
"We took care of him, then. Gladly." Everett said. "And now he takes care of us because we all chose to stay with him rather than return to our previous jobs. We like being together. We’re family, regardless of blood ties. We're committed to each other."
She looked at him and then me, the question in her eyes. Though she was too polite to ask. "We're all straight. We love each other, but like brothers." I hesitated, wondering how much more to say.
As the attorney, Everett was usually very careful with his words, so I was surprised when he added, "Unlike most brothers, we actually like to share."
Her eyelashes fluttered, no doubt her mind racing.
Casually, Everett dropped his arm around her shoulders. "That's why Derek didn't mind me kissing you today. And why I would love to see you kiss Kaleb."
She swallowed hard. Wide eyed, she stared at me. She didn't refuse... but she didn't smile or flirt in any way. Maybe she was shellshocked.
Or maybe she wasn't into me at all.
Desperation burned in my veins like acid. If I was the one to fuck this up with her...
"Do you all... watch? Or... share? At the same time?"
"Both," Everett replied. "Theoretically, at least. We've never been able to find out for sure how it'd work with all four of us."
"Oh," she said faintly. The tips of her ears were as red as her hair. "I would’ve thought that you'd have tons of women falling at your feet."
He laughed softly, but I wanted to die, softly and slowly fading into the wooden planks. How could he be so calm and banter back and forth when our whole future was on the line? "I'm sure it might be a lark for a woman to have twins at the same time. But three men? Then add in Chris and his unique needs, and it's damned near impossible."
"What... unique... needs?"
"Maybe it'd be better if you asked him directly."
I almost fell on my ass when she squeezed my hand and looked at me imploringly. "Won't you tell me, Kaleb? You told me about his past."
"He..." My mouth was dry. I swallowed, hoping Chris wouldn't mind. I didn't think he would. Especially if she was the one. But if she wasn't... "His PTSD still flares up, especially at night. So he doesn't... He can be..."
"Oh for fuck's sake." Chris slammed the door to the private wing so loudly that we all flinched. He stomped over to us, a dark thundercloud brewing in his eyes. But Shelby didn't seem scared as he loomed over us. Her eyes were wide and locked on him, but she didn't pull back or cringe against Everett. Even as Chris glared as us. "I watch."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "That's it?"
He guffawed, shaking his head. "Yep."
"Why?"
His laughter fell away and he grimaced. "Because I don't trust myself to fuck."
11
Shelby
Before I could think of something to say, he strode past us toward the kitchen. "Everett, with me. K
aleb, put yourself out of misery."
The man on the floor before me scowled at his friend's back, though his cheeks flushed bright red.
Chuckling, Everett kissed my temple and stood to follow their friend, leaving me alone with Kaleb. "Good luck, buddy."
Confused, I looked down at our hands, my left still held gently in Kaleb's big palm. It was... nice. I couldn't remember holding Rob's hand much after we got married. Certainly not after having kids. I'd already been struggling with our marriage, trying to reconcile the promise I'd made for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, when the father of my children treated me like crap. If he'd held my hand or touched me, it'd been to drag me into doing something he wanted. Not because he wanted a connection with me. Not because he wanted to comfort me. Or show me how much he'd cared.
Because I'd finally realized that he didn't care for me at all. No one who claimed to love someone would treat them like shit. For years.
"Hey," Kaleb whispered, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. "What's wrong? You don't have to do anything at all. I'll walk you to your cabin and get Bessie fixed up as quickly as possible. You can be out of here and away from our craziness."
"Nothing's wrong." But my throat was tight, and he heard the slight quiver in my voice. "Just remembering some not pleasant things."
"Because of us? Chris? Me?"
I jerked my gaze up to his. "No, not at all. I was thinking about how nice this is. It's all like a dream. I can't believe any of it is real."
"I'm thinking the exact same thing. We all are."
I laughed awkwardly, trying not to tear up at the earnest way he looked at me. Like I was something special. Unique. Wonderful.
Me. The broke waitress who couldn't keep the lights on or rent paid or her car running. "Yeah, sure. A nightmare repair bill that I can't pay, and two kids dumped in the middle of your resort. Sounds more like a nightmare to me."
