“Dalton’s Aquariums and More! Lance speaking. How can I help you?”
Serena nearly hung up. Just hearing his low, melodic voice was twisting her insides and making her question her resolve. But at least it was Lance who had answered. He was less emotional than his brother and would be able to speak a little more rationally.
“It’s Serena,” she said.
“Hi,” Lance said softly. “What’s up?”
“We need to talk about the marketing campaign,” she said. “I have some ideas I want to run by you both.”
“Oh! Marketing,” he said. “Right. Okay. We can talk about marketing.”
Maybe he was more emotional than she thought.
“Are you two able to come to my office for a meeting?” she asked.
“We can do that,” Lance said. “When do you want us? I mean, when do you want us to come? I mean—”
“Just stop,” Serena said, feeling flustered. The comments were completely innocent, but at the moment, the double meaning was drowning out anything else. “You could stop by,” she said, emphasizing the words, “this afternoon or tomorrow sometime.”
“This afternoon,” Lance said quickly. “We’ll be at the office this afternoon. One o’clock?”
“That’s fine,” Serena said. She noticed he seemed to have chosen his words carefully, too. “I’ll see you then.”
Lance said good-bye to her, and she hung up the phone. She exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She could get through this. She organized her notes and the information she had, got the laptop set up to show them the social media sites and then pulled out another file to catch up on. Time seemed to drag. She kept checking the clock, wondering why it seemed to be taking so long for one o’clock to arrive.
At lunch she decided to go out and grab a coffee. She needed to have some fresh air, and she figured the walk would help her. It was a beautiful spring day, the temperatures finally over twenty degrees Celsius again. May in Southern Ontario could be very unpredictable, going from hot enough to wear shorts, to snowstorm within days. She sipped the coffee as she walked back to the office. When she arrived, she saw the large black SUV in the parking lot. She hadn’t noticed before, but the license plate said FISHGUYZ. She couldn’t help but smile.
She got to the office and found Liam and Lance in the waiting area. They both jumped up when they saw her. Lance extended his hand. Serena only hesitated a split second before taking it. She didn’t want to be rude. And a handshake was better than a hug. When their skin touched, it was as though an electric jolt passed between their bodies, and for a moment, neither could let go as they stared into each other’s eyes. Serena’s nipples hardened, and her pussy gave an involuntary spasm. With a deep breath, she let go and braced for a handshake from Liam.
She should have known it wouldn’t be enough for him, though. He took her hand but then pulled her against him and kissed her cheek. He held her for a few moments longer than he needed to. Serena’s face was going red. She could feel it. When they finally parted, she turned quickly to lead them to conference room and tripped over the rug. Should’ve seen that coming, she thought as two pairs of male hands grabbed her and pulled her back.
“Sorry,” she said. When she glanced up at them, she saw they both seemed to be stifling grins. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the three of them burst out laughing.
“Nice to see you haven’t changed much in the last couple days,” Liam teased.
Feeling the tension ease a bit, she carefully led them to the conference room. They sat down on either side of her so they could see the laptop. In retrospect, she should have displayed the presentation from the video projector instead, because they had to put their heads close together to see the computer screen. She could feel the warmth radiating from them and was getting fairly warm herself. But she tried to concentrate on work.
“I’ve got the usernames and passwords on this paper,” she said, pointing to it. “The Facebook and Twitter feeds are set to show up both places, so if you tweet something, it will show up on your Facebook page, and vice versa. We’ll need to add photos to both, so if you can send me some digital files, I can get those uploaded. Obviously, the new brochures will have the information, but in the meantime, we should get cards made up that you can start handing out to the customers to get them to follow you.”
“That sounds perfect,” Liam said. “Will that be on our website, too?”
“Yes. The feeds will show up there, plus we’ll have the follow buttons added. I haven’t had a chance to do that yet. You could even have some kind of bonus for everyone who follows you or signs up for the e-mail newsletter. Some kind of coupon or giveaway.”
“We have an e-mail newsletter?” Lance asked.
“You do now,” Serena said. “And I know you take the e-mail address when you have your customers sign up for the loyalty program. But if you haven’t already told them you will be sending them anything, you may want to ask them to opt in to the newsletter, either as a separate sign-up, which we can put on the website, or by asking when they go through the checkout. Then if they don’t want to receive the information they don’t have to.”
“What kind of coupon would you suggest?” Liam asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Buy one, get one half off? Or a free fish with the purchase of a tank or something like that. You know more about your profit margin than I do, so I’ll let you decide. I’ve put a list of suggestions in the folder I prepared. Just let me know what you want to do about that.”
“What about print ads?” Liam asked.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” she said. “You have strong roots in the community and the store’s been open for thirty years now. So we could make a thirtieth anniversary logo to add to all the print materials. I’d like to have them look a little nostalgic. We could take some of the photos from the old clippings, or if there are pictures you have at home of your parents at the store, or yourselves as kids there, they would be useful.”
“That’s a great idea,” Lance said. “We could do that with the radio and TV stuff as well. We have lots of old video footage and tapes of the first radio ads Dad did.”
“Perfect!” Serena said. “And if we morph that into present day photos or video, or show a timeline, how the store’s changed over the years but is still dedicated to customer service, blah, blah, blah.”
The men laughed, and Serena’s insides squirmed. “Anyway, I think it will remind people in the community about all the things your business has done over the years.”
“We could have a big anniversary event,” Lance said. “A charity barbecue or something like that. The actual anniversary date is in August.”
“That would be fabulous,” Serena agreed. “The TV and radio ads could focus on that. They’re more expensive, so if you did a few of them in the week or two leading up to the event, it would be more effective. The print materials can start advertising for it right away.”
The three of them brainstormed some more ideas and, together, worked on a design for their logo and print materials. They actually made a good team, and working helped Serena keep her mind off the personal stuff. By the time they finished, they had a great plan.
“I’ll get this stuff off to the graphic designer,” Serena said. “She’ll be able to make sure it looks just right. And as soon as the material comes in, I can bring it to you.”
They stood and left the conference room. Serena hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, but it was four o’clock, and the receptionist had gone home, along with the other two marketing reps. She knew Angela was here somewhere still, but she became aware of how deserted the office was and her stomach tightened with a slight anxiety.
They stopped by the door and the twins turned to her. “Thank you for everything,” Lance said. “I’m really pleased with the way the campaign is shaping up. You’ve been a big help.”
He held out his arms and leaned forward. A quick hug won’t hurt, Ser
ena thought as she stepped closer to him. His arms closed around her and she melted against him, remembering how good it felt to be with him and revelling in the warmth of his body next to hers. She lifted her head, and he slowly brought his lips down to hers. He gave her plenty of time to turn away, but she didn’t and his kiss was soft and sweet. He hugged her more tightly and whispered in her ear, “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” she said softly, tears threatening.
She pulled away and turned to Liam, who held her for a moment and then kissed her as well. When they parted, she watched them walk out the door and then turned to go back to her office, swiping the moisture away from her eyes. She didn’t see Angela and ran straight into her.
“Oh shit!” Serena said as they regained their balance. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”
“You looked a little distracted,” she said. “They’re nice looking men.”
Serena nodded as a tear squeezed out the corner of her eye.
Angela laid a hand on her arm. “Hey,” she said. “Is everything okay?”
Serena shook her head. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
“Well,” Serena began, unsure of what to say. “I guess I’m confused. I have really strong feelings for them, but we don’t know each other that well yet. I wanted some space, but I miss them.”
“Wow,” Angela said. “Considering you only went out a few days ago, that’s a lot of stuff happening.”
“I know,” Serena nodded. “It was too much, too fast.”
“Is it both of them?” Angela asked.
Serena nodded. “That sounds really awful. And I certainly never intended for it to happen that way, but…” She shrugged.
“It doesn’t sound that bad,” Angela said. “But isn’t one of them married?”
Serena nodded again. “Apparently, the divorce is going to be finalized soon, but that’s another reason I wanted to take a breather.”
“That’s a smart idea,” Angela said. “Married men can be complicated.”
“I know,” Serena said. “Thanks, Angela.”
“No problem. Let me know if you need anything.”
Serena returned to her office and gathered her things then headed home.
Chapter 13
The rest of the week passed without too much drama, for which Serena was grateful. She managed to get most of her office paperwork done, so on Friday she was able to settle down with the picture and video files the Daltons had sent her. As she looked through the photos and sipped her coffee, her mind wandered back to the previous Friday and how the twins had interrupted her. Had it only been a week? She felt as though they’d had a much longer relationship, considering everything that had happened.
She had spoken to both Liam and Lance on the phone a few times and everything had gone well. Most of the calls had been professional, related to the marketing work she was doing for them. But there had been a few, more personal calls, too. She smiled as she remembered talking to them on Wednesday evening after Sam went to bed. They had spent hours on the phone. Liam and Lance had each been on a line at their house. It had been a good conversation. She now knew their middle names, the names of all their childhood pets (the non-fish ones), their hobbies, likes, dislikes. Everything. They kept volunteering information, which led to more questions, more stories, and a great deal of laughter.
As the night grew later, though, the topics started to turn more intimate.
“How old were you when you had your first kiss?” Lance had asked.
“First kiss on the lips or first major kiss?” she said. “Because the first kiss on the lips was Andy Patterson in first grade.”
They had laughed at that. “First kiss with tongue,” Liam said.
“That was when I was fifteen and out on my first date,” she said. “He was eighteen. Landon Hall. Gorgeous!”
“How was the kiss?” asked Lance.
“A little awkward at first,” Serena admitted. “But in the end it was pretty good.”
“So what happened with Landon?”
“We dated for a month or so, and then apparently he got tired of me. Come to think of it, I don’t think he ever gave me a very good reason for breaking it off.”
“Did he get past first base?” Liam said.
“Maybe,” Serena replied with a giggle.
“How far did he get?”
“I let him get my shirt off,” Serena confessed, blushing even though they couldn’t see her.
“Lucky guy,” Lance said, his voice low and sexy. “I can’t believe he still broke up with you after that.”
“Must’ve been gay,” Liam said. “I’ve seen your tits, and I can’t think of anything that would make me want to leave you, unless I just wasn’t interested in women.”
There was a very heavy silence for a moment. Then Lance asked, “Did he feel you up?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“And did you like it?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what else he did,” Liam said.
Serena was blushing furiously and very glad they weren’t here right now. “He squeezed my tits and sucked on the nipples. I was so frigging wet after.”
She heard them both suck in a breath. “Landon was a dumb ass,” Liam said finally.
“I won’t argue that,” she said quietly.
“Who came next?” Lance said.
“I didn’t really have another boyfriend after that,” she confessed. “I didn’t want to get hurt. But when I met Jack…” Her voice trailed off.
“He was different,” Liam said.
“He was. But even though I enjoyed sex, I never knew how great it could be until…”
“Until us?”
“Until you.”
They were silent for a few more moments.
“Serena,” Liam began.
“No, Liam,” she said. “Don’t. I’ve had a great time talking to you, but I’m going to go before I do or say something I’m going to regret.”
“We miss you,” he managed to slip in.
“I miss you, too,” she whispered and hung up.
Remembering the conversation now, Serena knew she was probably fighting a losing battle trying to stay away from them. But she hoped she could at least postpone that final capitulation until she was ready.
* * * *
Liam was counting out items from the boxes in the back room. He was thinking about Serena and their conversation the other night. He thought it had gone really well, but then at the end, she hung up and he felt they were no further ahead. He missed her so badly, and it was killing him to stay away from her. He couldn’t stop thinking about her sexy giggle that seemed to just bubble out of her, or the way her body felt when it was naked beside his, or her full, luscious lips that could do amazing things to him. He hoped she would figure out soon enough that she should be with them. Lance was better about hiding his feelings, but Liam knew he was missing her, too.
With a sigh, Liam shifted the box he had just finished and opened up the next one when he heard shouting from the front of the store. He began moving to the door to investigate when a loud crack sounded, followed by the sound of glass hitting the floor and fast running water. Screams echoed through the store. Liam ran out of the stockroom to find the tank with the moray eel gone, water flooding the floor, and fish flopping helplessly. Liam looked around in confusion. What the hell happened?
His heart leaped into his throat when he saw Jenna near the counter, her back to him, and a gun clutched in her hand. Lance was in front of her, his hands held up in a gesture of surrender. Liam barely noticed James or the customers cowering in the aisles. His sole concern was for his brother’s safety.
“Where the fuck is he?” Jenna screeched. “Where is he?”
“Jenna,” Lance said in a low, soothing voice. “Calm down. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“What’s wrong? Hilarious, Lance!” She sneered at him in dis
gust. “You know damn well what’s wrong! You’re both fucking some stupid slut. Both of you!”
Liam saw Lance’s brow crease a bit and figured he was thinking the same thing as his brother. How had she known about their arrangement with Serena? There weren’t many who did as it had only been a week or so anyway.
“Jenna,” Lance said. “We should talk about this. Why don’t you put the gun down and we can go to the office?”
“Shut the fuck up, Lance! I don’t want to talk. I want to find Liam.”
“You know that Liam and I care about you—”
“So do you want to fuck me, too, then? I could do both of you, you know.” Her voice had dropped a bit as she attempted to sound seductive.
“You’re upset, and that’s completely understandable,” Lance said. “But you know that your relationship is over. Liam has moved on and you should, too.”
“Liam is still married to me!” Jenna cried. “He’s married to me! That. Bitch. Can’t. Have. Him!”
Liam stood frozen, barely able to comprehend what was happening in front of him. Clearly Jenna had freaked out when she found out about Serena. But to bring a gun into his store? Liam was amazed at how calm Lance was. His own heart was pounding rapidly, and he didn’t know what to do. He stared at the moray eel, which lay among the broken glass up against the bottom of a shelf. As he watched it gasping its last breaths, rage whipped through him. How dare she come in here, destroy their property, and threaten them! His anger propelled him forward.
“Jenna!” he shouted as he strode toward her.
Lance’s eyes widened. “Liam, no!” he shouted.
Jenna began to turn, and it was as though they were in a slow-motion movie sequence. The gun began to swing toward Liam. Lance leaped forward and yanked her arm back. Another shot rang out, and one of the tanks on the wall exploded outward, water and fish spilling onto the floor. Liam broke into a run. He could distantly hear sirens. Lance now had hold of Jenna’s arm, and the two were struggling for control of the gun when it went off a third time. A look of surprise came over Lance’s face as he released his grip and slid to the floor. A dark, red patch was blossoming outward from his chest.
Landing the Big Ones [Hedon Falls] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 12
