Ménage.com 3
Opulent Match
Cyn Sherwood-Hightower has enough wealth to buy whatever she desires, except a steel case to protect her heart from the two men who have the ability to steal it. Cooper and Brody Jackson have followed her to Triple, Arizona, with every intention of reclaiming her heart. Cyn is too busy to give them the time of day, especially with the new ménage dating service she and her friends have created. Unfortunately, Cooper and Brody get roped into working a Fast & Furious type of undercover operation.
Cyn can’t suppress her curiosity and finds herself smack-dab in the middle of the chaos with her life hanging in the balance. Will Cooper and Brody make it in time to save the woman they love? Will they be able to convince her that living an opulent life has nothing to do with money and everything to do with love?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 38,698 words
OPULENT MATCH
Ménage.com 3
Peyton Elizabeth
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
OPULENT MATCH
Copyright © 2013 by Peyton Elizabeth
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-303-3
First E-book Publication: January 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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DEDICATION
To my son – your ability to adapt to everything and anything life throws you continues to amaze me. You inspire me.
OPULENT MATCH
Ménage.com 3
PEYTON ELIZABETH
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
“You are insane.”
“I’m a genius,” Cyn quipped, looking over her coffee mug at one of her best friends. She tried not to grimace at the bitter flavor that made her taste buds want to curl up and hide, but judging from the look on Elise’s face, she wasn’t quite so successful. It wasn’t her fault that there wasn’t a coffee specialty shop that carried her no-foam, double-shot, vanilla soy latte with a hint of cinnamon. The town of Triple, Arizona, was not known for its indulgences so much as it was for being the ménage capital of the world, thanks to their dating website. “Switching topics, how are your husbands?”
“No, we are not changing the conversation,” Elise said, exasperated but unable to prevent a smile at Cyn’s question. Elise used a finger to push up her black-rimmed glasses, trying to bring back her serious expression. “You cannot use Elliott Braxton to make Cooper and Brody jealous. That’s just downright mean. I think those men truly love you. And speaking of love, my men are wonderful, thank you very much.”
“Why can’t I use Elliott if he’s willing? It’s not like I’m going to have sex with him. We would just be seen in public as a couple.” Cyn plunked down her ceramic mug on the white table. She was getting tired of having the same old conversation about why things would never work out between her and the Jackson brothers. “And don’t you dare bring up the L word. Those boys wouldn’t know love if it bit them in the ass.”
“They explained to you why they had to leave back then, Cyn. Come on, we’re talking what—ten years ago? They were entering the military and you were heading to college. Do you really think they would have gotten far if the brass had found out they were living a lifestyle that is considered taboo?”
“Why are you suddenly taking their side?” Cyn asked, getting frustrated that she couldn’t get her friend to see that this wasn’t about love, so much as it was about duty. She hadn’t been important enough to them back then, and she wasn’t now. They were just getting a thrill out of the chase. “They chose their life, just as I’ve chosen mine. We went down separate paths. Anyway, what makes you think I would trust them now to want me over something else that might happen to come along?”
Cyn couldn’t stand the look of sympathy that crossed Elise’s face, so she turned her focus on the other patrons in the diner. In all honesty, their lives seemed just as muddled as hers. Mitch Braxton, Elliott’s brother, was sitting in a corner booth drinking coffee and staring out the window. She’d heard that he’d spent almost ten years in prison for murder—a crime he didn’t dispute.
Sheriff Whittington was having breakfast with his daughter, Emma, who couldn’t keep her eyes off of Russ and Cameron Davidson. They happened to be sitting in the corner booth, doing their damndest not to return her stare. Cyn heard the two men came back to run their parents’ ranch and everyone had assumed they would marry Emma. Much to the town’s dismay and Emma’s, they’d stayed away from her and kept to themselves. No one was sure what exactly happened to change their minds.
Deputy Thornton was at the counter, talking with the new waitress that had hit town a couple months ago—or at least trying to. Everyone knew he had taken a liking to her, but Willow refused to go out with him.
As for the threesome at th
e table, they had connected with each other using the dating website that she and her friends created to promote their ménage anthologies. They seemed to be the only ones with smiles on their faces. Who would have thought it would have created such good in people’s lives? Too bad they couldn’t share some of that happiness.
Cyn was coming to love the small-town atmosphere, even if it meant going without her latte. She knew she should probably head back home to Illinois, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. The bed-and-breakfast place she was staying at had a quaint backyard, with benches and seating areas surrounded by colorful flowers and plants. It was a perfect place to write, getting her creative juices flowing in a way they hadn’t in a long time.
The website she, Elise, and Shea had started was getting more traffic than they ever thought possible. Their backlist of books were selling like hotcakes, thanks to the promotional edge the site was providing. The bonus of the entire undertaking was that the town of Triple had become very well known for the ménage lifestyle. Cyn decided she couldn’t leave now, not when things were going so well. Her staying had nothing to do with the Jackson brothers.
“How about the fact that they are out of the military and starting a life where they are free to live how they want to live?”
Cyn rolled her eyes at the fact that Elise had to answer her rhetorical question with another question. She picked up her cup to take another sip of the acidic coffee, delaying her need to reply back. The only drawback about staying in Triple was the fact that Cooper and Brody wouldn’t leave, hence her plan to make them think she’d moved on with another man.
Cyn still found it hard to believe that Cooper and Brody had followed her to Triple and had now set up a permanent residence. Who actually did that? She refused to believe it was because they were serious about settling down.
“You know, Elliott mentioned that Emma Whittington tried to use him and his brother to make Russ and Cameron jealous.” Cyn turned her attention back to Elise. “You don’t see them having anything to do with her, do you? See? Aren’t you proud of how much I’ve learned about the folks of Triple? I can hop on the gossip train as well anyone, you know.”
“That wasn’t Emma’s intention, and you know it,” Elise said, referring to Emma’s plan. “She wants them, just as she always has, but they’re being stubborn for some reason. She was hoping that if it looked as if she were dating someone else, they would get jealous enough to admit that they wanted to be with her. And we should mind our own business. It’s not nice to gossip.”
“Speaking of gossip,” Cyn whispered, leaning forward as if she had the best top-secret information in Triple, “I hear Chad and Dakota aren’t too happy you are keeping your surname.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Elise shook her head and burst out laughing. “You’ve been talking with Marge over at the bakery, haven’t you?”
Cyn nodded her head, although it was the sight out the window that caught her attention. Cooper and Brody had pulled into a parking spot across the street in their black pickup truck. These two men had followed her from Indiana to Arizona and then had the audacity to proclaim they were staying permanently. It was something she would have written in a book, but then, all her books had happy endings so this tale wouldn’t do.
She couldn’t help her heartbeat from racing at seeing their doors open. They each stepped out, their cowboy boots hitting the black surface of the road. Their denim-clad legs had her eyes switching back and forth between the two, not wanting to miss any detail in their appealing physique. Who was she kidding? Appealing didn’t cover the way these two men looked. Smoking hot was a better description.
Cooper was the taller of the two, with his black hair trimmed short, just like he wore it in the military. He was lean, but all muscle. She’d caught a glimpse of the black tattoo that seemed to peek out of his T-shirt, near his neck. He must have gotten it when they were in the service, because his body hadn’t had one blemish on it when they had been together. It made her wonder how much of that tattoo covered his body. She let her eyes drift lower, loving the way his jeans hugged his ass. Cyn looked over at Brody’s ass, knowing his was a bit broader and meatier. The denim hugged him in all the right places. Dragging her eyes up, she couldn’t help her sigh of disappointment when she realized his black jacket covered the upper half of his body. Brody was just under six feet, with a massive chest that seemed to be sculpted out of marble. Her fingertips tingled, remembering how she used to trace the contours of his muscles, making circles until she got to his nipples. She loved the moans she could get him to elicit.
“Earth to Cyn,” Elise said, waving her hand in front of Cyn’s face. “For someone who says she doesn’t want them, you certainly can’t take your eyes off of their bodies.”
“That’s just me thinking of various evil ways to make them leave Triple and go back to Indiana where they belong,” Cyn replied, lying through her teeth while trying to pull her eyes away from the duo. “You never responded, by the way.”
“Fine,” Elise stated, finally taking Cyn’s bait and changing the subject. “You refuse to talk about them, and we are running out of time. We both need to finish up those scenes we’ve been working on. Shea’s already turned in her manuscript. Ever since she moved to Chicago to be with Ian and Gray, she’s can’t seem to write fast enough.”
“Look who’s talking, Ms. Sinclair.”
“Oh, stop it,” Elise chided, struggling to put her jacket on in the booth. “I’m keeping my name for publishing purposes only. I am changing my last name to Collins for everything else. Triple is just old-fashioned, and just so you know, it’s not Dakota and Chad who have an issue with it.”
“Who does?” Cyn asked, willing to take on anyone who gave her friends grief.
“No one, really,” Elise commented, shrugging her shoulders and giving a radiant smile. “The old biddies just like to have something to talk about. I’m sure they are about to move on to something better, though.”
“Why do you say that?”
Elise tilted her head toward the door behind her, which jingled at that precise time to indicate someone had walked through the entrance. Elise certainly had her timing down. Cyn closed her eyes against seeing the humor in her friend’s face, knowing it wasn’t just one person to walk through the door, but two. Elise’s next words confirmed her guess.
“Good morning, Cooper and Brody,” Elise sang out in her high voice. “You can have my seat, as I was just leaving. By the way, are you two coming to Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday?”
Cyn sloshed what was left of her coffee onto the table, quickly reaching for some napkins to wipe up the dark brew before it spilled into her lap. Damn it, why hadn’t Elise mentioned that she had invited them? Ever since Elise had found two men to love who loved her back, Cyn swore it was Elise’s mission to make everyone as happy as she was. Well, if Cyn had known what Elise was going to do, she would have driven to Chicago and spent the holiday with Shea. Unfortunately, Cyn couldn’t visit her aunt, because she had decided to take a cruise titled “Sexy Single Sixties.” Cyn threw the saturated napkins on the table in frustration. Elise was supposed to be her friend, not theirs.
“We wouldn’t miss it, Elise. Thanks again for inviting us,” Cooper replied, his voice sending tiny vibrations through Cyn’s body. She gritted her teeth when her nipples responded, but was grateful for the black cashmere turtleneck sweater she was wearing. It had cost a fortune, not that money was really an object for her, but it accentuated her figure to perfection.
Elise worked her way out of the booth to make room for the two men that Cyn would have given her eyeteeth to have move back to Indiana and let her live her life in peace. Why were they making things so difficult when all three knew that was where they would go in the end? Cyn gave Elise her evil eye, the one where she raised her right eyebrow into a point. Her friend didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by it as she said good-bye, causing Cyn to sit back in her seat with a huff. The table suddenly felt
rather tiny when Cooper and Brody took the bench seat across from her. Damn, they were so handsome they took her breath away.
“Cyn, we can pick you up on our way out to their house,” Cooper said, holding up his hand and indicating to Willow that they wanted two cups of coffee. “Does one o’clock sound good to you?”
“Cooper, when are you going to stop this?” Cyn figured now was as good a time as any to talk about what their future held—which was leading their separate lives. “You two have been busy setting up your gun store and range, acting like this is where you are going to spend the rest of your lives, when we all know that your family is in Indiana. You followed me here, knowing full well I am only visiting for a little while longer. And I’m not even sure why you did that, considering you know we don’t belong together.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Silk,” Cooper said, using that old nickname he had given her upon feeling her hair for the first time. He leaned back, allowing Willow to place two more coffee mugs on the table. After asking if they wanted breakfast, to which Cooper and Brody shook their heads in response, she left them to their conversation. “We do belong together, but you just refuse to let that happen right now. So, in the meantime, we will be patient and give you all the time you need to come to your senses. As for why we are staying here in Triple, it’s because no one understands us better than the people here. They understand why we need to share our woman and why we want to live this life. In a way, we should thank you for being the one to show us that Triple existed.”
Opulent Match [Ménage.com 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 1
