Opulent Match [Ménage.com 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Peyton Elizabeth

  “Silk, nine lives have nothing to do with this. It’s all about one action and its consequences. Let me explain how this is going to work,” Cooper whispered, his voice deep and gravelly. His fingers tangled in her hair, holding her in place. Her breath quickened at the sensuality of their position out in the middle of the street. What would people think? “One kiss will start a domino effect. We’ve waited this long and will continue to wait until you are ready. We won’t be the first to make a move though. You will have to kiss one of us if you want this to go further. But let me warn you, once your lips press against one of ours, all bets are off. You will belong to us and there will be no more running.”

  Cyn stopped breathing as she stared into his eyes. He was dead serious. She couldn’t prevent herself from looking down at his lips. Would they taste the same as they did years ago? They were slightly parted, as if waiting for her to claim them. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more in this life than to do as he challenged. It was like telling a child that he or she couldn’t have a candy bar that sat right out in the open. It ended up being the one thing they couldn’t do without. She rose on her tiptoes, bringing her lips closer to his. It was so tempting that she felt the pull all the way inside her soul.

  “Oops, sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” Elise’s voice rang out from behind her. “You three carry on. I’m just heading home.”

  Cyn quickly pulled back, and Cooper’s hand slid out from beneath her hair. She immediately missed his touch. What the hell was wrong with her? Had she seriously been contemplating meeting their challenge? Slamming her walls back into place, Cyn put one hand on her hip. She ignored the fact that she was raising her eyebrow and pouting her lips like Elliott accused her of doing earlier.

  “Elise, you’re not interrupting anything. I had just heard that Cooper and Brody weren’t coming to dinner tomorrow and wanted to know if anything was wrong.”

  Cyn noticed that Brody was still leaning against the front of the truck, his broad chest covered by a green military T-shirt. Now that she thought about it, she realized that Brody hadn’t said one word to her, nor had he said anything when Cooper laid down his challenge. For some reason, that made her nervous.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Cooper answered, crossing his arms again and rolling back on his boots. “We just have to take care of something for work.”

  Cyn saw that Brody shifted his eyes at Cooper’s remark, looking away from them. She brought her attention back to Cooper and studied his face. There was a small frown line near the corner of his mouth. She knew he only got that when he wasn’t telling the truth. Cyn had seen it a million times when they were teenagers and he told his parents they were late because the car had broken down. They were lying. Why?

  “Really? On a holiday?” Cyn let her hand drop from her hip. This wasn’t the time for fake appearances.

  “No rest for the weary,” Cooper said, holding up her hairpin.

  Cyn slowly reached out and took it from his fingers. The naughty gleam was back in his eyes, erasing any previous signs of deceit. It really shouldn’t matter to her what they were doing. It didn’t affect her and it was their life, or so she kept repeating to herself.

  “Will you be gone long?” Elise asked, coming to stand beside her. Cyn was grateful for her friend’s presence. “If you’re coming back tomorrow evening, we can keep a couple plates warm for you.”

  “Thanks, Elise, but we won’t be back until Saturday. Enjoy the holiday and we appreciate that you wanted to include us.”

  Brody leaned up from the front of the truck and made his way around the side. Cooper pulled the keys out of his front pocket and started to walk around to the driver’s side door. That was it? They had thrown down the gauntlet about kissing, lied about why they were backing out of Thanksgiving dinner, and they were just going to leave?

  “Cooper,” Cyn called out, putting her hand back on her hip. Damn Elliott for bringing that to her attention. She let it fall back to her side. With his fingers on the handle, he turned toward her. “It won’t happen. I won’t be the first to break.”

  Cooper smirked, giving her a wink. “We’ll see, Silk. Enjoy your holiday.”

  With that, both men got into the truck. She and Elise stayed on the sidewalk watching them back out of the parking slot. She didn’t bother to return Cooper’s wave, angry that she had let them get to her like that. She didn’t like games and felt like she was playing Battleship, where she didn’t know where their targets were hiding, but they knew where she kept hers. It was a feeling she could do without.

  “What was that about?” Elise asked. “For a woman who had her mind made up to stay away from them, that was certainly a steamy embrace. Hell, I could feel the heat the minute I stepped out of the diner.”

  “It wasn’t a steamy embrace,” Cyn said, straightening out her scarf to give herself something to do. “I asked where they were going and they lied.”

  “Lied?” Elise asked, looking shocked. “Why on earth would you think they lied?”

  “Because they did.” Cyn scanned the street, but their truck was already out of sight. “Did you notice that Brody didn’t say anything?”

  “And that’s unusual? Cyn, I think they are finally breaking down your barriers and you’re panicking. So what that they have to work? Getting a small business up and running is no easy feat. We’ll spend the holiday together and when they get back in town, you should talk with them about why you’re so afraid to get back together with them.”

  “It has nothing to do with being scared, and everything to do with making the right decisions.” Cyn turned to face Elise, hoping to get her friend to really understand where she was coming from. “Being with them is not healthy for me, Elise. Trust me on this. But that doesn’t mean I can shut off the old emotions and sometimes my concern shows through. I don’t want that mistaken for something else now.”

  “Cyn, whatever you decide, I will support you. So will Shea. We love you and just want you to be happy. It’s our job as your friends to make sure you see every angle before making a decision that will affect the rest of your life.”

  “They were lying,” Cyn declared, changing the subject so she didn’t have to reply. Elise and Shea were the more emotional ones, where she always maintained a clear head. Her friends knew she loved them, but she really felt uncomfortable when Elise and Shea got all sappy with her.

  Elise rolled her eyes and started to walk toward her car. “They weren’t lying, Cyn. They have to work. No big deal. Come by anytime tomorrow. Dinner isn’t until three, but I could use all the help I can get. I want to show my mother-in-law that I can host a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Cyn nodded her head, not worried in the least for Elise. Maureen, Elise’s mother-in-law, loved her. Even if the turkey were burned to a crisp, Maureen would say it tasted wonderful. Cyn turned and started to walk toward her car, wanting to sink into its heated seat. She kept telling herself it wasn’t her business what they were doing or why Cooper and Brody felt the need to lie about it. By the time Cyn was in her car, her ass cheeks warmed by the heater inside the leather, she’d come to a decision. She was going to find out why they had lied and knew just the person to call.

  Chapter Three

  “It’s good to be back home,” Cooper said, throwing his keys on the side table along with the Sunday paper. They were a day late arriving back to town.

  Their ranch-style house was situated around a mile from town, with a long driveway from the road. They had signed the closing papers a month ago and had their stuff moved from Indiana to Arizona within that first week. It was a perfect starter home and with the grand old fireplace fit for a queen, it was perfect for Cyn. She might come across as materialistic, but they knew the real Cyn. She would take an evening at home, sitting in front of the fireplace with a nice cup of hot chocolate over some high-society ball where everyone tried to outdo everyone else.

  “Yes, it is,” Brody agreed, walking directly into the kitchen. Opening the refrige
rator, he pulled out two bottles of beer. Throwing one to Cooper, Brody didn’t waste time twisting off the cap and taking a swig. “I didn’t like the feeling I got when we met with Jones. If this isn’t played out right, and Monroe doesn’t give us the backup we need, all hell could break loose. We have no idea who Jones’s buyer is.”

  Cooper popped his cap off as well, taking a drink before replying. His brother was right. Sonny Jones was a dangerous felon dealing in gun trafficking and their assignment was to bring down his buyer. Jones was a middleman, also known as a straw man, who facilitated the deal between the sellers and buyers of illegal weapons. Agent Monroe made it sound as if it was easy, but going undercover without the proper training was a death sentence.

  “Monroe will come through on his end,” Cooper said, trying to reassure Brody as much as himself. Since they were brothers, they had been assigned to different units in the Marines. But knowing his brother like he did, Cooper knew that Brody was the one to make sure all the bases were covered. Where Cooper went with the flow of any situation, Brody liked to stick with the plan. He got antsy when things started to differ from what was originally prearranged. “Look, we made contact with Jones. He bought our story of using our store and range as a cover of selling illegal weapons. If we play our cards right, we’ll make him believe we got word that his buyer is untrustworthy and that we want him to be at the drop-off to make sure we get our money. Once the meeting is set, Monroe can sweep in and make his arrests. It’s simple.”

  Brody was shaking his head, but Cooper ignored him. His brother didn’t have a choice at this point and would just have to get over his reservations. Cooper understood why Agent Monroe had come to them instead of using his own agents. They had already established a name for themselves as businessmen, made several contacts in the weaponry business, and had their inventory. As for their skill, that was never in question with their military background. Monroe was able to alter certain records for when Jones checked them out, making it seem as if they’d been involved with the selling of illegal weapons during their time in the Marines.

  Seeing the light on their answering machine blinking, Cooper reached across the kitchen counter and hit play. His mother’s voice rang throughout the room. “Hi, boys, it’s Mom. I know we spoke two days ago, on Thanksgiving, but I received the oddest call yesterday. Do you remember Cynthia, Claire Sherwood’s niece? She said that you hadn’t spent the holiday at your friends’ house, like you said you were going to. For some reason, she thought you’d come home. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Please give me a call, so that I don’t worry. I love you both. Bye.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Brody said, his eyes wide with shock. “Cyn called Mom.”

  Cooper smiled, taking another swill of beer and sitting back against the stool. “We should be mad at her for causing Mom to worry, but the fact that she felt she had to make sure we were all right kind of negates that anger.”

  “I’ll let you deal with Mom. I never could lie worth a shit,” Brody admitted, rubbing his head. Cooper knew that he would be shaving it again soon, since the black stubble was longer than he liked. “As for Cyn, I’m not sure that phone call is something to be happy about.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we told her we had to work over the holiday. Yet, she still called Mom asking if we were there.”

  “So?” Cooper wasn’t getting where Brody was heading with this conversation.

  “So that means she thinks we lied to her and she was calling to confirm her suspicions.”

  Cooper finally realized what Brody meant. Cyn didn’t trust them. On the other hand, the situation had prompted her to reach out to them. Whatever her reasoning, it was better than her ignoring them.

  “Fine. I’ll call Mom and somehow get things straightened out. As for Cyn, I say we keep baiting her until she kisses one of us. Forget the reasons why she would have called Mom, it’s the end result that matters. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we have a few days before Jones makes contact with us. Let’s use those days to spend as much time as we can running into Cyn and creating situations where she can’t resist us.”

  Brody laughed. “You really think she’ll break, huh?”

  “The way her body was trembling when I had her close to me the other day? I swear, I was ready to come just from breathing in her scent. She feels the same way. She’ll kiss us first, you just wait and see.”

  * * * *

  Cyn slammed the lid of her laptop down, causing Elise to startle and look up from her computer screen. Cyn grabbed her coffee mug off of the table and got up from her chair. Marching over to the coffee machine, Cyn poured herself another cup and then used the special powder mix that Elise had been nice enough to order for her into the dark liquid. Within seconds, the color turned a warm caramel shade and she took a big gulp.

  “Mind sharing some of that?”

  Cyn looked up to see Dakota standing in the doorway, his hair still wet from his shower. He was a handsome man, along with his brother, Chad. If she had had to pick two men for Elise, they’d have been exactly what she would have chosen. Both men had black hair and beautiful blue eyes that complemented Elise’s fair skin. But it wasn’t their looks that had Cyn satisfied that they were good enough for her friend. It was the fact that they worshipped the ground she walked on. Everything they did, it seemed to be for her. They based their actions on making her happy.

  “Sure, as long as you don’t use my special blend of spices that Elise ordered for me.”

  “No worries,” Dakota said, smiling. “I’d like to be around to grow old with Elise. You seem to be on edge this morning, Cyn. Everything all right?”

  “As a matter of fact, no,” Cyn answered honestly. She wasn’t quite sure why she was fessing up, considering she usually kept things to herself unless Elise and Shea pulled it out of her. “Cooper and Brody have been back in town for over a week. There isn’t a place I go that I don’t bump into them.”

  “Don’t you think you’re overexaggerating?” Elise said, walking up to join them at the kitchen counter.

  Cyn watched as she gave Dakota a kiss good morning, but then had to turn away. Kissing Cooper and Brody was the one thing she would give her Hermes designer purse to do, but she refused to break. Watching Elise do something to one of her men that she desired to do to hers was more than Cyn could bear. She snatched her mug off of the counter and stomped back to her seat at the table. What was she thinking? Cooper and Brody weren’t her men.

  She wasn’t kidding when she said that she was running into them everywhere. Each time, they found a reason to get in close physical contact, giving her ample opportunity to lean in and put her lips against theirs. It was frustrating as hell and only left her with damp panties. Something had to change, and it had to happen fast, because she wasn’t sure how much more sexual tension she could handle without exploding.

  “They’ve been busy getting their store ready,” Elise said, continuing the conversation as if she hadn’t just made Cyn think of seeking Cooper and Brody out and doing the unthinkable. “Triple is a small town. I doubt they are following you around deliberately.”

  “Yeah, right,” Cyn said sarcastically, “and that’s why they just pulled up outside of your house?”

  “Oh,” Elise replied, looking chagrined. “Dakota, did you have anything to do with this?”

  “Me? You know better than that,” Dakota said, turning to lean up against the counter. Crossing his legs at the ankle, he took a sip of coffee. “Now Chad on the other hand, you might want to have a word with him.”

  “Chad!” Elise screamed out.

  “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” Chad yelled back, his voice travelling through the house from upstairs. Within seconds, footsteps could be heard coming down the steps.

  “So you didn’t call Cooper and Brody to tell them that Cyn was here this morning?” Elise asked, glaring at him while she pushed up her glasses. “Because we talked about this over Thanksgiving dinner. Th
ey have to be the ones to work this out and we shouldn’t be interfering.”

  “There’s nothing to work out,” Cyn said, interjecting her two cents.

  “They’re here because Dakota and I need new weapons, now that we have a home to protect. We can’t keep bringing the ones from the bar home every night,” Chad said, strolling up to where Elise was sitting and giving her a kiss. God, they were making Cyn sick to her stomach with all of their PDA.

  “We do? We can’t?” Dakota asked, standing up straight and heading for the front door. Cyn heard footsteps on the front porch, right before the knock came. “Did we talk about this?”

  “Shut up, you ass,” Chad said, laughing. Turning to Cyn, Chad shrugged. “Seriously, Cyn. This was prearranged from a few days ago. Dakota’s just trying to get me into trouble.”

  Seeing the sincerity in his blue eyes, Cyn gave a shrug herself. “It’s fine, Chad. Trust me, Cooper and Brody don’t need your help to try and track me down. They are doing a fine job all on their own.”

  “Good morning,” Cooper said, walking into the kitchen followed by Brody and Dakota. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  Cyn raised an eyebrow, giving him her most annoyed look. “Fancy that. By the way, you never did say where you spent Thanksgiving.”

  “No, we didn’t, did we?” Cooper asked, shaking his head when Dakota offered them coffee. “We’ve run into you a couple of times since we’ve been back from our trip, but we haven’t had time to really talk. How about lunch later?”

  “How about you—”

  “Go and conduct your business with Dakota and Chad while we finish working on our website,” Elise said, interrupting and continuing Cyn’s sentence before she could finish it. “You should see the threesomes that are getting together. The success rate is astronomical.”