Her Mountain Home

by Marla Monroe

  Now it felt weird.

  There were two of them and they’d asked her out together. How odd was that?

  She waved her hand in front of her face to cool herself off some. Why was she so flustered? Was it just because she’d agreed on a date, or was it because they were hot as hell in the middle of July?

  She rushed to the kitchen and poured herself a tall ice water and almost drained the glass in one go. She felt a little better, but she was still bewildered as hell. Not only was she confused that they both wanted to take her out—together—but also she couldn’t believe she’d accepted any date, much less a twosome. She didn’t date anymore. Okay, there had been a few dates the first year she’d been free, but after that it just hadn’t seemed as if it was worth it when she had no intentions of getting serious with a guy again.

  Maggie pranced into the kitchen, going straight for her food bowl. Selena shook her head at the cat. She had a one-track mind. Food, food, and more food. Oh, and throw in a nap between the food.

  Selena scratched the cat’s head, then gave her a helping of the dry food before washing out her water bowl and refilling it. She figured the fat cat had been holed up under her bed to get away from the guys and the fumes. She had that bedhead look going on as if she been rubbing her head against the box springs.

  “You’ll be happy to know that the work is finished, and the men are gone for good,” she told the munching cat.

  Maggie lifted her head and gave Selena a narrow-eyed look.

  “Okay, maybe they aren’t gone for good, but no more work in your room. That should earn me an ankle rub, don’t you think?”

  The cat turned around and began licking her tail while ignoring Selena.

  “Crazy cat.”

  She pulled out a container of frozen lasagna she had left over from a previous meal and heated it in the microwave. The idea of waiting until Monday to shelve her books had her sighing, but she wouldn’t do anything to harm those shelves or her books. A few more days wouldn’t hurt anything. She’d meant it when she’d told the guys that. Just the thought of seeing her favorite books on those magnificent bookcases was enough to make her grin like a lunatic.

  While she ate, Selena thought about the upcoming date, because that was what it was, a date. She’d need to wear something besides jeans. She had slacks and blouses she could wear, but maybe this deserved a dress. Maybe. She’d have to think about it. If she was going to wear one, she’d have to go shopping. She didn’t like any of the ones in her closet for this. They were mostly business dresses for when she met up with any of her clients or her agent. She normally did that about twice a year. No, she needed a new dress.

  With thoughts of that in the back of her mind, Selena settled at her desk in the office despite the fresh scent of stain and varnish and pounded out another chapter of the latest book to help make up for lost time. Usually she didn’t write that much at night, but she’d lost time with having the men in the house. She’d listened to them when she should have been writing.

  Now the house felt empty without them in it. She realized she was going to have to get used to that again, which was a little confusing. Why was she hearing all sorts of creaks and the light snores coming from Maggie curled up on her desk? None of that had ever bothered her before.

  I’m crazy. I only just met them. There’s no way I could have gotten that attached to them after only a few days.

  Yet here she was, sitting at the desk, wishing they were behind her working away.

  Stupid.

  Crazy.

  But it was true, and she didn’t know what to do about it. Going out with them on Saturday would probably make things worse. Wouldn’t it?

  Selena rubbed Maggie’s head, then ran her hand all the way down the cat’s body to where her tail met her butt and patted it. True to form, the feline’s ass came up for more patting.

  “Butt cat,” she said with a chuckle.

  Lighter, she forced herself to return to writing and got another chapter written before she called it a night. She showered before bed in an effort to relax, but sleep didn’t come easily like it normally did. No, she kept thinking about Austin’s quiet demeanor and Caleb’s in-your-face, outgoing nature. They were so different, but together they were perfect. She loved Austin’s deep voice. It made parts of her below the belt heat up and grow wet. Caleb’s “babe” and how he rubbed her back when they walked into the diner had felt comforting and familiar.

  She punched her pillow and readjusted the covers once more. She couldn’t get comfortable and knew it was because she was thinking about the men as more than just potential dinner dates. She was thinking about them as men. Sexy, hot men. Her body reacted to those thoughts with hardened nipples and a fluttering belly.

  “Damn.”

  She ran her fingers over her breasts and pinched the nipples. That small bite of pain had her pussy gushing as if it was just waiting for her to catch up with what her body had been telling her for hours. She slid one hand down her body to where her pussy was aching and wet. The feel of her finger near her clit had her arching her back. She was so wet and so needy.

  Selena closed her eyes and imagined Austin between her legs, spreading them so he could get to her juices. Caleb would suck on her nipples while squeezing them and flicking at them with his fingers. The vision in her head felt so real.

  She slid two fingers between her pussy lips and spread her juices all around her clit before lightly rubbing the little nub so that she was writhing on the bed. She wanted them fucking her, but she was too close already to extend her vision. Instead she pictured them naked while they loved on her with their hands and mouths.

  “Oh, God.”

  Pleasure began to build like a dam filling up behind stones that she knew would eventually crumble and allow the tide of water to overflow until she was drowning in ecstasy.

  The feel of her orgasm building sent tendrils of excitement racing down her spine. She was so close. She rubbed her clit, and then when she knew she couldn’t stand it any longer, she pinched one nipple and her clit at the same time so that she flew, her climax tearing a soft scream from her. Arching off the bed, she let it ride over her before collapsing once again.

  As she lay back panting, fighting to draw in one breath after the next, she looked over to where Maggie normally slept and gave out a breathy laugh. The fat feline had abandoned her and was sleeping on the chair instead. Selena guessed she’d been too rambunctious for the cat to sleep.

  That was fine because now Selena could.

  * * * *

  Austin dried off after his shower and checked his jaw to be sure he hadn’t missed any spots when he’d shaved. It felt smooth for a change. Normally he let it grow a bit between shaves, but tonight he wanted to be clean shaven and dressed nice. They were taking Selena out and everything had to be perfect.

  They’d each chosen their newest-looking jeans and had picked out nice button-down shirts for a change. They’d even cleaned their dress shoes for the occasion. He couldn’t believe they were going all out on the date, but he wanted it to go smoothly. He wanted her to agree to see them again.

  Both of them.

  Together.

  He wanted her to see them as a pair who were serious about courting her. No, it wasn’t conventional, but it worked for them, and he hoped it would work for Selena, as well. He really hoped it would work for her. He was already stuck on her. He could watch her smile for hours. Wanted to be the one to put that smile on her face. Yeah, he was lost.

  Austin thought Caleb was just as hooked on the woman as he was, but his friend was keeping his feelings close to the belt. As outgoing and easy as the man was, he could get hurt just as much as Austin could.

  “You ready yet?” Caleb called through the bathroom door.

  “Not yet, but I’m about to get dressed. Jesus, man. Are you already dressed?”

  “Yeah. Guess I was in a hurry. Don’t want to be late.”

  “Go get a beer and relax. I’ll be there in
a minute.”

  Okay, maybe Caleb wasn’t as relaxed as he’d thought. He smiled at the thought.

  I thought I was a nervous wreck over this. Guess I was wrong about Caleb being the relaxed one.

  Austin finished drying off, then walked into the bedroom to dress. He’d chosen a navy-blue dress shirt to go with his best jeans. It didn’t take him long to pull everything on, but it took a few minutes walking around his room in the damn dress shoes to get used to them. Maybe he should wear his boots. Nope. They were too scuffed up.

  Need to get some dress boots for taking her out the next time.

  The next time. He sure hoped there would be a next time. Lots of next times.

  When he walked into the living room, Caleb was standing in front of the gas fireplace drinking a beer. He lifted his chin toward the end table where a fresh, unopened beer sat waiting for him. Austin smiled and picked it up. After removing the cap, he took a long pull from it before sitting on the edge of the table.

  “Got twenty minutes before we can head out,” Caleb said.

  “Yeah. Guess we’re both a little nervous about tonight,” Austin said.

  “Maybe anxious. Not nervous really. I just want everything to go perfectly,” Caleb said.

  “That makes two of us,” Austin agreed.

  “So, who’s driving, and do we both go to the door to get her?” Caleb asked.

  “I think we should both pick her up at the door. I’ll drive this time since you drove the last time.” Austin wanted to be the one to sit next to her without having to concentrate on the road, but it was only fair that Caleb get the chance this time.

  “Thanks, man.”

  “So, do we kiss her after this date or wait?”

  “Shit. I don’t know. Let’s leave it to decide later. I guess it depends on how the night goes.”

  “Sorry. I know I’m nitpicking, but I like to be on the same page where she’s concerned.”

  “Agreed, but you’re going to need to rein in that need to micro plan everything. This is purely see-as-we-go,” Caleb said.

  Austin knew his friend was right, but planning meant less chance of screwing things up, and he definitely didn’t want to do that. He wanted a next date and a next after that. He wanted a lifetime of dates with her.

  Hell, where did that come from? I can’t let myself get too deep with this until we know where we stand with her. This is only the beginning.

  Maybe it was just the start, but he already felt super close to her and wanted to get to know her much better.

  “Time to go, man. If we leave now and drive at a slow pace, we’ll get there right at seven,” Caleb said.

  Austin took Caleb’s empty bottle and his own to the kitchen, where he set them on the counter to rinse out and put in the recycle bin later. When he walked into the living room, it was to find that Caleb was already gone. No doubt if he waited too long, his friend would go down the mountain without him.

  Sure enough, the other man was sitting in the passenger side of the truck, drumming his fingers on his knee. Austin fastened his seat belt and started the truck. They took Caleb’s because it had the open bench seat it in, whereas his had a console between the seats. That would mean one of them would always have to ride in the back while Selena would sit up front.

  Not happening until they had her firmly in their lives.

  Yeah, in our lives. That’s where I want her.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Just drive down the fucking mountain, Austin.”

  Austin bit back a bark of laughter. For once he wasn’t the quiet, anxious one. Caleb was rocking that attitude perfectly.

  Chapter Eight

  When the doorbell rang right at seven o’clock, Selena panicked. She was dressed and ready, but inside her crickets jumped and chirped as if it were the first spring day. Why she’d agreed to the date with the men, she didn’t know. She couldn’t go out with two men. It just wasn’t done.

  Then why am I so freaking excited?

  Because she was an idiot. This was going to be a disaster. They’d end up fighting over who sat next to her or who had her attention longer. She’d nearly called and canceled twice but had chickened out. Now she had to face them and pray they didn’t get into a fight while out in public.

  Selena drew in a deep breath and walked across the room to the door. She checked to make sure it was the guys and realized both men stood outside her door. When she opened the door, two sets of blinding smiles greeted her. They were dressed in nice button-down shirts and wore new jeans with dress shoes. She hadn’t expected that they would dress up for her. Now she was glad she’d splurged on a new dress for the occasion.

  “You look beautiful,” Caleb said.

  “Amazing,” Austin added.

  “Thanks. You guys look great, too. I like the shirts, but you didn’t have to dress up for me,” she said.

  “I’m glad we did,” Austin said. “Otherwise we would have looked like country hicks next to you.”

  “You guys look good no matter what you’re wearing. But thanks for the compliment. A woman can never hear too many of those,” Selena said.

  “Shall we go?” Austin asked.

  She closed the door behind her and locked it before slipping the keys into her shoulder bag. While Caleb took her hand, Austin walked ahead and opened the passenger door before walking around to the driver’s side. This time it was Caleb who picked her up and slid her onto the seat. He climbed in next to her and made sure her seat belt was fastened before seeing to his.

  “Ready?” Austin asked.

  “All buckled up. Let’s go,” Caleb said.

  The drive down the mountain was uneventful other than the guys asking her about her week. Once they reached the steak house some twenty minutes later, she felt much more relaxed in their company. So far, they hadn’t seemed the least bit jealous of each other.

  While Caleb helped her down from the truck, Austin walked ahead to open the door to the restaurant. They ushered her inside, then stopped just inside the entrance to speak with the hostess. Selena gathered that they’d called ahead and reserved a table. Considering that this was a family place, she was surprised.

  “This way, please,” the pretty brunette said.

  They followed her to a table secluded by several fake trees. There, Austin held her chair while Caleb settled her napkin in her lap. They sat and began looking over the menu.

  “They have nearly everything here you could want since it’s just about the only other place in town. Do you have anything in mind?” Caleb asked.

  “You’re right. They do have a lot of choices according to the menu. I’ll never be able to choose. Why don’t you choose for me? The only things I don’t like are anchovies, snails, and olives,” she said.

  “That leaves it wide open,” Austin said with a soft chuckle. “Are you super hungry or normal hungry?”

  She laughed. “Super hungry? No. I had a good lunch, so normal hungry.”

  “What do you think, Austin? Fish or steak?” Caleb asked the other man.

  “Fish.” Austin turned to her. “Fried or baked?”

  “Fried,” she said.

  “Catfish it is,” Caleb said.

  Once they had ordered and received their drinks, Caleb reached over and squeezed her hand. While Austin didn’t, she didn’t feel awkward about it.

  “So, how is that fat cat of yours?” Austin asked after taking a sip from his tea.

  “Still fat and a little disgruntled with me because I was late with her breakfast this morning. I overslept,” she said.

  “Shame on you,” Caleb said. “Making that poor starving thing wait.”

  She laughed, enjoying their conversation more than she would have thought. “That fat cat never misses a meal, and it was only about thirty or so minutes. She was fine, just pissed at me for now.”

  “What does she do, hiss at you when she’s mad?” Austin asked.

  “Mostly she turns her back to me and cleans her butt in front o
f me. She’ll sleep on top of her cat tree and deprive me of her lofty presence instead of sleeping on her bed on my desk. It’s really quite devastating for me.” Selena pouted, then burst out laughing at the guys’ comical expressions.

  “So, what do you do, Selena? You know we build things, what about you?” Caleb asked.

  “Oh, well, I write.”

  “Like books or newspaper articles?” Austin asked.

  “Books. I write a cozy mystery series, and I also ghostwrite for other writers,” she admitted.

  “What is a cozy mystery book?” Caleb asked.

  “Well, it’s one where there isn’t anything gory or truly bad in it. Think Agatha Christie but maybe even a little tamer than that.”

  “What do you do when you ghostwrite a book?” Austin asked next.

  “It means that I write their books, but they have their name on them. Sometimes an author has more than she can handle due out and she hires a ghostwriter who can write in the same manner as she does,” she told them.

  “Why would you write for someone else and not yourself?” Austin asked with narrowed brows.

  “At first it was because the money was good, and I was just getting started with my own series. Now it’s just something I do for two different authors. I don’t write all their books, just one or two here and there.” Selena looked up as the waitress returned with their meals.

  They were mostly silent while they ate with the occasional remark about how good the food was. The catfish was fried perfectly crispy the way she liked it. The guys had both settled on steaks and baked potatoes. She was fairly sure this was their go-to meal anytime they ate there.

  “Next time you’ve got to try the steak,” Caleb said.

  Next time? They really seem to expect there to be a next time. Do I want there to be?

  “What about dessert?” Austin asked.