Love Under Two Wranglers [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Ménage Everlasting)
Page 23
She heard the tension, and knew he’d stay still inside her no matter how badly he needed to fuck her. That wasn’t what she wanted at all.
“I feel so full. It’s…amazing. I need…” The pain curled itself around her arousal, changing it, making it hotter and darker and needier.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No! God, no…move. Fuck me. Oh, God, fuck me now!”
Trembling, quivering, ready to explode, Holly couldn’t believe how hot, how good it felt having two cocks fucking her. Duncan slid nearly all the way out, and Alan pumped his hips up, thrusting hard. Then Duncan slid home and Alan retreated. Back and forth, in and out, over and over and over, Holly began to shake as her arousal grew and grew.
“I’m not going to last.” Duncan bent over her. “You feel too good, baby. Hot and tight and heavenly.”
“It’s fucking wonderful,” Alan said.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.” Holly was beyond speech, hovering on the verge of coming, desperation pounding at her with each of their thrusts.
Then Duncan reached around and found her clit. He brushed it back and forth, and then he pinched it.
Holly screamed as she came, as an avalanche of sexual pleasure buried her in an orgasm so fierce, so huge, she wondered if she would ever recover.
For a long time no one moved. She knew both men had reached their climax, she’d felt them pulsing inside her. Then Duncan eased out of her.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move.” She heard him in the bathroom, and then heard the water running. A few moments later he was back, caring for her, his touch infinitely gentle as he cleaned her.
Alan helped her slide off him, and when Duncan slid into the bed, they once more snuggled her close.
Holly sighed, her heart so full just then she didn’t know if she could contain it. She loved them both almost beyond reason. Even though she’d already said it, she needed to say it again. “I love you both so much. I never believed I would ever fall in love with one man, let alone two. I never believed one man could love me, let alone two. But now that I do, and you do, I know something about myself. I need you both to complete me. I need you both to love me.”
“Honey, you have no idea how happy we are you said that. You complete us, too. We’ve been looking for you for a long, long time.” Alan bent down and placed the sweetest kiss on her lips. She felt him tremble, and wondered why.
“Holly Bethune, I love you with my whole heart,” Alan said. “I want to grow old with you and have children with you. Will you marry me?”
“Holly.” Duncan stroked her cheek. “I ain’t never going to love another woman, not ever. You’re it for me. I want to spend all of the rest of my life loving you, making a home with you and Alan and however many children we’re blessed with. Will you marry me?”
She didn’t care about the tears, because they were tears of joy—and hers weren’t the only eyes that were damp. “Yes. I want to marry you both. And, I want your children.”
Both men beamed, and both put their hands on her stomach. “I made love to you twice now without a condom. Could you be pregnant already?”
“It’s possible.”
“And you don’t mind?” Duncan asked.
“Not at all. It’ll be if it’s meant to be. I never could have imagined that I would be spending my life making love under two wranglers—but this—us—we’re meant to be. I know it down deep in my soul.” Then she giggled. “This is our first step into our very own happy-ever-after.” She grinned at both of them. “As a reader of romance, I’m a big fan of the happy-ever-after.”
Alan kissed her, and then Duncan followed suit. “We are, too, honey,” Alan said.
“We are indeed.”
Holly didn’t think any more words were needed.
Chapter 25
Holly thought it was sweet that Ricoh Stone—Alan and Duncan’s self-effacing friend and foreman of the Benedict North Ranch—invited them out to dinner to Lusty Appetites to celebrate their engagement.
The guys chattered as they exited Ricoh’s crew-cab truck. She was happy to just listen, enjoying their banter. She hadn’t understood before tonight that the three men were actually good friends—their paths having first crossed when the three had worked as stock handlers on the rodeo circuit a few years before.
On the way to town, they’d regaled her with some stories from those days, including telling her about the rodeo cowboy they’d all befriended, the man who’d been responsible for Ricoh’s becoming foreman for Chase and Brian Benedict—Julián Alvarez.
Ricoh reached the door of the restaurant first, holding it open for them.
“Surprise!”
Holly’s hands covered her blushing cheeks even before that shout and the applause that accompanied it had died down.
“Sneaky bastard,” Alan said, directing his comment to a laughing Ricoh. The man had stayed back by the door, letting the three of them bask in the proverbial spotlight.
Samantha Kendall stepped forward, and the crowd quieted.
“The engagement party here, among family and friends, is a Lusty tradition,” Samantha said. Then she grinned. “At least it has been for the last few years. On behalf of the Town Trust, congratulations to the three of you. We’re all so very happy you came to Lusty, and we’re even happier that you’ve found each other and plan to build your futures here among us.”
Her men flanked her, and both she and Duncan looked to Alan as their spokesperson. Holly grinned because as light-complexioned as he was, his blush showed, even through his tan.
“Thank you.” He looked around the dining room—the slightly expanded dining room now that the wall between the restaurant and soon to be opened book store had been opened up. “Duncan and I knew Lusty was home shortly after we arrived. You all…” He stopped, grinned, and cleared his throat. “Maybe I should make that y’all?” Laughter and applause greeted his attempt at the Southernism. “Okay, good. Y’all showed us, right from the first moment, what a special place this was. Your acceptance and your sense of family are remarkable, and we’re so glad to be here.” Then he looked at Holly. “And thank you for bringing our woman home to us.”
More applause sounded, and Holly guessed she was going to have permanently red cheeks.
Then music began to play as people took their seats and began to talk. Emily Anne Richardson and Bernice Benedict wheeled out carts from the kitchen, then filled the buffet. Samantha came over and hugged her. She was joined by all three of her husbands who hugged her, and then congratulated her men. Samantha took her hands in hers. “I’m so happy for you,” the older woman said. She looked at Alan and Duncan, and then returned her attention to Holly. “So very happy that you’ve found your heart’s desire here in Lusty.”
“Thank you so much, Samantha.” Holly intentionally dropped the “Miss”—something the lady had been trying to get her to do for weeks. The smile she received in return dazzled her.
Preston grinned. “We are very happy you’ve decide to make Lusty your home.”
“Thank you, sirs.” Duncan slid his arm around Holly.
“I guess you were really surprised,” Ricoh said. He gave Holly a light hug. She suspected the gesture was an unfamiliar one for him. “And before you thank me, it wasn’t my idea. Miss Carrie and Miss Samantha deserve all the credit. I was just the delivery man.”
“We were surprised,” Holly said. “And thank you, anyway, Ricoh. You’ve made me feel welcome, right from the first time we met.”
“That’s easy enough to do,” Ricoh said. “You’re a sweet lady.”
The older cowboy ambled off. “Wow,” Alan said. “I think that’s the most personal conversation I’ve ever heard the man have with anyone.”
“That just makes me feel even more special.” Holly leaned over toward him and kissed his cheek.
“Well, you are.” Alan slid his arm around her on the other side of her from Duncan. This was her favorite place to be, between these two men.
 
; Chase and Brian Benedict came forward, grinning. “Y’all should have seen the looks on your faces,” Brian teased. “It was priceless.” He hugged Holly, and then shook Alan and Duncan’s hands. “Congratulations, guys. You’ve found yourself a wonderful woman.”
“We’re glad you’re sticking around. Even if one of you is accident prone, it beats having to train new hands.” Chase laughed when he said that. He hugged Holly and then looked over her shoulder.
Holly turned, too, and saw Carrie making her way toward them from the kitchen.
“Thank you for this,” Holly said, hugging the other woman. “What a wonderful surprise!”
“You’re welcome. It’s going to be great having another woman living so close by. I’ll have some place to go, now, when football season strikes.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Holly said. “We women have to stick together, since we’re so outnumbered.”
Carrie laughed. “You said it!”
The Benedicts moved off, but Holly and her men weren’t left alone very long.
Nancy made her way through the crowd and threw her arms around Holly. “I’m so happy for you. I’m also happy for me, because this means y’all are staying.” She grinned at Alan and then Duncan. “You have to treat her right, gentlemen. I will be watching.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Alan reached out, hugged Nancy, and placed a light kiss on her cheek. “Thank you for being Holly’s good friend.”
“I don’t need thanks for that. Holly’s my good friend, too.”
“Even so,” Duncan hugged her, too, kissing the opposite cheek.
“You two are just exactly what Holly needed,” Nancy Jessop said. Eli and Jeremiah had hung back, letting Nancy have her moment. But now they stepped forward, offering hugs to Holly, handshakes to the men, and their general congratulations.
“So, any announcements on the job front?” Holly asked.
Eli shot Nancy a loving, if exasperated look. “Yes. We’ve transferred out of FBI headquarters in Washington, and will be working in the Austin office for a while.”
“That, at least, is an easier commute. Apparently, the family has a hotel complex in Austin,” Jeremiah said, “so if we do wind up having to stay over, we have a place to go, and a place where Nancy can join us.”
Holly figured that was a good compromise. The nation’s capital was too far away for commuting. Plus, as much as Nancy had tired of the place, she’d bet Eli and Jeremiah were tired of it, too.
As if confirming her latest thought, Jeremiah said, “There’ll be less politics in Austin, which will be a definite relief for us. We can get back to doing the nuts and bolts cop work that drew us both to the Bureau in the first place.”
Nancy’s smile said it all. Her men were going to be doing what they loved with regard to their career, and she couldn’t be happier.
Adam and Jake Kendall arrived, each with a toddler on his hip. The twins were identical, and it seemed that Benny Kendall—oops Ben, as he now preferred to be called—could tell them apart. Ben did a good job of offering his best wishes, and Holly could only grin at his good manners. Then he looked up at his dads, who both nodded. He grinned and headed, not for the well-stocked buffet, but toward a table where two other kids were sitting.
Holly had already heard about Ben’s infatuation with Bonnie Dorchester. Having seen them together at Nancy’s party, she thought that Bonnie, being a few years older, treated Ben like an extra brother.
“The crush continues,” Jake said. “Nearly a year now.”
“Our son is nothing if not persistent,” Adam said. Then he sighed. “But I’m certain he’s headed for heartbreak, because Bonnie is going to be a teenager in another couple of years.” Then he turned his attention to Holly and her men. “Congratulations,” Adam offered. “You’ve likely heard how glad we all are that you’re staying on, Miss Holly. And I know that Chase and Brian are really glad the two of you aren’t going anywhere, either.” Adam grinned.
“There’s no place else we’d rather be,” Alan said.
“Lusty really is home for us,” Duncan agreed.
The Kendalls each treated Holly to a one-armed hug, and managed to keep the baby they held from latching on to her hair or her pearl necklace.
She was quite impressed with their fathering skills.
“Have you heard anything more from Ted Miller?” Adam asked.
“Not in the last week,” Alan said. “I know he’s been given a big promotion as a result of the arrest of Oscar Tooms, aka Dr. Death.”
“I think he deserves it. He did manage to track Mary Ellen Potsy,” Adam said. “He could have let things be after the case broke seven years ago, but he kept an eye on her, determined to get Tooms.”
“The man is like a bulldog,” Duncan said. “We knew he’d never give up on finding that horse murderer.”
Ginny came out of the kitchen and joined her husbands. “Bernice and Emily Ann shooed me out. I’m not complaining.” Both babies reached for Ginny. She laughed, scooping one and kissing the other. Then she grinned at Holly. “I’m looking forward to story hour next week at the library. I think it’s going to be a good activity for the boys.”
Holly was introducing the junior program on Wednesday, from one until two in the afternoon. She was aiming for a story, and then some playtime with the educational toys she’d stocked in the library’s new Tot’s Corner. Eventually she hoped to have some student volunteers, so that the parents would feel free to roam the book stacks during that hour. “Me, too,” she said to Ginny. “I’m so glad y’all will be there.” So far she’d had a great response to the program. There would be a good number of tots and parents participating.
The door to the restaurant opened, admitting a lone man. Appearing to be in his late forties, with reddish brown hair, he had the appearance of someone who lived with stress. He wore a sports jacket and slacks, and a white shirt with no tie. She thought he looked a little bit like a fish out of water.
Holly didn’t recognize him, but her men did.
“Miller!” Alan shared an enthusiastic handshake with the man, and then brought Holly just a bit closer. “This is our fiancée, Holly Bethune. Holly, meet Ted Miller, now head of criminal investigations for Global Agrarian Insurance.”
Holly offered her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Miller. Thank you for being diligent in your surveillance. Because you were, the man who tried to kill Alan was caught. I’m very grateful.”
“It’s just Ted, ma’am. No thanks are necessary. I was just doing my job, and looking out for the guys who went out on a limb for me all those years ago.”
He shook Duncan’s hand, and then looked at all three of them. “Congratulations. I hope the three of you will be very happy. And actually, I might be able to assist to that end.”
Holly thought it was an odd comment to make. But then he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled something out and handed it to Alan.
By his expression, Holly guessed Alan had no idea what Ted was handing him. And then he looked down at the document.
Alan’s eyes widened. “What the hell, man?”
“You forgot there was a reward being offered by the company for the arrest of Dr. Death, didn’t you?”
“You already gave us a reward,” Duncan said when Alan passed the check to him. He held it so Holly could see it. Made out to both Alan and Duncan, it was in the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
“You received the partial payment seven years ago, because some arrests were made. This is the balance of the reward—and because you played an important, not to mention painful, role in Oscar Tooms’s arrest, you certainly earned it.”
“Thanks. Seriously.” Alan met Holly’s gaze. “I think we’ll get Jake to contact the guy handling the portfolio for the Town Trust. Invest this, for future college funds. What do you think, honey?”
“I think that’s a great idea.” They’d already told her that construction would soon begin on a house for them at the ranch. The
y all three worked for a living, and truthfully didn’t need a whole lot else than what they earned.
Adam Kendall signaled to Ted. He acknowledged the man then excused himself, headed toward the table the sheriff had procured.
Anna Jessop came up to them, with her husbands Craig and Jack. “Holly, you look so happy, and I’m so happy for you.”
“She puts me in mind of the way you looked, sweetheart, when you finally believed that we loved you,” Craig said.
Holly grinned, because Anna Jessop blushed even deeper than she herself did. “Thank you, Anna. I am very happy.” Holly hoped that someday she’d get to hear the story of how Anna and her two men got together. She’d bet it was a great love story.
“Kate and Samantha did an outstanding job, choosing you to be our librarian,” Anna continued. “You’re exactly the right woman for the position.”
“That means a lot to me, coming from you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Anna looked at her husbands, chatting amiably with Alan and Duncan. “I have a surprise for you. I nominated you to be the assistant curator of the Lusty Historical Museum.”
Holly knew her mouth dropped. Before she could ask what all that meant, Anna went on. “Now, this doesn’t entail a great deal of work on your part. I’ve been adding to the annals of the town’s history, keeping up the official record—because our reality now, will in the future be history. For the time being, the position with the museum is nothing more than reading—being aware of our history and all the documents that tell the story of Lusty.”
“Um…all the documents?” Holly had once mentioned to Anna that she’d love to read the firsthand accounts of the founding of Lusty.
Anna’s eyes sparkled, and Holly felt genuine excitement curl in the pit of her stomach. The older woman stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Yes. You will be only the fourth person who’s been allowed to read all four journals from our founding families. Of course, you’ll have to keep that to yourself. Family tradition must, at least outwardly, be observed.”
Holly knew that family tradition. And she also understood the value of securing the past, for the future. “I don’t know what to say, except I accept. And thank you.”