by Becca Van
“Come on into the house, sugar.” Gray led Eva toward the back porch. “Quin will get your things. Would you like a drink?”
He watched as she looked around. Her eyes lit up when she saw the black granite countertops and the latest stainless-steel appliances and high-gloss white cabinets.
“Wow, you guys have the best kitchen.”
“Do you like to cook, sugar?”
“Yes, I do. I didn’t get much of a chance though. I was always working such long hours and Mom worked two jobs for a long while, but when she met Jack and he moved in, she didn’t have to work anymore so she did all the cooking.”
“Feel free to cook anytime you want, honey,” Quin said with a grin as he entered the kitchen.
“Thanks.”
“Come on and let me show you the rest of the house.” Gray led her through the house, showing her where everything was. Once done, he led her back to the first bedroom near the start of the hallway, which was just off the huge living room. “This will be your room, Eva. I’m sorry you don’t have a private bathroom and will have to share with myself and Pierson.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She gave him a wry smile. “This room is much larger than mine back home, and since my mom’s house was small, I’m used to sharing a bathroom.”
“Where do you want your bag, darlin’?” Pierson asked as he came into her room.
“Just put it on the bed, thanks. I’ll unpack later.”
“Coffee’s ready,” Quin’s voice called loudly.
* * * *
Evana led the way back to the kitchen and sat down at the table where Quin indicated. She was aware of the three men watching her as she sipped her coffee. Looking up she saw three pairs of heated male eyes giving her body the once-over. Shifting in her seat, she nearly grimaced as her damp panties rubbed against her labia. Never had she dreamed that one man would have the ability to turn her on so much, let alone three.
And it wasn’t just what they did to her sex drive. All three Badon brothers were really nice men and she was drawn to them. She was so hot for them it was a wonder she didn’t have smoke coming out her ears. Her desire for them was so great that her body felt overheated, and she had the urge to jump their bones. Not that she would. Eva had never been forward when it came to the opposite sex. The only time she became a little feisty or snarky was when she got stared at.
The way the men were staring at her now, however, was totally new. “What?” She finally found her courage and voice.
“Don’t you know how attractive you are, honey?” Quin asked and continued when she gave a slight shake of her head. “You have such beautiful red hair and green eyes, and your skin looks so soft and creamy.”
Eva wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but her body had no problems. Her breasts swelled and her nipples hardened. The ache in her pussy and clit intensified, her inner muscles clenched, and more of her juices leaked out. “Uh−I…thanks.”
Gray cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “We want you to make yourself at home here, sugar. Just treat our house like you would your mom’s.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She looked into her mug for something to do. “What time do you want me to start work tomorrow morning?”
“We start between six thirty and seven, depending how much work we have on for the day. You don’t have to come in that early. Why don’t you start at eight?” Pierson suggested.
“I can start early, too.” Evana covered her mouth as a yawn slipped out. “I think it would be best if I start when you guys do for a while. That way I’ll be able to set everything up and ask you questions if need be.”
“You don’t have to, Eva,” Quin said. “We will still be in the shop whether you start early or not.”
“I know, but I’m an early bird. I’d rather do something constructive than sit around here watching the clock.”
“All right, we’ll be ready to leave by a quarter after six. If you want a lift with us, be ready by then.”
“Okay. I think I’ll head on to bed.” Eva wished she knew how to properly thank them for their kindness. “I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”
Evana didn’t look back as she left. Their voices carried down the hall to her room, though she couldn’t hear the actual words spoken. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep, but first she needed a shower. She went into the bathroom and stood for a moment looking at the toothbrushes and razors that must belong to Gray and Pierson. It brought home the fact that she was staying in the house of men she just met. Even more disconcerting was her attraction to all three men, and brothers at that, because besides the one boyfriend she’d had in college, she’d never had another relationship with a man. Now that Quin had told her he and his brothers were looking for a woman to share, her imagination was in overdrive.
The thought of three sets of hands, as well as three mouths and cocks ready for her pleasure, was just too much for her to comprehend. Closing the bedroom door, she unpacked her clothes and then headed for the bathroom. After showering, she crawled into bed and closed her eyes. Her mind was racing a mile a minute and Eva knew it was going to be quite a while before she could fall asleep.
The fear that Tim had followed her wouldn’t relent. Over the last few months his weird behavior had escalated, but what frustrated Eva the most was she never caught him in the act. A shiver of fear raced up her spine. He had been in her bedroom in the dead of night and left things for her, yet she never heard him. Had he watched her while she slept?
Another shudder wracked her body, but this one was revulsion rather than fear. She couldn’t prove it was him leaving things for her, and even though she had wanted to tell her mom, she couldn’t. How could she accuse her neighbor of such scary, revolting actions if she didn’t have any proof?
* * * *
Pierson waited until he heard Evana’s footsteps in the hall. He turned to Quin. “Okay, what did you tell her?”
Quin frowned. “Tell her about what?”
“Quit screwing around, Quin.” Pierson felt like he’d waited long enough to find out what had happened on Quin and Eva’s car ride. “Did you talk to her about Slick Rock?”
Instead of answering, Quin kept on frowning. “I’m not screwing around.”
Gray, as usual, acted as the voice of reason. He held up a hand to Pierson. “Let Quin talk.”
Pierson tried to rein in his impatience, folding his arms across his chest.
Gray turned to Quin. “What did you say?”
“I said that folks in this town like ménage relationships, and then I told her we moved here because we wanted that kind of marriage, too.” Quin gave a rare smile. “She tried to back out of staying here.”
“Why?” Pierson asked.
“I told her we wanted to share a woman, and she got nervous. She was scared she would be cramping our style by staying with us. I let her know none of us were involved with anyone and we hadn’t found the right woman yet.”
Yet was the operative word, as far as Pierson was concerned.
“How did she react?” Gray asked.
“At first she looked a little sad. She tried to hide it, but she has very expressive eyes.” Quin’s smile broadened. “But she wasn’t shocked for long. I think she imagined the three of us with her.”
“Shit.” Gray shifted in his seat. “Don’t even go there.”
“Sorry.” Quin grinned but didn’t look apologetic at all.
“What else?” Pierson pinned Quin with his gaze.
“She asked if the men got jealous of each other, but I set her straight. She didn’t say much after that. I think she was still processing the information.”
“Why do you think she got sad?”
“I don’t know. We are going to have to let her lead us in this. I don’t want to scare her off.”
Despite his cautious tone, Pierson wanted to leap up and run a victory lap around the block. All three of them had been drawn to Eva, and all three of them wanted to show her what li
fe in Slick Rock could be like.
“We hear you, Quin, but what if she doesn’t want to be with us? What if she doesn’t make a move?”
“Back off, Gray. We’re just as eager as you are, but we’ve known Evana only a few short hours. We need to go at her pace. From what she’s said about her childhood, her self-confidence has taken a pounding. If we push too hard, too fast, she’ll leave.
“I think we’d better pick up some liniment and massage oils. Eva obviously suffers debilitating cramps. I was really worried about her. She looked like she was in agony. I couldn’t stand seeing her cry.”
“Yeah, I hated it, too. Good idea, Pierson.” Quin scrubbed a hand over his face.
Pierson was glad that Eva had agreed to live and work with them. Now that they had her in their lives, he and his brothers would be able to gently woo her. Knowing Quin was just as attracted to Eva as he and Grayson were pleased him to no end. He felt it in his heart all the way to his bones that Eva was the woman they had been waiting for.
Although his mind was racing, his body was tired. A yawn caught him, and he rose to his feet. “I’m going to bed. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Pierson closed the door to his room and listened intently, trying to hear if Eva had settled or was still moving around. When he couldn’t hear anything he gathered up some clean boxers and headed to the bathroom. He was so tired he wanted to sleep for a week, but he knew that wasn’t about to happen. They had so much work at the garage they could barely keep up, and they weren’t the only mechanics in town. Sam Osborn ran the other mechanic shop and he had also served in the marines. He was a good friend. Sam and his brothers, Tyson and Damon, were involved in one of the town’s ménages, and though Pierson was happy for them, he envied them, too. In fact he was feeling rather jealous of all the men involved in ménage relationships, because that’s what he wanted more than anything else.
His thoughts turned to Evana. She was such an enigma, yet he felt like he had known her forever. Eva was so small compared to him and his brothers, and although he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss and hug her, he was almost frightened he would hurt her. She seemed so fragile compared to them. He was so eager to begin courting her but scared of making her run by being too fervent. Sighing, he made his way to the bathroom to shower.
As he stood under the warm spray he went back over what Quin had said. They were going to have to let Eva take the lead. Hopefully she wouldn’t take too long to make a move, because he was too impatient to wait very long. And how the hell were they going to get a shy woman to make a move on three tall men?
Now there’s a million-dollar question!
Chapter Five
“There she is.” Pierson’s teasing voice was the first thing to greet Eva as she entered the shop. “Wandering in late as usual.”
He wiped oil off his hands with a rag, grinning at her as he rounded the front of the truck he was working on. “That coffee better be for me.”
She held her coffee away from him as he playfully reached for it. “I am not late,” she said. “It’s exactly eight o’clock.”
“Yeah, but some of us have been here since six thirty, lazy bones.”
“Lazy bones!”
“Pierson…” Gray sighed as he walked into the garage from the offices. “Leave her alone. It’s too early.”
While she was distracted, Pierson grabbed the coffee out of her hand. “Hey!” Eva said.
He slurped it noisily. “Mmm.”
“Don’t be disgusting.” Laughing, she slapped him on the arm. “There are three cups for you and your brothers in the car.”
Pierson looked a little sheepish and gave her back her cup. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? Don’t stand between a man and his coffee, darlin’. Come on, I’ll help carry them in.”
He led the way out to her car. On her way out, Eva glanced over her shoulder toward Gray. She caught him watching her. Though he quickly returned his attention to the clipboard in his hands, she would have sworn his look was heated and appraising.
It wasn’t the first time in the past two weeks that she’d caught one of the Badon brothers looking at her like that. Though they treated her with respect and courtesy, the way they watched her made her wonder.
You’re imagining things. She watched Pierson open up her car door and retrieve the coffees. They were just considerate men. That was all.
When Pierson straightened, he handed her a cup. Even after she took it, his hand lingered on the paper cup until Eva raised her eyes to him. “You do know I was just teasing you, don’t you, darlin’? We know how hard you work.”
His sweetness kindled a warmth in her chest. “Thank you, Pierson. I know.”
“Our office has never been as organized as it is now.” He shut the door with his hip, and they began walking back to the garage. “You deserve to relax a little if you want to.”
Eva didn’t want to tell him so, but she actually missed them when she was in the house alone each morning. She knew she was beginning to feel too deeply for each of them, and it worried her that the longer she stayed with them the more she became emotionally attached.
“And you ought to get your sleep,” Pierson added a little pointedly.
She didn’t acknowledge that remark. She wasn’t sure how Pierson knew she hadn’t been sleeping well, but she was trying to avoid discussing it. Last night he’d sent her off to bed after dinner, even though it had been her turn to clean up the dishes. When she had argued he had just taken her gently by the shoulders, turned her in the direction of her bedroom, and given her a small shove, and all without saying a word.
Now, however, he relented and his sunny nature reasserted itself. “Thanks for the coffee, darlin’,” he said with a wink and returned to his work.
Grayson gave her a smile when she offered him a cup. “Thanks, honey. Oh, before I forget, the bulb is out in the office closet. I’ll change it later.”
“Don’t worry about it. Where’s Quin?”
“He’s out giving an assessment on a wrecked car. Should be back in a bit.”
“Tell him there’s coffee for him in the office if he wants it.”
“If you made it, I know he will.”
She went off to the office with a warm feeling in her chest. She really felt like she’d bonded with Gray and Pierson. Pierson was one of those men who would give her his last dime if she needed it and be happy about it, not caring that he didn’t have anything left for himself. And Gray always seemed to be finding reasons to pop into the office and check on her. Smiling to herself as she turned on the computer, she wondered if he’d loosened the bulb in the closet just to have an excuse to come fix it and then hang around and talk to her. Well, he would have to come up with a different reason, she thought, because she was perfectly capable of changing a lightbulb.
Leaving the coffees on the desk, she dragged one of the chairs into the closet and climbed up. When she wobbled, she had to stabilize herself on one of the shelves. She was reaching for the blown lightbulb when a harsh voice said behind her, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Quin gripped her hips. Eva hadn’t heard him come in and his voice startled her. She would have taken a tumble from the chair if he hadn’t been holding her. But his tone of voice put her on the defensive.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” She frowned down at him, but he didn’t let go of her hips. Even if he looked mad enough to spit, she couldn’t help but think how good his big hands felt on her.
“Don’t you get sassy with me, little girl. Get down right now!” His cold-as-steel voice sent shivers racing up and down her spine. Good shivers.
With slow deliberation she stepped down from the chair, his hands still on her hips. Back on the ground, she turned around to face him. He looked furious.
“What is your problem? I was only changing the bulb.”
“You will never do anything like that again, Eva. You put yourself in danger. Next time, you ask one of us
to do it for you.”
Eva bristled. She had seen Quin do this before. One moment he was the most considerate, chivalrous man she’d ever met, and the next he was a ball of overprotective rage. And she didn’t need it. “I’m quite capable of—”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he snarled.
Eva stared at him, shocked. Quin seemed to come back to himself. He released her and took a few steps back. “Sorry, I can be pretty aggressive.”
“You think?”
His eyes narrowed again. “Watch that tone, honey, or you’re going to find yourself facedown over my knee.”
Astonishment stole her ability to reply for a moment. Her shock was followed almost at once by arousal. Heat flooded her at the thought of Quin throwing her over his knee. What is wrong with you, girl?
There was a wicked gleam in Quin’s eye that made her wonder if he didn’t find that thought alluring, too. Mostly, though, he looked mad. “What did you say?” she asked.
“You heard me, Eva. Let’s get a few things straight. I don’t want you doing anything dangerous. What if you had fallen off that chair and hit your head on the corner of the desk? If you fell while one of the compressors was on in the shop, we wouldn’t have heard you cry out. You could have broken your neck and would have lain there on the floor, injured or dying, and we wouldn’t have been able to help you.”
Eva had to admit that he had a point, but she and her mom were so used to doing everything in the house, since there had never been a man around, that she hadn’t thought to ask for help. “Then next time I’ll ask for help.” She wanted to stand up to him but felt shy. She lowered her eyes and continued, “And next time you won’t swear at me when you lose your temper.”
Quin cupped her cheek to raise her eyes to his. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but you scared me when I saw you up there. That chair has wheels on it and it could have rolled out from under you.”
