She was snapping pictures of a group of cover models who were all hamming it up and posing together when her eye was drawn by a glimpse of a red bandana. She realized it was Max then looked back to the group of models to take another picture and did a double take.
Max had walked over to a table positioned about half a row down from Tessa’s and then moved behind it and sat down. Rosemary’s mouth fell open in shock when she took in the banner on the front of his table. On the wall behind Max hung a full-color reproduction of the cover art for the latest bestseller, written by one of the biggest selling, most popular authors in the erotic romance genre.
A woman walked up to Max and shook his hand. He spoke briefly, smiling at her, then removed a paperback from a box under the table and autographed it for her. The woman thanked him profusely then stumbled away in awe, showing her giggling friends his autograph. He caught Rosemary staring open-mouthed at him and chuckled, giving her a crooked little grin.
She walked over to his booth. “You’re Lorelei DeVeaux?” she asked, her hand on her hip.
“Een zee flesh!” he said, grinning as she laughed. “So what did Tessa say about me? Isn’t she something?”
“She sure is. So, ‘Bad Dog’ lives a double life as best-selling author Lorelei DeVeaux. I had no idea. I guess I don’t get out enough. I love your books.”
Max pulled some from a box, signed them, and gave them to her as he said, “Here’s one for you and for your two girl friends.” Rosemary thanked him and he asked cheekily, “So did you tell Tessa what a nice guy you think I am and how it’s so obvious I adore her?”
“Well, your name did come up in the conversation, but I can’t tell you what was said. I think you should ask her again to take a ride with you tonight. She might change her mind. You never know. So, you live in Houston?”
“For now, but I’m moving soon.”
“Oh, really? Why?”
Max looked around to see if anyone listened to them. “Well, I can write from anywhere, and Tessa doesn’t believe in long-distance relationships. I own property outside of Austin, and I’ve always planned on building a house there. I figured I’d go ahead and get started on it, maybe start building a life to go along with it.”
Rosemary nodded in approval. “Two best-selling erotic romance authors in a relationship together, wow…”
“Setting the sheets aflame,” Max whispered melodramatically with a smirk, “She’d reduce me to ashes with that brilliant, sexy mind of hers.”
Rosemary’s mouth popped open. “Oh, you’re good!”
Max looked over her shoulder, his eyebrow raised, and a knowing smile lit his face. “No, I think you’re good,” he said speculatively, grinning as his suspicion was confirmed.
She jumped when she felt warm hands slide down her forearms and rough, callused fingers entwine with hers.
“Hey, Rosemary,” Evan murmured in her ear, nodding at Max.
“Hi, baby,” Wes whispered. “We’ve come to collect you for lunch. From the looks of things in here, you’ve been having a good time.”
Allowing them to pull her to them for a kiss one at a time, Rosemary nodded and said, “It’s been a lot of fun! I met all kinds of publishers for the girls and some of my favorite authors. Speaking of which, I’d like you to meet Lorelei DeVeaux.” She giggled as she indicated her new friend. “This is Max. DeVeaux is his pen name.”
“Really? Pleased to meet you, man,” Evan said as he held out a hand to shake with Max. “I think we need to thank you for secondary benefits. Your book is on her bedside table at home.”
Max laughed good-naturedly with them. “Max Stone. Hey, you’re welcome, man. Glad to be of service. So, you’re...?” Max asked curiously, looking for some sort of confirmation, winking at Rosemary.
“Max, these are my fiancés, Wes and Evan Garner,” Rosemary said, lifting a hand to each of them respectively. “They’re taking me to lunch.”
A wide grin appeared on Max’s face. “Wow. Seriously?”
“Rosemary, do you think that’s a good idea?” Evan said, glancing at Wes.
“Honey, if there was any place in the universe where I wouldn’t worry about judgment over our relationship, it is surely within these walls. You should read some of Lorelei’s hot ménage love scenes,” Rosemary said, giggling as she slid her arms possessively around their waists. “I brought that one from home with me this weekend. Maybe we need a bedtime story tonight.” A thrill went up her spine when she heard their faint growls.
Max pulled out a promo card with the cover of the new book on one side and his e-mail and Web site address on the other, wrote on it, and handed it to Wes. “It’s a pleasure to meet the two of you. If you’d be interested, I’d like to chat with you sometime, purely in a research sense about your relationship dynamic.”
Wes glanced at Evan, who shrugged but didn’t look put off by the idea, and nodded. “Sure, we’ll get in touch sometime. Good luck with your writing. It’s nice to meet you, Max.”
“Same here. It’s nice to meet you, Rosemary. And thanks for the good word you put in for me with Tessa. So you think she’d take a ride with me tonight?”
Rosemary grinned at him and said, “Bad Dog, I’d bet money on it. Good luck, I think she’s quite a catch. Does she know you’re planning a move to Austin?”
“Naw, not yet. I don’t want her to feel pressured.”
“I think knowing you’ll be closer might encourage her. Tessa’s beautiful and kind, too.”
“Isn’t she, though? Thanks, Rosemary. Enjoy your lunch.” A few seconds later, the same group of giggling fans that had descended on Tessa earlier discovered Max, and Rosemary said good-bye.
“You mean he’s not gay?” Wes whispered in her ear as they walked away, their arms still wrapped around her. She shook her head as she glanced back at Max and winked. Several of the girls were gawking at the three of them.
Rosemary overheard one of the girls ask Max, “Are those three cover models from one of your ménage romances? They’re really hot!”
Chapter Fourteen
Evan had given Rosemary the choice to return to the bed and breakfast for a little down time, take a riverboat ride on the San AntonioRiver, or visit the Rivercenter Mall. Rosemary had opted to make the short trip back to the bed and breakfast. A choice Evan’s eager, hardening cock was all on board with.
Evan and Rosemary received another dirty, disapproving look from the same woman they’d encountered the night before in the dining room as they quietly made their way upstairs. This time a friend sat with her and they both glared at Rosemary with censure in their eyes.
“Were we too noisy last night?” Rosemary whispered to Evan as they topped the first landing.
“Nobody complained to either me or Wes.” Evan squeezed her hand. “Her imagination has probably run wild, and she thinks we’ll be up there swinging from the light fixtures or something. Try to ignore her.” He and Wes had made reservations to take Rosemary out to a nice restaurant later that night. He counted it a bonus that they wouldn’t have to see that woman downstairs in the dining room again. Rosemary giggled and shrugged. Maybe she hadn’t noticed the way he shielded her from the view of the two unfriendly women as they’d turned to gossip with each other as he’d led her up the stairs.
His goal right now was to be alone with Rosemary and relax together for a few hours. Once in the room, she turned to Evan with a beautiful smile and stripped. He’d planned to take it slow, but she was naked inside twenty seconds.
“Baby, how are you, after last night, I mean?” Evan asked, his cock screaming in protest for him to shut up and get on board with Rosemary’s plan.
The sight of Rosemary, naked and wanting him, still stole his breath from him. “I’m going to need a few days rest before we try anal or a ménage again, but otherwise, I’m fine. My body tingles anytime I get near the two of you because I want more.”
Behind his fly, his cock bobbed and twitched, ready to be of service. “Well, you can have mor
e, but I’m letting you set the pace, okay? We even have time for a nap, later.”
“That sounds perfect. I’m happy I get to spend some time alone with you today. I figured you wouldn’t mind missing out on shopping at the mall.” She giggled as he rolled his eyes, knowing that he’d rather take a poke in the eye with a sharp stick than go to a mall.
Evan sat down on the edge of the bed and drew her to him, nuzzling her fragrant cleavage as he wrapped his hands around her curvy hips and squeezed her to him. He breathed in her mouth-watering, womanly fragrance and smiled as he remembered waking up with her sprawled limp over him that morning.
Her torso had been half draped over his as if he’d pulled her over him when he’d rolled to his back in his sleep. Her head rested on his other shoulder and her cheek, chest, and breasts were plastered to him.
Her flesh was warm and tender from being under the cozy covers. He’d buried his nose at her throat and lay there breathing in her tantalizing scent, slightly floral-like soap mixed with her natural essence. That was how he looked forward to waking up each morning very soon, the scent of her surrounding him, breathing her in and out.
“I love the way you smell, Rosemary. So sexy. Like my woman.”
Rosemary sighed and sounded happy as she slid her fingers into his hair, massaging the muscles in his neck and then lightly grazing her fingernails down his back, giving him shivers. He released her, unbuttoned his shirt and let her slide it from his shoulders. Boots, jeans, and boxers followed then he backed up to the pillows at the head of the bed, bringing her with him. Crawling into his lap, she straddled him and pressed him to lie down.
Thunder rumbled distantly, and he was vaguely aware of the sound of raindrops splattering heavily against the window glass. The room was cool and dim, and the sound of the rain contributed to the languorous mood of the afternoon that lay before them. He wanted to savor each moment alone with her.
Rolling onto his side with her, Evan drew her lush body to his and suckled her nipples in complete quiet contentment as his arousal for her grew. He swept his hand from her neck, down her spine, and to her ass then lifted a thigh and drew it to him, fitting her more intimately to his body. He sought out her full lips with his own and relished her kiss, smiling when she playfully teased him with the tip of her tongue at his lower lip before pulling her closer to kiss her more intensely.
Rosemary’s long, curly hair fell to his chest and shoulders, and her intoxicating scent invaded his nostrils again. She straddled his thighs, brushing her hard nipples over his chest as she relaxed against him. His hands stroked slowly over her satiny smooth back, back and forth, enjoying the feel of her skin and the sweet, solid presence of her lying on him like this.
Evan allowed his hands to stray farther south to her ass and massage the smooth twin globes, squeezing and stroking, feeling her skin grow warmer under his touch. Her thighs were relaxed on either side of his. He skimmed his hands down the backs of her thighs, stroking up and down repeatedly before sliding farther up to her pussy.
Her head fell to his chest limply, and she hissed as his fingertips stroked over her damp outer lips, seeking entrance to the slick, pooled moisture that lay within. He slid a fingertip through her liquid, hot slit, searching for and finding her clit. His cock was an aching, twitching pole demanding entrance into her wet heat, but he refused to rush. The damned bastard could wait a little while at least.
He smiled when she moaned again, and her hips flexed against his questing fingers. Raising her head, she looked into his eyes and leaned in to kiss him. With her lips on his, the love in her eyes, and her little body perched on him like this, his little Rosemary was everything to him. Her inky black curls fell around them as their lips met again. He released her pussy and wrapped his arms around her, one hand tenderly gripping her ass and the other holding her shoulder, as he groaned with the depth of what he was feeling.
He looked into her violet eyes and whispered over the lump in his throat, “Rosemary, I love you.” He rolled her to her back and thrust his cock into her seeping pussy, straight to the hilt in one smooth, sliding stroke. Her breath tickled his ear as it came in velvety, rasping pants, music to his ears.
“I love the sounds you make when we make love to you. Even the way you breathe is sexy to me. Did you know that?”
“Yes. Tell me more. I love it when you tell me what you like,” she murmured, flicking his throat with her tongue before sucking on it.
“I love the way your breathing changes to that high-pitched, soft panting right before you come. Gets me even harder if that’s possible.”
“Oh yeah? Tell me more.”
“I love the way you tilt your head and arch your back and the way you sometimes go still and quiet right before you come really hard. I love to feel your claws on my back and dug into my ass when we’re fucking hard and fast. And I love having you all to myself right now, with just the two of us. I almost feel guilty I love it so much.”
“Don’t,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and undulated against him. “We’re going to regularly spend time alone with each other. I need this time with you, Evan. Just like I’ll need it with Wes. I love being with you both, but I also need to give you my undivided attention.”
He thrust against her, taking his time, whispering more love words and stroking them both into white-hot ecstasy. She seemed to draw something beneficial from this time besides satisfying sex. Once they were finished, he rolled onto his back again, never losing their intimate connection, his cock still buried inside her. Rosemary shivered lightly as she drifted toward sleep, and he pulled the top sheet and blanket over them so she wouldn’t get chilled.
The rain continued to fall outside the window, lightning flickering followed by the distant swell of thunder. They talked for a while, his hands sweeping over her back, pushing her knees down so that their legs were entwined together and she could be more comfortable. He stroked her shoulders and her arms, watching the sweep of her thick, black lashes as she blinked before her eyes finally drifted closed.
Evan lay there for a while, his hands drifting over her hips. He loved the feel of her curvaceous body snuggled against him, his cock still engulfed within her. A prideful, possessive feeling roared inside him.
He wanted to be what she needed, to provide her with what she wanted, and to honor the trust she felt in him. This is what Jack and the guys told him and Wes it would feel like. Jealousy would be put aside when he knew, without a doubt, that her needs, her love, and her happiness came first.
Evan remembered what Grace had told him the first time he’d talked alone with her. Some women weren’t just good. They were damn good. Like Jack and the others, Wes and Evan had found a woman who was worthy of that title.
Evan woke some time later to the sound of angry voices in the hallway. He held Rosemary to him as she startled awake, shushing and calming her. They listened to the voices out in the hallway, muted female voices and what he now recognized as Wes’s angry tone.
The door never rattled or opened, and the voices subsided as the angry conversation was evidently taken downstairs. Evan was still groggy and thought for several moments about drifting back to sleep and letting Wes deal with whatever disturbance had occurred. But the more his mind focused, the more awake he became. Had somebody been outside the door when Wes arrived?
“What do you suppose that was all about?” Rosemary asked in a sleepy, slurred voice. He glanced at the bedside clock and kissed her forehead.
“You’ve only been asleep for half an hour, Rosemary. Why don’t you rest some more? I’ll go find out.” They both groaned when she shifted on him, and his softened cock slid from her warm, wet depths. This was not how he’d envisioned waking from their nap. She murmured something unintelligible as she curled up like a kitten on his pillow and fell back asleep.
He rose from the bed and slipped into his clothing from earlier, put his shoes on, and then silently let himself out of the room after glancing back at her lu
sh, sleeping form nestled in the bedclothes. He went downstairs quietly, following the sounds of an angry conversation in the front hall.
The owner and manager of The Crystal Rose Bed and Breakfast, Bill Farmer, was standing at the front desk with a police officer, Wes, and, no big surprise there, the disapproving woman and her friend. The police officer was looking decidedly perturbed at the two women, who were both talking non-stop, pointing their fingers at him, at Wes, and at the ceiling. Finally, the police officer raised his hands and got them all to quiet down as Evan joined the group, which was being watched avidly by others in the living room and parlor of the bed and breakfast.
“Mr. Farmer, is there perhaps a more private place to take this discussion?” the police officer asked discreetly.
“Sure, follow me,” Mr. Farmer said as he indicated a back hallway that led to the kitchen. Clearing out the staff, they all stood around the center island while the police officer consulted his notepad and spoke succinctly into his radio before turning it down a little.
“All right. You, sir. Tell me what you saw?” the police officer asked, indicating Wes. The officer turned intimidating eyes on the woman, who had opened her mouth. When she stilled and closed her mouth, he looked back to Wes.
“I returned from the Convention Center fifteen minutes ago, made my way to the third floor where our suite is located, and found these women on their knees in front of my door, taking turns peeking in the keyhole,” Wes said angrily as Evan gritted his teeth in outrage beside him.
The police officer rolled his eyes heavenward. “Ma’am, I’m afraid to ask, but why were you peeking in their keyhole?”
“We—we heard noises from downstairs. They make a lot of noise, Officer. It’s shameful! Just shameful! These two men are sharing a woman here this weekend. They’re all in the same room! They keep us awake at night!”
Mr. Farmer interjected, “Now, Mrs. Breck. You and I both know there is no way they could be disturbing you. You’re on the first floor at the opposite end of the house.”
Rainier, Heather - Rosemary's Double Delight [Divine Creek Ranch 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14
