Welcome Home, Tessa [Allure, Wyoming] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Madison Maxwell

  Sam was absolutely irresistible. He seemed more confident and sure of himself. Being the youngest, he always seemed to be more of a follower. To spend the day and have dinner with the three of them would be amazing and as Heather said, “You only live once,” so Tessa may as well jump in with both feet. No more treading water. “Sure, I would love to come out to the ranch tomorrow,” she told him as they finished their dance and Sam softly kissed her cheek.

  Mitch was waiting for Tessa when they exited the dance floor. “Hey, beautiful, you ready to go home yet? I would still love to drive you and since we’re fixing to head out I really don’t feel comfortable leaving you here with all these vultures swarming around you. Plus, I promised Brad I’d make sure you got home safely. He needed to head on home but he asked me to tell you that he would talk to you tomorrow.” Tessa bet he would be talking to her tomorrow, and she was ready to leave, not wanting to stay if they were headed out. She needed some time to figure out exactly what she was getting herself into, so she nodded that she was ready to go.

  “Ally, I’m gonna head on home. Mitch is going to drive me so stay and have some fun. I’ll see you at home.” Then she turned to Lanni. “I’ll call you tomorrow. It was good to see all of you again. Goodnight,” Tessa told the other women at the table. They all gave her curious looks as she left with Mitch.

  * * * *

  Mitch helped Tessa put her coat on, took her hand, and walked with her out of the bar. He helped her into his truck, lifting her at the waist. As soon as she was seated, he couldn’t help it. He kissed her again and Jesus did she ever kiss him back. Her hands slid up his chest and into his hair. She opened her mouth to him and sucked his tongue into her mouth as if she were starved for him. God, she was incredible and Mitch knew if he didn’t slow this down he was either going to take her in the parking lot or cum in his pants, and he was too damned old for that. Before things got too far along, he pulled back and said, “Darlin’, as much as I want to continue to kiss you senseless, we need to take this someplace more private.” Tessa smiled as she slid further onto the seat and put her seat belt on.

  On the way to Tessa’s house he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was nervous and he didn’t want her to be. “So Sam said you are coming out to the ranch tomorrow. I’m glad you accepted his invitation. We’re all looking forward to it.”

  Tessa looked at him trying to see if there was any jealousy or if he was upset but she couldn’t see any of that. “He said he thought about me since I’ve been gone and wanted to make up for being mean to me when we were younger. Silly, but he said that he had a crush on me and was mean so that no one would know.”

  “He did, and he still does, although I would say it’s more than a crush,” Mitch told her. “I told him back then that he shouldn’t worry about what anyone said or thought and that those people weren’t gonna even be around to judge us when we were out of school, but he couldn’t get past it. It was the one thing I know that he has regretted all these years. He’s grown up, Tess. I hope you can forgive him and move on. He wondered what happened to you when you went away to college.” Then he laughed. “And he pestered Brad constantly to find out information about you.” He hesitated then said, “We were out of town for most of the week at a horse auction and didn’t know what had happened to your dad. I’m real sorry, Tess. If there’s anything we can help with, please let us know. I had tried to call Brad a couple times but didn’t get through to him. We didn’t even know you were back in town. Funny thing that the first thing Sam said was, ‘I wonder if Tessa will be coming home?’ And I gotta tell you, I’ve never seen him so happy to see anyone once he recognized you.”

  “Then why am I with you, Mitch, if your brother has feelings for me? And I’ve gotta be honest. I’ve always had feelings for him. I probably always will. I hope you don’t think that I’m using you to get to him.”

  Mitch cut her off. “Tess, you’re with me because you said yes to a ride home and I want to be with you. There’s definitely a connection with us. I’m pretty sure you felt it, too. It doesn’t bother me that you have feelings for my brother. It actually makes things easier.”

  Well, if she was questioning if they wanted to share her or not, he cleared that up for her real quick.

  “Don’t think about it too much, darlin’. You’ll understand soon. Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.”

  Tessa hadn’t even realized they had parked in front of her house. Mitch helped her out of the truck, took her hand, and walked with her to the door. “I had a great time dancing with you tonight and I’m really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

  “I had fun, too. It was great to see all of you again. Thanks for giving me a ride home.”

  “Think you might be inclined to give me a good-night kiss?”

  Tessa put her hands on Mitch’s chest, loving the way it felt under her fingertips and wondering what it would be like to run her hands over his bare chest. She could tell that he didn’t have much hair and that was just the way she liked it. Tess looked up into Mitch’s eyes and could see the hunger as if he were starving for her. “I’d like that very much.” He didn’t waste any time or give her a chance to change her mind. His lips were on hers in a blink of an eye as he backed her up against the wall. His kiss consumed her. She wasn’t sure where she started and he began. His tongue explored every surface of her mouth, even sweeping under her lip. She had never known a kiss could be like this. This was what it was like to kiss a person you completely desired and they felt the same in return. Mitch held her tight, pressing his body against hers, and she still couldn’t seem to get close enough. He had one hand in her hair, holding her steady as he devoured her mouth while the other hand pulled her against him. He pulled back, looked into her eyes, but when he returned his lips to hers, this kiss was more sensual, more loving. He caressed her lips, pulling her bottom lip playfully into his mouth, then nipping it lightly. His tongue mated with hers as he made love to her mouth and she felt her knees begin to weaken.

  She hadn’t even realized a car had pulled up until she heard Ally say, “Don’t mind me. I’m going to bed. Good night.”

  Tessa broke the kiss trying to catch her breath. “I better go inside, Mitch. It’s getting late. Thanks again for bringing me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Night, darlin’. Sweet dreams,” he said as he reluctantly let her go and started for his truck. “Hey, Tessa, Rance will pick you up tomorrow around 11:00 a.m. That work OK for you? We thought we could go for a horseback ride down by the creek before dinner.”

  “Oh, I would love that but I can drive myself, Mitch. It’s really no problem.”

  “No, Rance wants to pick you up. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Mitch got in his truck and watched as Tessa walked in the house and closed the door thinking that tomorrow wouldn’t come soon enough. He couldn’t believe the way she had responded to his kiss. She gave as much as she took and he was definitely going to need a cold shower when he got home. His cock was as hard as steel and he had to readjust himself in order to sit comfortably in his truck. He knew he would have a long night ahead of him with Tessa consuming his thoughts.

  Tessa took off her coat and went to get a glass of water in the kitchen. Ally was sitting at the table, waiting for her when she heard Mitch’s truck pull out.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, sis.”

  “No worries, it’s fine. Probably was a good thing you did. I’ve never done anything like that before. I don’t pick up guys at bars and let them drive me home. I don’t know what got into me.”

  “Well, Mitch Collins isn’t just any guy and hello, those Collins boys are hotter than hell. I don’t know any single woman who hasn’t had a thing for one of them or all of them. I just can’t believe that Mitch was that forward with you. I see him damn near every weekend but I’ve never seen him dance with, let alone kiss, someone in the bar. Mitch and his brothers usually come in and have a couple beers, shoot some pool, and that’s it. Women hit on th
em constantly but they never take any of them up on their offers. That kiss on the porch was pretty intense. I thought I was gonna have to get the hose to put out the fire before you got nekkid out there.”

  “Funny, Ally. God, what is Brad gonna say if I get involved with the Collins boys?”

  “Wait, what do you mean the Collins boys? Looks like to me Mitch is the one that’s interested in you, although I did see Rance and Sam dance with you, too. Yeah, they don’t dance either. What’s going on, Tess?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m so confused right now and my head is starting to hurt. I’m heading to bed. Oh, um, by the way, I’m not going to Brad’s for dinner tomorrow. I’m going out to the Collins ranch for dinner.”

  “Seriously? I’m not telling Brad so make sure you let him know before I get over there and if he’s mad please let me know so I can head back to school early. Night, Tess,” she said as she started up the stairs, talking to herself. “Back in town a week and already snagged the Collins boy. Damn, talk about lucky.”

  Tessa smiled thinking she’s never been lucky when it comes to men, then shook her head when Ally finally stopped talking and called up the stairs, “I’ll call him in the morning before Rance picks me up. He’s supposed to be here around 11:00 a.m. Night, Ally.”

  “God, I don’t know what I’m doing. How can I be nervous and excited at the same time?” Now she was talking to herself just like Ally. Refilling her water glass, she shut off the lights and headed upstairs. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she put her shorts and tank top on. Her body still hummed from that kiss and she was glad her sheets were cold when she crawled between them. What the hell was she doing and what did Mitch mean that things would be easier if she had feelings for him and Sam? They couldn’t possibly all want her, could they? Tessa knew that there were several ménage relationships in their family and she couldn’t help but picture what it would be like to be in that kind of a relationship with them. She shut off the lamp and hoped that sleep would be taking her soon and maybe if she was lucky she would dream about one gorgeous cowboy or three.

  * * * *

  He watched as she turned out the light. Stupid bitch, she just got back in town and she was letting those pervert Collins boys sniff around her. Didn’t she know what they were all about? He wouldn’t let them hurt her. She would be his. She might not have given him attention tonight at The Spur, refusing to dance with him, but that would all change soon. It took everything in him not to shoot that bastard when he kissed her and touched her on the porch. He’s lucky her sister came home or he never would have made it back to his ranch alive. He was going to have to make Tessa realize that she belonged to him.

  Chapter 6

  Tessa woke to the fresh smell of coffee once again. She looked at her bedside clock and it was only seven thirty. She stretched as she pushed the blankets off her. “May as well get this over with and face the firing squad.” She knew damn well that Ally wasn’t downstairs making coffee. Brad was here and probably waiting to give her a lecture. Gee, it was great to be home.

  She walked into the kitchen and sure enough, Brad was sitting at the table, reading the paper and drinking coffee. “Doesn’t your wife need you at home, Bradley?” she said with a smirk.

  Brad carefully folded the paper, took a sip of his coffee, and then looked Tess in the eyes. “Good morning, little girl. I hope you slept well.” He paused briefly then said, “We need to talk.”

  She knew this was coming and she so didn’t want to deal with it. “Look, Brad, I’m not the little girl you keep calling me. I’m a grown woman and can make my own choices. I know that it is bothering you that I might become involved with Mitch, but I can handle it, and—”

  Brad cut her off. “Tessa, listen up and listen good. It’s just not Mitch that you would be getting involved with. You obviously haven’t heard the rumors about them, and I love them like brothers, but I’m telling you right now, all those rumors that you are sure to hear are true.”

  Tessa looked at the seriousness on her brother’s face and took a steadying breath. “What rumors and what the hell are you talking about?” She knew, but at this point she decided to play dumb.

  “I’ve known Mitch and his brothers for over twenty years, Tess. The one thing that they are certain of is that none of them will marry.”

  Tess stopped him. “God, Brad, I’m not looking to get married. I’m only home for a short time. Why can’t I just enjoy the time I’m here?”

  “Tessa, let me finish. Before you interrupted me, what I was trying to tell you is that none of them will marry individual women. They want to marry one woman, one woman that they will share and take care of. That has always been what they wanted. Why do you think that they are still single? They’ve dated but they haven’t found anyone that they all have felt connected to. I saw the look on their faces last night, Tessa Rose, and if I’m not mistaken, every one of them feels a connection to you. If you go out there today, you need to know what to expect. I’m not letting you walk in there blind.”

  Surprised, Tessa looked at him and asked, “How did you know I was going out to their ranch?”

  “Mitch texted me last night and told me. He wanted to make sure I knew that he brought you home and what your plans for today were. He isn’t about to go behind my back because he knows I will beat his fucking head in if he hurts you. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? They want to share you, Tessa, at the same time. And I gotta be perfectly honest, I don’t like it. I’ve known what they wanted for a long time, and even though it’s not something I’d be interested in, I’d never judged them. They’ve grown up in a family where sharing is a way of life. Their uncles are married to the same woman and they’ve got cousins involved in the same kind of lifestyle. People know about it. Most really don’t seem to care. Hell, there are so many relationships around here like that, but now they have their sights set on you. I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but you need to know what’s going on.”

  Tessa knew about their uncles and aunt, everyone did, but having her brother confirm her suspicions that they all wanted her was a surprise. What would he think if she told him that she was considering it? She couldn’t deny that she wanted all of them.

  “So they’ve shared women before?” She knew the answer was yes, but she just needed to here it.

  “Yes, Tess, they have. They’ve been looking for a wife for years, not just here in Allure, but Casper as well.”

  “And just because they invited me out to the ranch, you think they might be interested in me? Come on, Brad, I’m nothing but your little sister to them. They’re just being nice.” She hoped what she was saying wasn’t true, and deep down she knew it wasn’t. It was just easier to not admit anything to Brad yet.

  “That fucking kiss that Mitch laid on you last night at the bar was far from friendly, Tessa, and you know it,” Brad stated, raising his voice.

  “The one he was giving her on the porch when I got home was even hotter.” Ally walked in, adding her own opinion.

  “Thanks, Ally, I don’t need your help here, and you need to calm down, brother.”

  “So I take it that since our wonderful brother is here again so early in the morning, he must be filling you in on the Collins brothers’ sexcapades,” Ally said as she started fixing a bowl of cereal.

  “Yeah, Brad’s been telling me how they like to share, apparently.”

  “They do. Everyone knows it and more than one woman in this town has tried to be in their triple-decker sandwich, but they are really picky. I have to agree with Brad though. I think they are looking at you as the filling,” Ally said as she giggled and took a bite of her cereal.

  “Well, whether that’s the case or not, it’s my decision to make. Maybe I’m interested in a relationship with all of them.”

  “Tessa, just keep in mind what I said. I probably wouldn’t be so worried if Mitch hadn’t told me that he was interested in you. You aren’t just going out there today as a ‘friend’ an
d you and I both know it. You call me if you need me. I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I gotta go get Sophie and Annie. They’re going to Casper with me to see the folks today since you won’t be around for Sunday dinner. Ally, what time you heading out? We could grab dinner in Casper if you want.”

  “I’m gonna leave about the same time as Tessa so I can spend some time with daddy. Dinner sounds great and maybe we can get Mama to go with us.”

  “All right then, I will see you at the hospital, squirt.” Brad kissed Ally on the forehead and turned to Tessa. “You know I love you, little girl, and I only want what’s best for you. Just think about what I said. I’ll call you later and let you know how the folks are.” He kissed Tessa on the forehead and headed home. She watched him leave, thinking about what he said. “Mitch told me he was interested in you.”

  “Yeah, so I was gonna tell you more about the Collins boys’ reputation this morning. When did you say you were heading out to their place?” Ally asked as she pulled her knees up into the chair and wrapped her arms around them.

  “Actually, Rance is picking me up. Brad’s right, isn’t he? Mitch brought me home, kissed me, Sam invited me out and is making me dinner, and Rance is picking me up. I knew about their reputation. Lanni keeps me filled in on everything, but I never thought they would be interested in me.” Tessa sat hard in the chair next to her sister and rested her head in her hands.

  “Tessa, it’s obvious but if you don’t feel comfortable with this, you can always cancel.”

  “I want to go, even knowing what I know now, so what kind of a person does that make me?”

  “Curious? Lucky? Hell, I don’t know, Tessa. If it was me I’d go, too. Those are the hottest men in town and I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have all of their attention on me. God, that’s every woman’s dream come true. You’re worried about what Brad thinks, huh?”