by Jane Jamison
“No, Billy. We take it slow. First we help her out. We get her thinking of us as something other than three cowboys she’s seen around town. Rumor has it that she hasn’t given any guy the time of day.”
“You don’t think she’s a lesbian, do you?”
Sometimes he wondered if Scott had been dropped on his head as a baby. “Nah, she’s not into girls. At least, not exclusively girls. You need to think of her like a skittish filly. One that’s been broken the wrong way and learned to distrust riders. We need to take it easy. Let her warm up to us.” He smiled, knowing his friends would like the comparison. “We need to break her in the right way.”
“Fine. We’ll follow your lead. Can we stop talking now and start walking?” Billy jerked his head toward the store. “She’s coming out again.”
“Watch and learn, boys.” Foster strode across the street as Betsy leaned inside her car and grabbed hold of a large box. “Hey, Betsy, let me get that for you.”
She startled, jerking upright and spinning toward him. For a larger woman, she was quick and light on her feet. But then again, what else would he have expected from her? She was as graceful and beautiful as a deer dashing through the forest. Her deep, rich gaze widened.
“I’m sorry?”
He drew in her fragrance, a mix of lilacs and sweet honey. Her scent would be imprinted on his memory for the rest of his life. Easing past her slowly so as not to unnerve her again, he picked up the box and hefted it onto his hip. “How many of the others do you want taken inside?”
“I’m sorry?”
He smiled, hoping she wouldn’t see his amusement but, instead, his need for her. “Do you want all the boxes inside your store? Or only certain ones?”
“Oh, uh, all of them. But it’s okay. I can get them.”
He was close enough that he could see the yellow lighting the brown of her eyes. Close enough to see the few freckles darting across the bridge of her nose. Close enough that he could feel her body heating up, ready for him to put his body next to hers. If he wanted to play this out the same way Billy did, he doubted she’d have a problem with it. At least not as long as they took control of her quickly. If he gave her time to think, then she’d back off like a doe that had sniffed the air searching for danger and, even not finding it, had bounded away.
“It’s no problem. Right, boys?”
Billy put his arm on her—thankfully in a very gentle hold—and moved her out of the way. The restraint his friend showed was amazing. “We’ll handle this, honey.”
Scott took the first box from Foster. “This is man’s work, baby.”
Foster hid his cringe. Judging from the sudden frown, which was gone almost as quickly as it had come, that wasn’t the kind of remark she liked. Yet she kept quiet, obviously giving Scott a pass. This time.
Billy and Scott glanced at him then took off for the front door. He snagged the next box, found it to be a light one, and handed it off to her. She took it and hugged it to her generous chest. He tested the next two boxes and chose the heaviest one. “Lead the way.”
* * * *
Betsy had noticed them across the street the day before. She’d done her best to try and ignore them, but that was like asking her to ignore an approaching tornado. She’d kept her glances out the front window of Classy Cat to a minimum, but her mind hadn’t been on getting the store together. All too often her thoughts would stray to the men.
Would they come inside? Would they call out to her if she went outside? Should she take the bulls by the horn and do what she’d suggested her friends do? Should she make the first move?
But if they were interested in her—other than the simple curiosity of watching a new business open in their small town—wouldn’t they have made their own move by now? Why didn’t they come over and see if she needed help?
Her hands had stayed busy while her mind had run wild with fantasies.
“Hi, guys. What are you doing here? The store’s not open yet.”
Foster, Scott, and Billy sauntered toward her.
“Baby, what do you think you’re doing?” asked Scott. His gray eyes had darkened, almost to the point of turning black.
“I don’t know what you mean.” She did an imitation of Vanna White with a wave of her hand toward the merchandise scattered around the store. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m getting my store ready to open. The grand opening is next week. I hope you’ll come back then.” She hadn’t wanted to add to it but found herself incapable of stopping. “And bring your girlfriends with you.”
“We don’t have any women.” Foster powered toward her like a runaway train. “The only woman we need is you.”
“Stop bullshitting us, honey. You know why we’re here.” Billy stalked toward her, his muscles rippling as he pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it away.
She didn’t have time to answer as Foster and Scott joined him. Foster swept his hand over the display table, sending clothes flying. Billy took hold of the collar of her dress and yanked. She gasped as the material was ripped away.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Her words came out in a whisper, far short of the strong voice she’d intended on using.
“This.” Foster took hold of her, lifting her off her feet as though she were a size two.
In the next moment, they were suddenly naked, their clothes disappearing. They had her flat on her back, her clothes gone as well. She tried to cover her body, but they took her arms and yanked them above her head.
“No. I can’t.”
Billy took her by the chin and forced her to look deep into his mesmerizing eyes. “You don’t have a choice.”
Scott forced her legs apart. “We want you, and we’re going to have you.”
She looked to Foster, thinking he was the sane one of them. “No. You can’t.”
He cupped her cheek. “Tell me why, and we’ll stop.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. God, how she wanted them, but could she risk it? What if they ended up treating her like her father had? Like Robert had?
“Because you’ll hurt me.”
They paused, and suddenly, she was afraid they’d leave. Her heart ached for them to stay, but her mind reeled with fear that had long ago taken control.
“We’d never hurt you. Remember that.” Foster leaned over her. “We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. But that doesn’t mean we won’t take what’s ours to take.” He searched her, obviously waiting for an answer. “Stop us now, if you’re going to.”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t deny what, in her heart, she wanted to happen. Instead, she remained silent, giving him her answer.
With a laugh, Scott lowered his head between her legs. His mouth pressed against her pussy lips at the same moment that Foster kissed her. She didn’t have time to take in a quick breath, but it didn’t matter. The kiss overwhelmed her as Scott feasted on her. Emotions and sensations she hadn’t felt in a very long time rushed from each end to meet in the middle. The flash of heat swamped her as Billy took her breasts, pushed them together, and sucked both her nipples into his mouth.
She’d almost smashed her phone to the floor when its ring had interrupted her fantasy. Heather had heard her breathlessness and had asked her what was up. She’d lied and told her she was winded from unloading boxes. Yet, when her friend had offered to help out, she’d declined fast enough. If Heather came over, then Betsy’s fantasy didn’t have a chance in hell of coming true.
Was that what she really wanted? To have the men take control and ravish her like some helpless damsel in distress? Did she really want to be treated as though she had no say in which one she fucked? Hadn’t she had two too many men treat her like crap?
Yet, when they’d finally gone, dashing her hopes that they’d come inside her store, she’d been disappointed. But that had been yesterday, and now they were back and doing what she’d dreamed they’d do.
“Betsy? Are you coming?”
Just about.
She blinke
d then plastered on her biggest smile, realizing what he’d meant. “Sure.” She followed Foster into the building and found Scott and Billy already unloading the boxes.
“Where do you want all this stuff?” asked Billy.
Stuff? Not that she’d ever refer to her products as “stuff.” She’d selected each item, making sure everything in her store was perfect and that the clothing came in all sizes from zero to 6X. She couldn’t carry every size, of course, but she’d made certain she could order whatever sizes her customers needed. Free of charge, too, if she had the items delivered directly to her store. That would bring the customer inside for a second time to pick up their order and, if her marketing plan worked, purchase more.
“On the table next to you would be great.” That table. The one she’d been spread-eagle over in her fantasy.
“Are you all right?”
She felt Foster’s hand on her elbow and closed her eyes for a moment to savor the slight touch. Slight touch or not, his fingers against her skin sent a shiver that had nothing to do with a chill racing through her body. “Yes. I’m fine.”
More than fine if you keep your hand where it is. Or, better yet, use it to start tearing off my clothes.
“Sure?”
“I’m sure.” Yet his touch was proof positive that it had been far too long since she’d had anyone touch her, much less touch her and have her react that way.
“We don’t know anything about women’s clothing, but we can help you out,” offered Billy.
“If you’d like to unload the boxes, it’d be great.” What else could she let them do? Aside, of course, from ravishing her on top of the table. “Then, if you don’t mind, I could really use a hand changing a few light fixtures. Think you can handle that?”
She inwardly winced, not having wanted the question to sound like a dare. As though she were questioning their manhood or something.
“I think we can.” Foster’s eye glittered a little, accepting the dare she hadn’t meant to make. “Billy, you unload while Scott and I handle the lights.”
“No problem.” Billy went to work, pulling shirts out of the first box and then dumping them on top of another table.
From the way he was handling her merchandize, she’d have to steam iron most of them to get out the wrinkles, but she didn’t mind. She’d have probably done it anyway to make sure everything was exactly right before putting them on display.
“Okay. I’ll leave you three at it.”
Trying to ignore them while they’d stood outside now seemed like child’s play compared to trying to ignore them as they moved around her. Forcing her mind back on business was impossible. Every flex of a hard muscle, every sound of their deep voices drew her away from what she was doing. Too many times, she’d find one of them watching her just like she was watching them. Too many times, they’d catch her gaze wondering along their bodies or her tongue skimming along her upper lip.
The temperature in the store heated up as though the air conditioning unit had broken down. She went to the thermostat twice before she finally realized that the air was blowing hard and cold. But nothing could cool the place down while the three hunks of men were around.
By the time Billy had unloaded all the boxes, working faster than she could to get the clothing hung up to steam press, Scott and Foster had most of the light fixtures up and were testing them out.
They were great guys for helping out. The least she could do was to buy them lunch. Or, better yet, a drink later on at the Wolf’s Den. Yet, when she put down the clothes in her arms and turned to invite them, she found all three of them looking outside. What was so interesting?
She followed the direction they were looking and felt her heart drop into her stomach. Two pretty young girls stood on the sidewalk in front of her store. They were both blonde with terrific bodies. To achieve bodies like theirs, she’d have to spend half her day working out and never eat a bite. Envy swamped her even though it wasn’t the girls’ fault that the men were watching them. The girls weren’t trying to call attention to themselves. That, at least, would’ve made the men’s rapt attention understandable. Instead, the two beautiful girls were simply chatting in the bright sunlight of the day.
I was a fool to think they could ever be interested in someone like me with girls like those around.
Disappointed in herself as much as the men, she turned her back on the sight. Anger welled inside her as tears blurred her vision.
What the hell am I crying for? I’m better off without a man. After all, none of the men I’ve known have made my life better. In fact, they made it worse.
She closed her eyes and let the pain wash over her. And, as she’d done so many times before, she pushed it away then lifted her chin in determination. She didn’t need any man and definitely not three of them.
Scooping up a pile of clothes she needed to tag, she swallowed hard then turned around and ran straight into Billy. “Oops. Sorry. I guess I should watch where I’m going.”
His hands, hands callused from hard ranch work, played along her bare arms. The caresses barely touched her skin, and yet she felt electrified. He was a live wire she’d picked up. The sting of his spark sent sensual vibrations rushing through her.
“You’re sexy as hell. You know that, right?”
No. Yet she had to answer the right way, keeping with the confident exterior she’d honed so well. “Sure. I mean I’ve heard it before.”
What about the girls? Had she been mistaken? Had they been watching out of curiosity and nothing more? Or was she a poor second to their first choices? She glanced past him to find that the girls were gone.
His eyebrows jumped up then back down. “You have?”
What? Didn’t he believe another man could find her sexy? “Yeah. I have.”
His palms ran along her shoulders. “You have spirit. I like that in a woman.”
“You do?”
“Sure I do. I wouldn’t want a weak woman.”
That was good to know. She felt anything but weak around them. Except in the knees. But was he telling her he wanted her? “I’m not weak.”
His heated gaze slid from her face downward to her generous rack. “Honey, have you ever thought about sleeping with more than one man?”
She blinked, her mind still processing the question. If that wasn’t a come-on, she didn’t know what one was. Was her fantasy about to come to life? “I’ve never given it any thought. Why?”
“Because my friends and I like sharing.”
Oh hell yeah. “Sharing?” For one night? For more? Would she want them for only one night? Yet wasn’t one night better than none? Unless, of course, she had to see them around town, flirting with other women. Fate wasn’t like New York. She couldn’t count on never seeing them again if they were together once and didn’t contact her afterward.
He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah. Sharing. The three of us with you at the same time. Or separately, if that’s what you want. But I’ve got to warn you. All of us in bed with you would be a hell of a lot more fun.”
I’ll bet it would be. “I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”
“I’m going wherever you’ll let me go.”
Then he kissed her. Soft at first, then harder. Forcefully. Commanding her to open her mouth and make way for his plundering tongue. She gave in as he enclosed her in his tight embrace. Moaning, she gripped the back of his hair and hung on for her life.
“Hey, knock it off.” Foster’s voice sounded as though it was far away.
She yearned for it, for him to be closer. A growl—was that Scott?—floated on the air.
Billy turned her loose, leaving her breathless. “Why the fuck for, man?”
“Because it’s not time. We’re taking this slow, remember?”
Her head still spun from the kiss. From just a kiss! Yet it had been anything but simple a kiss. She ached to tell Billy to ignore Foster, but then he moved away, breaking the spell he’d placed on her. Touching her fingertips
to her plumped lips, she leaned against the table.
“Betsy?”
She spun around, eager to answer Scott’s question. Eager to do almost anything for him. “Yes?”
“Is your father still around?”
Thrown by his question, she frowned. What the hell did her father have to do with anything? The last person she wanted to think about was her awful father. “If you’re asking if he’s still alive, then yes. Why do you ask?”
“Any brothers or sisters? Or uncles?”
“Three younger brothers, but they’re scattered to the wind with two of them in the military and stationed abroad. And my uncles live clear across the country. Why are you so interested in my father and the other men in my life?”
He shrugged and finished connecting the wires to the new light fixture. “I just figured they’d be here helping you out.”
“Oh.” Please tell me he’s not one of those guys. The kind who thinks a woman can’t handle a business on her own.
“Yeah.” He glanced around the room. “I mean running a business is tough work. Even in a small town, you’ll have to work long, hard hours to make it succeed.”
“I kind of planned on the long hours and hard work.” She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she had him pegged all wrong. “I’m still not getting what you mean.”
“He means that it usually takes a man to run a business well.” Billy broke one of the empty boxes down and placed it on the pile of boxes ready to go into the recycle Dumpster.
She chuckled, sure they hadn’t really meant to sound chauvinistic. Only Foster kept quiet, his glittering gaze jumping from one to the other. “I disagree. A lot of women have run their own businesses, as well as huge corporations. All by their little lonesomes.”
Their expressions were priceless. Like they’d just stepped in a steamy pile of horseshit. Billy was the first to recover.
“Look, Betsy, we didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that we think women are better suited to be ma— uh, wives and mothers. You know. Because they’re so nurturing.”
She smiled, suddenly finding the men less attractive. “Oh, I understand, all right. And, yes, women are nurturing, but men can be nurturing, too.” She arched an eyebrow. “At least, most men. Just like men can be great in business, right along with women.”
