by Eileen Green
“I guess ordering nachos is out of the question now,” Brooke mumbled with exasperation.
Both men gave a small chortle. “And you wouldn’t get away with just eating nachos around us anyway.” Frank sounded stern.
“I’m going to have a steak,” Bradley announced. “I think I’ll need all the nourishment I can get tonight.”
Brooke’s gaze skimmed over the menu again as she thought about changing her mind over what she had already thought about ordering. A steak sounded good, but then, so did a burger. Then Bradley’s words penetrated her brain. She felt her brows fly up her forehead, seemingly meeting her hairline.
She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, for she was still reeling about the BDSM subject. That they wanted to further their relationship tonight was a bit of a shock.
Both men threw their heads back and released hearty laughs, which did help some to calm her jumbled nerves. Frank leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry, honey. We’re not just going to jump your bones.”
They had a lot to discuss, and they needed to do it soon. Brooke did have feelings for both men, but they hadn’t spent time together in one place save for a couple of days, and that was right after she had been rescued. Phone calls, e-mails, instant messaging, and Skyping were a way to get to know people, but it was a bit impersonal. She wanted to spend some time with them, so they could find out if the feelings they had were real.
Sitting back, she took several deep breaths to steady her mind along with her body. Looking between each man gave her a moment to figure out what she was going to say without hurting them.
“I have never been in a relationship before, let alone know how to deal with the BDSM thing. I want us to get to know each other since you are here to see if what we feel for each other isn’t just a fluke because of what happened. I hope you can understand.”
The smiles never left Bradley or Frank’s faces, understanding written in their eyes. “Of course, love. We weren’t intending to have our way with you immediately.” Bradley then waggled his brows. “Unless you want us to.”
Relief flooded her at his joking. That was one thing she did like about both of them. They both had a sense of humor. She let a giggle float from her as Siobhan appeared with a sample platter of appetizers and then took their order.
Brooke vowed she was going to relax and enjoy the evening.
* * * *
I don’t know what he sees in her! I know he’s only playing with that country bumpkin until he can be with me.
Giselle sat at a table across the restaurant from the trio. When they had come in, surprise settled upon her, and she quickly turned away from them so that she wasn’t seen. It was too early to reveal herself, but she knew Bradley would come running to her eventually as soon as he found out she was here.
It was a gamble she took by coming to this backwater town. During the time she had spent with Bradley in Europe, she had hacked into his laptop. It wasn’t easy to do in the fifteen minutes she had while he was on a phone call on the balcony of his hotel room, but she had succeeded.
There were numerous e-mails from Brooke Alton, so she clicked on one of the newest ones and memorized the e-mail address. Also, she found e-mails from a Frank Green, the last one talking about moving to the hick town she was now seated in.
After she had the information she needed, she knew she was going to have to come here. Oh, she was pissed that he was already planning on leaving her soon, that he was already talking to another woman, but she knew he loved her. There was no denying that.
Most men cheated on their wives, but since they weren’t married yet, she would let him have his fun. Let him get it out of his system, because when we’re married, he will not be leaving under any circumstances. She was here to make sure this fling was short-lived.
Letting her gaze wander around the room, Giselle took in her surroundings. Cowboys in blue jeans, cowboy boots, and Stetsons sat among women who either dressed similarly to the men or clothing that was less than stellar in her book.
The music was ridiculous. Whoever had thought up karaoke should be drawn and quartered, she thought. It only gave people who couldn’t sing an excuse to make further fools of themselves. The man who was singing couldn’t carry a tune and was messing up the words even though they were on a screen in front of him. His friends, though, were cheering him on.
The bartender was a tasty dish. Muscular, handsome, and all kinds of yummy. If she were further along in her plans, she would latch on to all that man candy and make Bradley jealous.
Giselle felt a bit conspicuous sitting by herself. She had already refused the advances of some of the men who had approached her before Bradley and his guests arrived. She didn’t care.
She noticed all the women here were escorted by a man, save most of the waitresses and the one female bartender. Even the sex on a stick bartender seemed chummy with one of the waitresses.
Chancing a glance over at Bradley, Giselle noticed the three were in a serious discussion, and the country bumpkin was listening intently to whatever was being said. The woman’s expressions were ranging from surprise, to wonder, to lust. It appeared her emotions could be read by what was written on her face.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall right now!
The dark-haired waitress who was very friendly with the three delivered their meals to the table. When she spoke, they all laughed. Giselle had noticed that Bradley looked and acted like a different man. He was more relaxed than he had been in Europe, not as polished. This was a side he had never shown to her. At this, there was an emotion that rose up with her.
Jealousy? No, that couldn’t be it. Other women were jealous of her, not the opposite. She wasn’t quite sure what the emotion was.
It wasn’t missed by Giselle that earlier the hunky bartender and the waitress had both been very friendly with the little group, even taking the time to sit and talk to them. She had to wonder what that was all about.
Deciding she had had enough, Giselle laid some money on the table and walked out. Now she would be going back to a lonely hotel room, for there wasn’t anything to do in this town. As soon as she had Bradley in her life again, they would return to Europe. Back to where society reigned and there was much to do twenty-four hours a day.
* * * *
Bradley had watched Brooke closely as Frank explained the concept of BDSM. Her face and eyes expressed every emotion she had. There was fear and wonder. Shock and awe. And yes, there was even excitement.
It was a hard subject to broach with anyone, let alone someone as innocent as Brooke. When Frank paused and looked at Bradley as if seeking help, Bradley spoke up.
“Since you know that Siobhan and the others are involved in it, perhaps they could help answer your questions about it. I think you may be a bit more accepting of it listening to them discuss it.”
Brooke watched him, and when he finished, he could see she seemed to be mulling it over. Her light green eyes shifted as if she was looking over at Siobhan before returning her gaze to Bradley. Demurely, Brooke nodded her agreement.
Elation shot through him. He wanted to explore Brooke’s submissive side, and he thought BDSM would do her good, a way to relax from her hectic job. There was no way they were going to let her go if she didn’t want to dip her foot into the lifestyle, but it would be a loss of his and Frank’s training.
His hand was still on hers, and he squeezed it as Frank did the same with her free hand. “Sweetheart, one of the most important parts of BDSM is communication. We have to hear you vocalize what you want. Even if it’s just to tell us you agree with us about something, or that you understand something that we are telling you, you need to speak out loud.”
Pink tinged her cheeks as her lashes lowered quickly. When she looked back up at him, she nodded and then said, “I understand.” She drew in a quick breath. “I’ll admit that I’ve read romances with that in it, but I’m afraid. I’ve never…”
The color on her face deepened as she looked down at h
er hands that had suddenly gone clammy. Concern washed over Bradley as she tried to pull her hands from theirs. He held tighter and was pretty sure Frank did the same since her hand wasn’t moved from his.
“What is it, love?” he asked quietly.
She lifted her shoulder in a quick shrug. “You’re going to think it’s silly.” Exasperation was in her voice.
Bradley used his free hand to turn her face toward him gently. “There is nothing silly about you.”
The sheepish look that graced her face had Bradley intrigued. She looked like Little Red Riding Hood going up against the Big Bad Wolf and was afraid to tell him what was in her basket of goodies.
Rose tint colored her cheeks darker. Drawing in a deep breath and releasing it, Brooke blurted out something so unexpected and so endearing, his cock slammed to attention in less than a second. “I’m a virgin.”
Brooke’s green eyes lowered to the table quickly, as if she was trying to avoid their shocked faces.
A quick glance at Frank told Bradley that he was just as turned on. “Oh, Brooke, that’s so wonderful,” Frank said with a hitch in his voice. “That you saved yourself for us will make our union even more special.”
Frank was right. Even though Brooke had no knowledge she was saving herself for them, it was something very special. She was a fighter. She proved that when she had fought to stay alive when she had been kidnapped by the Russians, especially when they had been rescued. Working with Andrew to help save the children and keeping them calm, she made sure they had all come out alive. He knew she was going to be one hell of a lover, for she was innocent and she was going to have both of them to teach her how to love physically and mentally.
“We will go as slow as you want to take it, but know we don’t want to wait to make love to you,” Frank said, quietly picking up a mozzarella stick. “We’ve waited a long time for you to come to us.”
Dipping the fried cheese into the small cup of marinara sauce, Frank raised it to Brooke’s full rosy lips. Bradley watched with fascination as Brooke glanced up at Frank before she bit into the delicate piece of food. He envied the item when her lips wrapped around the diameter, and then he wished he was that cheese when it strung out between her mouth and the piece left between Frank’s fingers. He wanted to be that trail of cheese.
Mentally, Bradley chastised his dick for being so randy, for all he wanted to do was get Brooke back to the hotel and make love to her.
As she chewed the tidbit, Bradley forced himself to drag his hand away from hers and grab at a cheese stick also. He wanted Frank’s words to stick with her for a while, causing her to think about the uniqueness of their situation.
* * * *
The unbearable tightness in Frank’s jeans was driving him nuts. He had been having a problem keeping his cock in a normal state whenever he was around Brooke, but after she made her announcement, it was as if it was trying to climb out of his pants to be the first one to claim her. The knowledge that he had to share was evident, but he had to wonder how he and Bradley would decide who was going to be her first lover.
A glance at Bradley told Frank that there wasn’t going to be a fight. Nonchalant, Bradley ate the fried piece of food as the man watched Brooke. Following suit, Frank picked up an onion ring and bit into it. The tang of the onion, the slight saltiness, and the greasiness of the batter exploded on his tongue. Before he could catch his thoughts, he thought of the combination of flavors that would have the same effect on him when he ran his tongue through Brooke’s hot wet cunt.
The thought of stepping away from the table had hit him, to move away from Brooke for a few minutes to regain his composure. However, everyone would be able to see that he had a giant boner, and he wasn’t going to embarrass Brooke, Bradley, or himself like that. Remaining where he was, was the best option, even if blue denim was the noose that could very well choke the life out of his dick.
The rosy hue of Brooke’s cheeks was fading a bit after her announcement. He didn’t know why she was embarrassed about it. That a woman had saved herself was a huge bonus in his book, and it did cause some concern that he had a lot more experience. Would she look at him differently if she knew how many women he had been with?
Silence settled over their table, or at least how silent it could be with the karaoke going on and the loud conversations people were having around them. Thankful for the momentary chance to think, Frank had to wonder what Brooke was thinking about.
A slight smile tugged at her lips as she reached out and took another mozzarella stick, although a bit of a furrow sat on her brow. Her downcast lids hid her eyes from them, hid her emotions, for so much of them showed through those beautiful expressive green eyes.
Frank knew he and Bradley had some discussing to do after they dropped Brooke off at her room later, but for now he was content in sitting next to his woman and not having to leave in a day or two like the last time. They were here to stay now.
Chapter Five
Dinner had been a quiet affair once Brooke had dropped her bombshell. Nervously, she had accepted bites of food that both men had fed her. At one point, Siobhan had raised a dark eyebrow at Brooke when she had brought out the meals they had ordered as if questioning if she was all right. A quick nod of her head told Siobhan everything was good, and the Irish woman nearly bounced away in glee.
Biting back laughter when Bradley pulled her plate in front of him when it arrived and cut up her steak, Brooke had to sit patiently. She had heard stories from the other women that their men tended to perform a lot of menial tasks for them, a sign of their care and devotion.
Half her steak was all she managed to eat, along with the baked potato. Siobhan never should have brought out the appetizers. Otherwise Brooke would have been able to eat more. Both men had scarfed down their food as if they hadn’t eaten in a few days, and both had proceeded to eat her discarded meat.
Enjoying the fun atmosphere for a while after they finished, Bradley was able to get Dr. Anderson’s information from Ray, with an appointment that had been placed for the next day. As they were getting ready to leave, the guys from the Lazy R were making their way in, a flash of disappointment in their faces when they noticed Erin wasn’t behind the bar.
Brooke had been to the bar many times before to eat since the office was so close and had seen how the five men mooned over the brunette. It always bothered her that the attraction seemed to be one-sided as Erin didn’t seem interested. She felt sorry for the men.
Greetings were acknowledged between Bradley, Frank, and the five ranch hands. Good-hearted banter passed between the guys briefly before the men turned their attention to Brooke.
“Well, hello there, Brooke,” Danny said with a sardonic smile. “It’s good to see you again. I see you have some company now.”
“Hello, Danny. Back for some more punishment?” Brooke asked with a joking tone, although it was all too true.
All five of the men looked sheepish at her question, but the wild-looking man with the long dark hair smiled as he shrugged. “I guess in a way you could call us masochists.”
Frank and Bradley burst out laughing.
“I’ll believe that when I see it!” Frank said. “The day you become masochists, then I will let Brooke whip me!”
A chill swept through Brooke at her man’s words. The thought of turning a whip on either one of the men frightened her. However, the thought of them drawing a flogger or whip across her back sent chills of delight down her spine.
Her mind flitted about for a bit before she heard her name.
“…as she has had a long day,” Frank was saying. “We’ll have to get together soon.”
“Of course. Just give us a ring or shoot us a text now that you have our numbers,” Danny said with a smile, his eyes on Brooke.
How much had she missed while her mind had wandered to whips and such? Heat settled over her, and she had to hope that no one noticed. But, of course, Bradley had to be the one to observe that as he slid his arm around her
waist, and he pulled her to his side.
“Are you all right, love?” he asked, his mouth close to her ear.
“Yes!” she squeaked slightly. “I’m fine.”
“Those must have been some fantastic thoughts running through your head. I’d love to know what they were.” His teasing words were a tickling whisper against her ear and hair. They sent tendrils of delight to her pussy.
Brooke knew that her two men were going to be lethally dangerous to her, but she wanted them.
She had spent her time in Atlanta getting to know the men over the phone, or in e-mails and texts, but not once had they mentioned the BDSM aspects of their lives. Would things have changed if she had known?
Looking up at first Bradley, then Frank, their eyes watching her intently as if in concern, she realized nothing would have changed her mind. Although she was a virgin, she wasn’t blind to the whirlwind of desire that ran through her body whenever she had talked to one of them. They had excited her even if they spoke of mundane parts of their day.
She was lost to them, as much as Danny and the boys were lost to Erin.
Frank glanced down at Brooke before he let his gaze settle on the door. He seemed quite anxious to leave, and if Brooke was honest with herself, so was she.
“We’ll have to get together soon,” Frank said with impatience lining his words. “Right now, I think Brooke has had a long day.”
“Of course. Have a good night.” Brooke knew Danny knew what Frank’s intentions were, but he didn’t let on to it. All the men shook hands, and the Lazy R men just nodded at Brooke before she was escorted to the door.
Cool evening air greeted them as the trio walked out to the dark green SUV sitting under one of the lights in the parking lot. Frank helped her into the passenger seat and then got in the back seat while Bradley took his place behind the wheel.
Electricity seemed to snap through the air as no one spoke. The engine started up, and Bradley steered them toward the hotel.
