by Lynn Stark
“Another thing that will keep you busy is planning the wedding.” The wedding. Peaches had given some thought to it the moment she had decided to commit herself to these men. Now she thought of it and it scared her to death. Looking from one handsome face to the next, she wondered how she would manage it.
“You’ll legally be married to me,” Logan told her succinctly. “Then there will be a private ceremony, where we will all commit to one another.”
“I don’t have any choice in which man I marry?”
“No,” he told her, his face set into hard lines. “We decided between us.”
“Did you draw straws?”
“No. Rock, paper, scissors,” Logan said calmly. He couldn’t be serious, but he looked it.
Peaches didn’t know whether she wanted to laugh or smack him. Actually, she wanted to smack all of them. “Jerks!” Looking at her pizza, she wondered what Logan would do if she flicked pepperoni at him. “Don’t you think I should have some say in this? And I hate to mention this, considering how romantic this has all been so far, but shouldn’t I expect some kind of proposal from at least one of you?”
“Is she being hormonal?”
It was Ryan wanting to know. When she turned her laser gaze on him, he looked lost and helpless and more than a little confused. He was so damned sweet she couldn’t blame him for being steamrolled by the other two. All he wanted was to make her happy. Even as hot as he was in bed, if they had a normal one-on-one relationship, she probably wouldn’t marry him.
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She didn’t want a man who turned himself into her doormat. Or let her do it for him. Yet she loved him as much as she did his jerk friends. While Logan was definitely the alpha, Damien was in the middle. He was tough when he needed to be, but here he was, willing to let Logan make all the decisions. If it had just been him, he would have been a good candidate for marriage. Then there was Logan. Tough, domineering, willful, he was the epitome of the alpha male. No, she probably wouldn’t choose him as a man for marriage. They were too alike, stubborn, often bull headed. But the other two tempered the match. The men actually complimented one another. If she could squish them all together into one man, she would actually create something close to perfect.
“No, I’m not being hormonal. But I’m considering being homicidal.” Looking at Damien, she smiled when he tried to give her a reassuring look. “I met Damien first. I would think it would make sense that I marry him.”
“Do you want to marry him?” Logan spoke again, his expression closed.
Damien was still smiling. The man seemed amused by her attempt to thwart Logan’s highhandedness. It was as though he didn’t believe it would work. It probably wouldn’t, but she would sure irritate him in the trying. That alone was worth the effort expended upon the impossible.
“I didn’t say that. I just said it would make sense. I met Damien first.”
“Then marry Damien.”
“No.” Lifting the slice of pizza, she bit into it.
Logan growled. Two men in the booth behind them, obviously picking up the gist of the conversation, laughed openly. He growled again and raised a hand over the back of the booth to slap one of the two occupants in the back of the head. She stared in shock.
“Shut the fuck up, you two, or I’ll tell Cheryl you’re here eating meat.”
“Ah, damn, Logan. I knew you were mean, but that’s just rotten.” Ryan leaned close to Peaches. “Cheryl is trying to be a vegan. If she smells the pepperoni on Jerry’s and Stan’s breath, they won’t get any for a month.”
“Any what?” Her brown eyes sparkled as she asked the tongue-in-cheek question.
“Pussy,” Ryan informed her gleefully.
“Is that any way to talk in a restaurant?” their waitress asked as she walked by from another table. She smacked him on the head with a stack of menus.
“You and Stan need to mind your own business back there.”
“But she has a point. We think she should marry Damien.” Logan pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched a button. Evidently Cheryl was on speed dial. “Hey, Cheryl, it’s Logan.” He grinned when he heard the men groan behind him, a slash of white in his winter-tanned face. He was so fucking handsome that her pussy began aching. “Yeah, I’m good. How are you?” The men were scrambling now. Pizza and beer disappeared at an amazing rate. “You’re having another baby? That’s great. Hey, I just wanted to let you know, Stan and Jerry are eating pepperoni pizza. Actually, I’ve never seen so much pepperoni on a pizza. There’s about four pounds of it, along with extra cheese.” The grin widened.
The man truly was evil. “Yeah, I’ll tell them.” The phone went into his pocket. “Have fun when you guys get home.”
“We won’t be allowed out for weeks. Logan, you’re a jerk.” 85
“Yeah, so I’ve been told.” It felt like his eyes were pinning her to where she sat in the booth across from him. “Now, where were we?”
“I was telling you I wasn’t going to marry Damien.”
“Why not?”
“The same reason I’m not marrying you. Or Ryan. Nobody asked. Just call me old fashioned.”
“You’re in a ménage relationship. Not typically old fashioned. Or normal. Or average.”
“Unless you’re in Silver,” Peaches retorted succinctly, her brown eyes sparkling.
One corner of his firm mouth quirked upward. “Point taken. So, you want romance. We’ll have to see what we can do. We’ll just ignore the fact that you’ve already spoken about marrying us as if it was going to happen.”
There was a gleam in his eyes that told her she was in for it now. Trembling with anticipation, Peaches decided she couldn’t wait to find out what he had planned for her. She didn’t know how romantic it would be, but anything Logan could come up with was sure to be exciting. Her pussy began throbbing just thinking about all the possibilities.
“Yes,” she agreed with a smile. “We’ll just forget about that. A little romance might be nice.”
Peaches quickly realized she had made a mistake by challenging her men to be more romantic. Ryan seemed determined to make up for their lack of romance single-handedly, starting with holding her hand as she finished eating her pizza. He held her hand all the way home.
He stole kisses. An hour after they got home a florist arrived in a monstrously large SUV to deliver several beautiful plants and floral arrangements, a huge box of chocolates, and a pretty basket filled to overflowing with bath salts, soaps, and lotions. She eyed them and him warily, noting his pleased grin and the sparkle in his blue eyes. If Ryan was this enthusiastic about being romantic, what the hell would Damien and Logan come up with? Particularly Logan.
There wouldn’t be anything soft and sexy from him. If he gave her a plant, it would probably be poison ivy or a cactus. When Ryan and Damien disappeared for hours, worry set in. What had taken them back into town? She didn’t even want to think about it.
And since she didn’t, she began opening boxes and bags, placing pillows on the heavy brown leather couch and chairs. The men would hate the pillows. They were going to get in the way, take up space.
Logan was there to help her hang the framed oil paintings they had purchased. One was actually of the mountain range to be seen in the distance beyond the ranch. They worked in relative silence, with the exception of discussing where each print should be placed. They also discussed going to one of the art galleries in town to get others. What they did have perked up the rooms, as did the pillows and throws in varying shades of oranges, bronze, and green.
They rolled the rugs out and moved furniture around until it was grouped in a more intimate manner in front of the large stone fireplace.
“You really do have a terrific house,” Peaches told Logan, looking around the large room with admiring eyes. “Your great-great-grandfather built it?”
“Yes, soon after he married Lucinda. Every time they were nearly out of room, he would build on.”
“It was very well done. So
me houses just look odd when they’re added on to.” 86
Logan nodded, then left the room to go to the foyer where many of their purchases still had to be unpacked and distributed throughout the house. As they continued to work, Peaches found it too quiet. Logan was too quiet, even for him.
They had carried nearly everything out of her former room. The cats watched with interest from their favorite perch by the window. After they continued to work in relative silence, Peaches was determined to discover the cause. She suspected what the reason was and knew she would have to do some damage control.
Blocking his path as he tried to leave the room again, she looked up at him. Logan was a great deal taller than she was. Add that with his bulk and she felt positively dainty when she was no such thing. Putting her hands on his arms, she caressed the thick muscle beneath the layers of flannel and the thermal shirts he wore.
“You do know, Logan, I wasn’t serious earlier, when I was teasing about a lack of romance. You do realize that, don’t you?”
“Tell me.”
“Well, I wasn’t serious. Flowers and things are nice, but I don’t need those things to know you guys care about me. And I care about all of you.” Her slender hands moved up his arms, to work the tense muscles of his shoulders. The tips of her breasts pressed against the wall of his massive chest. “If I hurt you, I’m sorry. I’d be very happy to marry you.”
“More than Damien?”
She doubted insecurity had anything to do with the question. It was simple curiosity on his part.
Peaches frowned up at him. “Why does it have to be more? If the three of you had decided Damien would be the one to marry me, then I would have been happy with that. I want to be with you guys. I want to marry the three of you. The four of us will be bound together for life. That’s what matters.” Her hands moved down over his chest. Her thumbs teased his nipples. She loved to caress him. “We’re going to have a happy life together. We’ll have lots of babies. And they’ll be happy here, growing up in this fabulous place, with three terrific fathers.
How much more could a woman want?”
There was a scowl on his face now as he looked down at her. “We’re not always going to be happy,” he declared ominously.
Peaches returned his scowl. “Well, I didn’t mean we were going to be happy every minute of every day. Especially you and I. We’re going to argue. We’re going to fight. Then we’ll make up. We’ll make love. We’ll have wild, kinky monkey sex.” The right corner of his firm mouth quirked with amusement at that. There was also a glint in his golden eyes. “Wild, kinky monkey sex, huh? You and I haven’t gotten that far yet.” Peaches pressed closer to his big, hard body as her pussy drenched her panties. She saw his nostrils flare and knew he caught the scent of her arousal. There was a stirring against her stomach and she smiled, though she tried to refocus him on the subject at hand. “I know. And we will. But don’t you think we should straighten out this misunderstanding between us first?”
“If we get it straightened out, then what?”
“Then we start planning the wedding. You can work on the wedding night.” It suddenly occurred to her that he was holding back with his feelings, keeping himself shut away from her, because of that stupid cow Sally. The woman had really done a number on him. He had put everything out there, going against his naturally reticent nature, to be the 87
man she wanted him to be. And she had rejected him. No matter how tough Logan was, he had still felt the pain of that rejection just like anyone else would have. She doubted many people were too tough to feel.
“I’m not going anywhere, Logan. You might as well get used to it. We’ll be enjoying the next fifty or sixty years together. And there are going to be times when I tease you. I just can’t seem to help myself.”
“I noticed,” he said dryly, his mouth twisting. Yes, the man enjoyed her teasing.
“I’m sure you did. But you have to know that I would never be malicious about it. If I have something that needs said, I’ll say it. I won’t pussyfoot around.” She grabbed fistfuls of wash-worn flannel, as if she would shake him. His mouth twitched again, and she smiled up at him. “You and I will be spending a great deal of time together. Damien and Ryan will be off being rodeo cowboys and you and I will be here together. You’ll be my knight and I’ll be your damsel. I won’t ever give you a reason to regret marrying me. Just give me your trust. Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but someday I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you trust me.”
Wariness was all she saw in those eyes. This huge man, bulging with muscle, an alpha, who could crush her with one swing of his powerful fist, was afraid of trusting her. He was afraid of loving her, of the pain it could cause him if she proved false.
“You know, if I ever meet this Sally bitch, I’m going to kick her ass.” Going up on tiptoe, Peaches pressed her mouth to his. Teasing the seam of his lips with the tip of her tongue, she was relieved when he allowed her access to his mouth. Moaning, their mouths fused as his slanted over hers in the most satisfying manner.
When strong arms wrapped around her, Peaches melted into him, suddenly boneless.
The heat in her pussy spread like wildfire, winding through her limbs, heating her womb. Her lips moved under his dominant mouth. She was willing, compliant, as he thrust his tongue boldly into her mouth, sweeping against her tongue, stroking and teasing until she moaned with the pleasure shooting from her mouth to her nipples. She ground her hips against him, seeing an end to the building ache in her throbbing pussy.
All she wanted in that moment was his long, thick cock stretching her pussy and putting it out of its misery.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you ready for the next level, baby?” Logan asked as he raised his head so his mouth was no more than an inch from hers. He could feel the heat of her body against him. She was primed and ready for a good, hard fucking. His cock twitched at the thought of burying it in the soft body. “No more of this vanilla stuff.”
Peaches laughed as she stroked his chest. She did like to touch. It seemed to confirm what she was feeling at any given moment. “Some parts of it didn’t feel particularly vanilla.
But, yes, I’m ready for the next level.”
“Good.” He kissed her forehead, which seemed a little vanilla, but he was satisfied with her answer. There would probably be many vanilla moments with Peaches. She had never gotten into the lifestyle, even while working at a BDSM club. She was, however, willing to try it.
No doubt there would be things she would like a great deal. There would be other places where she would have no interest in venturing. And that was fine with him. He wasn’t extreme. Dominance over a submissive was what he wanted. He had no need to inflict great pain on a woman to gain his pleasure. Nor did he need to risk her life. He wanted them both to experience mutual gratification. It was time for them to discover if they could find it together.
They would learn to trust one another. “We’ll take this out to my playroom.” As they made their way outside a few minutes later, Peaches clung to his hand as they tromped along the snow-covered path, to the building he had converted into his own private haven. He had told her that it had a fully furnished apartment, as well as the playroom. It was a place he retreated to when he found himself in need of peace and quiet.
“Will you bring Ryan and Damien out here to play?” she asked curiously as he unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he waited until she had stepped in before following her.
“If that’s what they want. They’re still more curious than anything.”
“But you won’t push them for more.”
“Only if they want pushed.”
“Like the other day?”
“Yes.”
Logan took her coat from her to hang it on a peg behind the door. They left their boots beside it. The floor had radiant heat. Even walking across it in bare feet was quite pleasant.
Peaches looked around the room with admiring eyes. The room was fairly star
k. Soft gray paint covered the walls, brushed nickel fixtures and accents made bright points, while darker gray drapes covering the windows was a good contrast. The appliances in the small kitchen were stainless; the counters were black granite.
“Where’s the bed?”
“In the playroom. Would you like something to drink?” Peaches shook her head. The soft curls beginning to form now that her hair was growing bounced a little as she did so. “No. I don’t want to take the edge off.” Logan smiled at that. “Good. You’ll know your limits better. Besides, alcohol isn’t good for the baby. I do have nonalcoholic beverages here. Now, do you have a question?” Solemn brown eyes looked up at him, studied him. “And what would you have me call you here?”
“Sir.”
One day he might enjoy her addressing him as master, but he was not allowing himself to hope for too much. Peaches was not a natural submissive. It would take a great deal of effort 89
on his part to find those things that would bring her satisfaction and pleasure. That’s what he would concentrate on. He would not be looking too far into the future. He would not get his hopes up, allow himself to fall for her as he had for Sally.
For now they were only investigating whether this could work between them. It was something he needed from the woman he would commit himself to. If she didn’t have it in her to enjoy this with him, would he be able to put his own needs aside to make the ménage work between the four of them?
“Logan?” She was touching him again, her palms pressed against his chest. Her brown eyes were both confident and concerned. “You’re thinking too much. Don’t make problems where there aren’t any. Would you please show me your playroom now, Sir?” The tone was humble as her long, thick lashes lowered.
Feeling his cock stir, Logan swallowed hard. “Yes, I think that would be best.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the door opposite the entry door. He closed it firmly behind them, and then touched the light switch. The lights came on, illuminating the mirror-lined room, the huge bed, and a very large cabinet lacquered a spicy chili-powder red, where he kept an excellent assortment of whips, floggers, and paddles. Another cabinet held various sex toys.
