The Male Order, Texas Collection
A Bride for Two Tycoons,
Part 2: The Promise
Madeline Spencer has two things on her mind: securing funding for her non-profit—and the devilishly handsome Ellis brothers, two of the most coveted billionaire bachelors in Male Order, Texas. After a fairy tale courtship full of candlelit dinners and jet-setting getaways, Madeline may just be ready to give her heart to her gallant suitors, but their blue-blooded world may be too rich for someone like her.
Dalton and Garrett Ellis are set on making Madeline theirs forever. They just have to convince her that two real, red-blooded Texas men lie beneath the glamour and wealth—and they will go to great lengths to make sure she knows just how deep their need for her goes. Little do they know that the fairy tale world they’ve so carefully woven can come undone when they least expect it.
As the annual Male Order Cotillion draws near, Dalton and Garrett unveil a sinister plot that exposed dark family secrets and could unhinge the Ellis dynasty and take Madeline away from them forever.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length: 53,735 words
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A BRIDE FOR TWO TYCOONS
Part 2: The Promise
Male Order, Texas
Ava Mitchell
Sydney Holiday
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
A BRIDE FOR TWO TYCOONS, PART 2: THE PROMISE
Copyright © 2010 by Ava Mitchell and Sydney Holiday
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-119-8
First E-book Publication: October 2010
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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Regarding E-book Piracy
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The authors and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Ava Mitchell and Sydney Holiday’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect their right to earn a living from their work.
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www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
We would like to dedicate this book to our fans, who we hope will enjoy the trip from the warm, homespun charm of Liebling to the lavish and sophisticated world of Male Order.
A BRIDE FOR TWO TYCOONS
PART 2: THE PROMISE
Male Order, Texas
AVA MITCHELL AND SYDNEY HOLIDAY
Copyright © 2010
Chapter Eight
Madeline Spencer opened her eyes when she felt an odd vibration in the small of her back. She sat up and ran her hand over the source of the buzzing. The mattress pad felt firmer, but she couldn’t make out the shape of the object that stirred her from the most restful sleep she’d ever had. Who knew hours of mind-blowing orgasms and pure arousal would make such an effective sleep aid? Being swaddled in all kinds of fine silks and linens didn’t hurt either, she thought as she snuggled back under the covers, trying in vain to ignore the minute vibrations beneath her. She reluctantly wrenched herself from her warm cocoon, slipped out of bed, and realized she wore a soft silk nightgown that came to just above her knees. She ran her fingers over the delicate material and wondered how she had gotten into it because it certainly was not hers.
The hardwood floors felt unexpectedly cold on her bare feet, and goose bumps prickled up her calves. Reaching between the mattress and three cushy mattress pads, she felt around until her fingers grazed the small vibrator. Madeline pulled it out and examined it. Perfectly round and pale green, the vibrator had a button on the side. Once she pressed it, the room became utterly quiet. Only the crackling sound of wood set ablaze in the nearby fireplace was audible. Attached to the vibrator was a note on parchment.
Morning, Princess.
The pea has pulled you from your peaceful repose.
Put on those slippers beside your toes,
A mask and a cape await at the door.
Put them on now because there’s plenty more.
Let’s see how your fairy tale grows.
All you must do is first follow your nose.
Love,
Your Princes
She couldn’t help but put the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were about to swoon. Be still her beating heart. A smile pulled at the corners of her lips, and she held the note to her chest.
She suddenly remembered she wasn’t in Texas anymore. She had no earthly idea where she was. She didn’t know how long they’d been in the air—she was a little distracted at the time, after all—but she figured they might not even be in the States anymore. They might have gone international. She wondered how they would’ve gotten her passport, but knowing the Ellis brothers, with their connections and clout, they could make anything happen.
She looked down and saw the slippers, just as the note promised, and put them on. They looked just as she imagined Cinderella’s would, except that instead of being clear they were bedecked with tiny crystals that glittered in the firelight. And most remarkable of all, even with the three-inch heels, they were actually comfortable.
Madeline finally took in her surroundings. The king-sized bed was centered in the middle
of the room. The bed’s iron canopy was shaped to look like the delicate branches of a tree with tiny leaves decorating the tips, as if the bed were enclosed in an enchanted forest. Heavy curtains hung on one side of the room, barely letting any light seep in. On the opposing wall, a roaring fire blazed in a stone fireplace. It provided most of the room’s light and cast dancing shadows on every surface. Seeing a fireplace burning indoors at all was always a novel sight for her, but especially now in the middle of summer. Most Texans were loathe to even turn the oven on let alone light an entire fire. Finding herself drawn to it, Madeline reached her hands out and let the warmth radiate through her. Out of the corner of her eye a swath of red fabric caught her attention. It hung on a coat hanger beside the door and a small marble-topped side table.
She walked toward it and immediately her eyes were drawn to the small white-and-silver masquerade-style mask. Picking it up from the table, she admired the breathtakingly fine metallic filigree detail that flared from the eye holes so that they mimicked lush eyelashes. It was so delicate and ornate she wondered how it didn’t just come apart in her hands. A few large white plumes theatrically came out from one side in a graceful arc. Tiny crystals that matched those on her slippers decorated the surface, making the entire mask luminous, giving it an ethereal and opulent feeling. It reminded her of something Marie Antoinette might wear to a party. Worried it would be uncomfortable, she gingerly placed the mask over her eyes, securing the white lace ribbon behind her head in a bow, and marveled at how natural it felt on. After a few moments, she hardly noticed she had it on at all.
Then her attention returned to the velvet red cape. She ran her finger down the material, caressing it. She pulled the plush garment over the short silk nightgown she wore and again thought it odd to wear something so warm. The velvet did feel luxurious against her skin and she snuggled the material around her neck before opening the door and stepping out of the bedroom. The moment she opened the door, the seductive scent of tea and freshly baked pastries wafted into her nostrils.
She walked down the long windowless corridor, her crystal heels making a loud hollow sound that echoed with each step she took. Madeline arrived at a little nook to see a gourd-shaped vessel with a silver straw poking out. It reminded her of those old juice commercials where a red-and-white straw chased an orange until it could poke through. She took a sip of the warm beverage and rolled it around her tongue, trying to figure out what it tasted like. It was a little on the bitter side, yet it was not unpleasant, and she detected a hint of orange peel. It reminded her of tea, but it was not quite the same. She took another sip and decided that she would ask Dalton and Garrett about it later.
Resting on a lacy doily on a small porcelain plate, a croissant waited as if just for her. She took a bite and her mouth was immediately filled with the smooth, caramel-like flavor of dulce de leche, one of her all-time favorites. When she was a little girl, she would pour so much of it on top of her ice cream sundaes that her teeth would hurt from all the sugar afterward.
She looked down and realized the doily unfolded into another note.
Finish your snack because your strength you’ll need
As your journey continues with quickened speed
Because it’s time for you to see where you are.
So follow the music, it won’t take you far,
Just around the corner is when it will start.
We hope what you see will steal your heart
Just as ours have been stolen by you,
Our fairy tale princess, your dreams will come true.
She drank as much of the drink and ate as much of the croissant as she could, but the butterflies in her stomach prevented her from finishing. The note said she’d need her strength, but that was the best she could do. The rooms were getting progressively chillier the farther she walked from the bedroom and its roaring fire. She pulled the cape up where it slipped over her shoulder and rounded the corner where she indeed began to hear the tinkling sound of music.
She entered what looked to be the den or living room. Except for where there were sconces that lit the room, the walls were draped with heavy curtains, but she could tell there were windows because of the light seeping through. She looked and listened for any signs of her two men but found nothing. She loved the small scavenger hunt they had concocted for her, but she longed to finally see them and be with them, to be wrapped in their arms and smothered with their kisses and caresses. She sighed as her eyes were drawn to the freestanding fireplace near the center of the room. Perhaps it was the brightness of the flame or maybe just the warmth, but she felt herself pulled toward it. She realized her legs were freezing where the cape didn’t quite reach low enough. She wondered why the fire hadn’t heated the room more, and then she felt an icy-cold breeze tickle her hair. She turned and saw that the door to the balcony was open and blustery flurries of white fluttered inside. Her mind initially convinced her it was cottonwood down, but the blast of cold told her otherwise.
She bundled up even more, pulling the cape’s hood over her head, and headed toward the door, realizing that it was also the source of the music. As she neared the open door, she could increasingly see her breath turning to fog as the cold air condensed the moisture.
When she stepped onto the balcony and the cold air blasted against her exposed skin, she thought her heart might stop beating as her eyes gazed upon a whole new world that she hadn’t even imagined possible. The note had said that she would discover where the men had taken her, but she still didn’t have a clue. Clearly, the weather indicated she was either somewhere close to the North Pole or in the Southern Hemisphere. After all, when she left Texas, it was the middle of summer and now it was snowing. That’s as far as she could decipher. Where in the world was Madeline Spencer?
Wherever the men had taken her was surrounded by forest-covered mountains. Thick piles of plush-looking snow capped each tree. The ground beneath the trees was also completely blanketed in pure, sparkly white. She braved the freezing chill and stepped out onto the balcony, her crystal slippers crunching on the snow that had collected there. Madeline looked up and held her hand out. Fluffy snowflakes melted in her hand. She looked up at the sky, mesmerized by the flakes gently spiraling down, and she couldn’t help but open her mouth, catching them on her tongue. Snowflakes tangled with her eyelashes, but she didn’t mind at all.
She had never seen something so remarkable, so beautiful in her entire life. She’d seen snow occasionally back in Dallas, but nothing like this. When it did snow, it tended not to stick so there was rarely enough to do anything fun like making snow angels. And forget about building a proper snowman. Usually they were a slushy brown mixture of icy snow and dirt with a few twigs and dead leaves thrown in for good measure. But here, the snow was thick and plush and pure. And to think, only just the day before, she’d boarded a plane in sweltering Texas heat.
If she looked farther, she could even make out a small village almost tucked out of sight beneath a ridge. The buildings looked like gingerbread houses coated with royal icing.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and it warmed her heart to know that her men did this all to create a magical moment just for her. Her heart longed to be with them, though, to share this moment with them. Then she registered the music again and remembered the source of it would likely hold another clue. She searched the balcony and followed the melodic sounds until she saw a snow globe that was half buried by snow. She lifted it, and as she looked at it, her breath condensed on the round, clear surface and clouded it. She wiped it with the hem of her cape and saw a tiny village that looked remarkably like the one she had just seen. Etched on a small brass plaque at the base of the globe were the words San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. So that’s where she was. She turned the globe upside down and saw another note tucked away underneath the diminutive replica of this winter wonderland.
She carefully set the globe on the ground and opened the note, hopi
ng it would be the last. So far her little adventure had been nothing short of delightful, but she was ready for her men to finally appear and complete her fairy-tale fantasy.
Go back where you came and stairs you should see,
Where at the bottom you’ll find a trail of candy.
Follow the pieces, they’ll show you the way
To a beast and a wolf who’ve been waiting all day.
But don’t be afraid. They swear they won’t bite,
But if that’s what you’re into, they’ll bite you all night.
They promise to show you pleasures galore
Until their sweet princess is begging for more.
She had to admit, that last line had her pussy clenching already. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on her men. She followed the trail of gumdrops, which lead her to a grand ballroom. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, so high she wondered how anyone could ever change any of the light bulbs. The marble floor was so shiny she could see her face reflected in it. She stood in the center of the room, wondering where her men could possibly be. The gumdrop trail ended there, and they were nowhere to be found. She stared up into the crystal chandelier and spun in a circle, twirling as the hem of her cape flared out around her legs.
“You look beautiful, princess,” Dalton said, his deep voice booming across the empty space.
“Absolutely ravishing,” Garrett echoed.
Madeline stopped mid-turn and clutched her hands to her chest. The Ellis brothers stood on the other side of the room, each wearing the most elegant yet simple tuxedos she’d ever seen. Perfectly tailored and black with pointed satin lapels and crisp white shirts, these tuxedos were nothing like the penguin suits or prom-night monstrosities she was used to seeing. No, these men, her men, were truly dashing and debonair, and they managed to maintain an air of dignity despite the silly yet alluring masquerade-style masks they wore.
Mitchell, Ava and Holiday, Sydney - A Bride for Two Tycoons [The Male Order, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 1
