The aromas of sweet vanilla, spicy cinnamon, and something warm, heady, and undeniably sensual washed over him, making his entire body shudder. It was a scent guaranteed to have both him and Cole aching with need for days. They didn’t know if it was Jenna’s perfume, or a combination of the scents in her store that got into her clothes and hair from being in the shop all the time, but they associated the smell with her because it was the way she always smelled. The identification of the individual scents that made up the whole was a subject they’d discussed at length countless times over the past winter, when they weren’t debating her hair, or her laugh, or any one of a dozen other topics related to her.
After twelve years they’d begun to lose hope that they’d find the one special woman meant for them. The woman they needed to make a family with. Jenna was that woman, they were almost certain of it. Hanging back, waiting for her all these months, had been the hardest thing they’d ever tried to do, and they hadn’t been entirely successful at it. Now, however, as they stood trying to adjust to the sights and scents of Jenna’s shop, they couldn’t help but hope that this was the day their waiting would end.
“Hi Cole, Dillon,” Jenna said, surprising them. They hadn’t seen her standing at the window where she was dusting a new display of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry body products that looked good enough to eat.
“Hi, Jenna,” Cole replied. “We thought we’d drop in and see you since we’re in town.” Jenna’s eyebrows rose. “Okay, since we’re in town three or four times a week, that was a dumb excuse,” he admitted sheepishly. “How about this; we thought we’d drop in because we wanted to see you.”
Jenna smiled, a soft blush staining her cheeks. “In that case, come on in.” They followed her across the store, walking slowly as they gazed with undisguised interest at the soft, scented, delicate, and sensuous products they passed.
There were handmade candles of every size and description scattered around the store, some with flowers embedded in them, some with herbs or spices, all of them infused with natural scents intended to be soothing or energizing or arousing. There were shelves of dainty bottles and jars containing body lotions, butters, massage oils, balms, and other like products for both men and women. Another section held bathing products like bubble bath, bath oils, bath salts, shampoos, conditioners, and body wash. A third section held the Bliss line of products that Jenna created herself in a variety of scents, or unscented for those who wanted a custom scent added.
One whole wall held a selection of silk, satin, fine cotton, and velvet bathrobes, pajamas, throws, blankets, bed sheets and slippers. The back wall held thick alpaca and flokati rugs in a variety of shapes, colors, and designs. There was also a selection of lush faux fur throws that were so popular Jenna had a hard time keeping them in stock.
There were so many things to look at that they couldn’t possibly see it all in just a couple of quick glances. Especially since, as always, just being in Senses had their blood damn near boiling. At the same time, they felt too big and clumsy for their surroundings, and found themselves moving with extra care for fear they’d break, shatter, stain, dent, knock over, or mutilate something if they looked at it too hard.
Jenna led the way to a long counter she’d had the Daniels brothers build to her specifications along one side of the store and stepped behind it. This was where she manufactured her product line, filled custom orders, and generally spent most of her time when she wasn’t waiting on customers or stocking shelves.
She watched Cole and Dillon gawk at everything like all the men did when they came in. She never quite understood why men always looked like a cross between a kid in a candy store and a bull in a china shop when they were in Senses, but they did, and the Howard brothers were no exception.
She smiled to herself as she pretended not to see Dillon elbow Cole in an effort to tear his brother’s attention away from a display of Kama Sutra play sets. They did look a lot alike, but she had no trouble distinguishing them from each other, and she didn’t need to see the tiny scar over Cole’s right eye to do it the way most people did. It was plain to her that Cole’s eyes were a bit further apart than Dillon’s, and his nose a slightly different shape. And that Dillon’s chin was a little more square, and his mouth a touch wider. The differences between them were, she had to admit, so minor that without her special ability when it came to visual imagery she might have had trouble herself.
Their hair was the same though, black and curling at their necks the way it always did when it got a bit long. Their light blue eyes, surrounded by thick dark lashes, were the same too, as well as the single dimple that showed in their left cheeks when they smiled. They were well over six feet tall with broad, muscular chests and arms, but they moved with a smooth, unconscious grace rare to such large men that she loved to watch.
“You told us at the picnic a couple weeks ago that you were gonna start closing one day a week,” Cole said as he approached the counter.
“I was going to start closing on Thursdays,” she said, turning away to resume unpacking a carton sitting on a stool. “Then Carson Lewis called last week to say he was bringing in a busload of people from the Rockin’ LE a day early, and that a bunch of them specifically asked to visit my shop after trying the Bliss samples I give to all three of the dude ranches.” Jenna shrugged. “My business is too new to ignore that kind of sales opportunity.”
“Well, today’s Thursday, and I don’t see any buses,” Cole said as he moved along the opposite side of the counter toward where she stood. He stopped suddenly, his smile fading as he stared down at something. Dillon stepped around him, saw where he was looking and stared just as hard as Cole. Jenna didn’t need to try to see over the counter between them to know what they were staring at. More than ever she wished she could prevent herself from blushing. When a small, sexy smile began to grow on their faces, revealing that single dimple on each left cheek, her face all but caught fire.
“Interesting products,” Cole said, gesturing toward the display of sensual lubes she’d set up late the previous night.
“Yep,” she replied. She might not be able to control her blush, but she didn’t have to behave as though she were anything less than a grown woman with a business to run. “They’re in different scents. Did you notice?”
“Yeah, we noticed,” Dillon said, then cleared his throat. “Different flavors, too.”
“And they’re…heated?” Cole asked, reading the cardboard ad on top of the display.
“Two of them are, yes,” she said. “The Cool Cucumber has a light scent and flavor. It’s a normal edible lube. The Warm Mint smells and tastes like mint, and causes the skin to feel warm after it’s applied.”
“Really?” Cole asked, sounding very interested. “Is it safe?”
“Absolutely,” Jenna replied, her embarrassment gone as she discussed the products. “The manufacturer uses a harmless warming agent that reacts to body moisture. The next one, Hot Cinnamon, smells and tastes like cinnamon and has a stronger warming agent.”
“Wow, Jenna,” Dillon said. “I bet you’ll have a difficult time keeping these in stock.”
“I hope so,” Jenna said. “I have another line of regular lubes that just came in too, but I haven’t unpacked them yet.” She sighed as she glanced toward a tall stack of cartons against the wall at the back of the store.
“What’s this mouth test?” Dillon asked, pointing to a small handwritten note at the top of the display.
Jenna pointed at two small bottles with hand pumps on the counter near the display, each labeled Test across the front. “Whenever someone wants to buy one of those heated lubes I’ll have them put a drop or two on their finger and rub it on the inside of their cheek or lip, first. If it burns or is uncomfortable, then they shouldn’t buy it.”
“Smart,” Cole said, smiling. “Your customers will like that you care about them more than a sale.”
“I was afraid people might be annoyed with me for wanting them to test it first.
”
“I seriously doubt that,” Dillon said.
Jenna returned to the carton she was unpacking and bent over it. “Would you be open to a proposition?” Cole asked.
She straightened up suddenly and turned to Cole in surprise. “Proposition?”
“Yeah,” Cole said, leaning in and placing his forearms on the countertop. “You do something for us, we do something for you.”
“Such as?” Jenna asked, bending over the carton again and reaching inside.
“You go out to dinner with us tonight, and we’ll help you unpack all those boxes tomorrow.”
Jenna was so startled she nearly dropped the very large and very expensive bottle of essential oil she’d just lifted from the carton. She set it down carefully and wiped her hands on her apron before taking a deep calming breath and looking back at Cole, then Dillon. Her eyes widened at the naked hope in their eyes. She knew Meg was responsible for them being there, but she suddenly had no doubt whatsoever that Cole and Dillon really did want her to go out with them.
“I’d like that,” she said before she could talk herself out of it. Their eyes flared in shock.
“You mean it?” Dillon asked.
“Of course I mean it,” Jenna said, smiling shyly.
“Hot damn!” Cole said, then grimaced. “Sorry ‘bout the language, honey.”
Jenna laughed. “Believe me, mine can be far more colorful than that sometimes.” Dillon and Cole shivered at the sound of her laugh, even as they basked in the warmth of it.
“We’re just about over the moon that you said yes, Jenna,” Dillon said. “How about we pick you up at seven fifteen?”
“That’s fine,” Jenna said. “Where we going?”
“Jester’s,” Cole said. “Wear something pretty for us, honey.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said, her cheeks pink.
Jenna’s heart was racing with excitement as she watched Cole and Dillon leave her shop. As soon as the door swung shut behind them she reached for the phone, freezing in surprise when she heard a loud Whoop! Whoop! coming from outside. She hurried around the counter and crossed to the window, then laughed when she saw that Cole and Dillon were doing the whooping.
She punched in Meg’s cell number as she watched them walk up the street to where they’d left their truck. She hadn’t been on a date in years, and didn’t own anything close to nice enough for dinner at Jester’s with the two hottest men in Sparx. This called for a trip into Missoula.
She cast a guilty glance at the stacked boxes while she waited for Meg to pick up, then shrugged. Even though the Howards had said they’d help with the unpacking, she wouldn’t hold them to it. Still, it was her store and she was the boss. She could close for a day if she wanted to. She just hoped Meg could get away from the diner and go with her.
Chapter 4
“How we lookin’?” Cole asked after he parked in the alley behind Senses and turned off the engine.
Dillon gave his brother the once over and nodded while Cole did the same for him. “We’re good.”
“We gotta be,” Cole said. “Jack said Jenna dragged Meg off to town in a near panic for something special to wear tonight. She told Meg on the phone that we asked her to wear something pretty, but that she hadn’t been on a date in years, and didn’t own anything that fit that description.”
“Damn,” Dillon said in a hoarse whisper. “Years? You didn’t tell me that.”
“Yeah, Jack said that the fact Jenna spilled that much personal information over the phone is a clear sign of how important this date is to her. He wanted us to know that in particular.”
“We’ll thank him later,” Dillon said. “Let’s go get her.”
They jumped out of the truck and climbed the stairs to the apartment. Cole pressed the doorbell and they waited just a few moments before Jenna opened it. She was a vision in a silky rose pink dress that flattered her petite figure and made her creamy skin seem to glow, paired with high heeled sandals that accentuated her slender legs. She wore just enough makeup to enhance her large cinnamon eyes, and a touch of pink gloss on her lips. Her long curls were piled artfully on her head and held with a single antiqued gold clip, leaving a few loose curls around her face and neck. She looked sexy and sweet and so hot it was hard to breathe and look at her at the same time.
Jenna’s reaction to the men’s appearance was just as strong as theirs was to her. They wore black dress slacks with silk dress shirts in a light blue shade that matched their eyes, and they’d gotten their hair cut, telling her this date was important to them, too. But her sexual response to them was so immediate, and so intense, that it both startled and worried her.
She’d already accepted the fact that these men would never return her feelings, and she’d convinced herself that she didn’t expect them too. Like her, yes. Want to date her, sure. After all, she was the only unattached woman living in Sparx at the moment. But grow to care about her? Not likely.
Jenna had no doubt that Cole and Dillon would be ecstatic if she fell into bed with them. Hell, she’d be ecstatic about that, herself. She wanted them, and had for so long that she’d grown accustomed to the almost instantaneous arousal that flooded her whenever she was close to them. But what she was feeling now went beyond anything she’d felt before. Far beyond it. That was worrisome because she knew she’d only get one night. She’d figured that out long before agreeing to tonight’s date and had decided it was an experience she wanted anyway. But now, as she stared at the two tall, gorgeous men standing before her, she understood for the first time that she was in real danger of getting her heart broken. On the heels of that thought came the realization that it was already too late for that.
“What’s the matter?” Cole asked.
“Nothing,” she said, taking a deep breath and smiling. She’d waited ten months for this one night, and she was going to enjoy it. “Are you ready to go or would you like to come in?”
“We’d love to come in,” Dillon said, “but we should get to Jester’s. If we aren’t on time, Stephan’ll give our table away. He’s ornery that way.”
Jenna laughed and turned to pick up an ivory lace shawl and a tiny handbag from a table near the door. The days were sunny and warm, but it was still spring, the nights were cool, and her new dress was light and sleeveless.
“You’re so beautiful,” Dillon said, surprising her. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman in my life, and I promise you Jenna, that’s the truth.”
Jenna blushed, her neck and shoulders going as pink as her cheeks. “Thank you, Dillon,” she replied. “You guys look pretty great, too.”
Dillon pulled the door shut and took the key from her so he could lock it up before handing it back to her. She slipped the key into her bag, draped the shawl over her arm, then followed Cole down the stairs, stepping carefully in the unfamiliar heels. She was afraid she’d trip when she was half way down, ending with her sprawled on the ground in front of them with a broken neck. She released a tense breath when she was on solid ground, but her relief lasted just until they reached the truck and Dillon opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated, biting her lip when she saw there were no running boards like she had on her Bronco. This could be worse than the stairs.
“What’s got you worried?” Dillon asked, reaching out to free her lower lip from her teeth with a gentle finger. The simple touch sent a shock through her that widened her eyes and stole her breath for a moment. She had to concentrate in order to respond to his question.
“I’m uh...not quite sure how to climb up there without embarrassing myself.”
Dillon smiled. “Not a problem, angel,” he said as he placed his hands at her waist and lifted her into the truck. He’d known she was small, but until that moment, when he placed his hands on her for the first time, it hadn’t fully registered how small and delicate she actually was. It almost scared him when his big hands all but spanned her waist. They were going to have to be very careful with her.
Onc
e Jenna was in, Dillon climbed in after her, nudging her gently so that she scooted over to the center of the bench seat. Cole handed him her seat belt and he adjusted it carefully before buckling it into place. When he was sure she was safe and comfortable, he shut the door and buckled his own seatbelt.
“Is something wrong?” Jenna asked, frowning up at him.
“No, angel, nothing’s wrong,” he said. “You’re just so delicate and we’re so big. We’ll need to be real careful not to hurt you.”
A dark shadow passed behind her eyes, there and gone so fast in the fading light that he wondered if he’d imagined it. Then she was smiling up at him. “If I thought you’d hurt me, I wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s good to know, honey,” Cole said, meeting Dillon’s gaze over her head. Dillon gave a quick shake of his head and Cole nodded before starting the engine. Dillon inhaled deeply, biting back a groan as the unique scent they associated with Jenna filled the cab of the truck.
“I have to tell you angel,” he said as Cole drove up the alley, “the way you smell about drives us crazy.”
Jenna smiled. “Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good, baby,” Cole said with a hint of a growl in his voice. “We’ve been hooked on that scent for months but never could tell if it was you, or the items in your shop.”
Jenna glanced at him, startled. Months? she wondered. When he noticed her look she dropped her eyes and scrambled for something to say. “Maybe it’s a combination of both.”
“Since we’re not in the shop and I’m guessing you took a shower before our date, I doubt it,” Dillon said. Jenna laughed, filling the cab with the sound just as she’d filled it with her scent.
Jester’s was only three and a half blocks away but it was a bit cool already, and would be colder later, so they’d decided to drive rather than risk Jenna catching a chill. Cole parked the truck on the street and Dillon helped Jenna out, then placed one hand lightly on her back as they walked up the sidewalk to the restaurant. Cole opened the door and Dillon guided Jenna inside, then waited for Cole to join them.
Jenna's Cowboys Page 7
