by Lexi Blake
Max finally looked to her, his handsome face a mask of confusion. “Why would I beat him up? He complimented me.” Max swiveled and showed off his backside. “Rachel never compliments my ass. Do you know how hard I work for this? I try to keep myself attractive for her, but she never even mentions it. It makes a man wonder.”
He turned back and around, and the whole café seemed to deflate with the knowledge that no one was going to be murdered.
“It’s not right,” Max said, shaking his head.
Rye groaned behind him. “She’s not ignoring you. She’s tired because Paige has had an ear infection, not because she doesn’t think your ass is pretty.”
“See, if you were with a gay guy, he would worship you for that ass. Nothing would get in the way.” Micky was right back to grinning.
Holly could see he was going to be a handful. She might need to start a “sarcastic teen” support group.
Max crossed his arms over his chest and smiled, smug satisfaction evident in his stance. “I told you I would play well with our homosexual brethren. This is one hot piece of man meat. It plays across all sexual orientations.”
Rye slapped at his brother. “He wasn’t talking about you, idiot. It was obvious he was talking about me. No man is going to put up with your shit.”
“Oh, I could find plenty of people who would put up with either one of you,” Micky assured them, putting his chin in his hand and enjoying the show. Max and Rye argued over who had the better butt.
They were identical twins. Rachel would one day be nominated for sainthood. Two men were twice the work. Twice the laundry. Twice the cooking.
Twice the amazingly hot sex.
Twice the love.
Yeah, she could handle the laundry.
Holly glanced out the huge front windows that overlooked Main Street as Micky suddenly found himself the arbitrator of their argument. She felt her whole body heat up as she saw Alexei standing in front of The Trading Post talking to someone. His shoulders were so broad. He’d taken up most of the space in the bed, but she hadn’t minded. She’d been warm and happy.
Alexei turned and she could see who he was talking to. Caleb. Caleb had changed his clothes and looked relaxed as he talked to Alexei. He stopped for a moment, his face tightening. Emotion was evident on his beautifully imperfect face. Caleb’s face was an odd combination of harsh features and gorgeous eyes. Everything about it was masculine. And he had obviously been deeply affected by something Alexei had said.
She got out of the booth again. Were they having an argument? Were they going to fight? She doubted it would be like the friendly throwdowns Max and Rye got into. Damn it. This couldn’t work if they didn’t get along. Everyone would be miserable.
“Baby, I’m going to go talk to someone for a minute. Will you be okay?”
Micky sighed. “I think I can handle it. Can you catch a ride back with one of the hotties? I want to drive around a bit.” She nodded, and Micky turned back to the cowboys. “I don’t know. It’s a close race. You both have really nice asses.”
Holly began walking for the door when Caleb put a hand on Alexei’s arm and nodded toward the street. Alexei smiled. They weren’t fighting. They were talking, really talking. They looked like friends. Hope bloomed in Holly’s chest. She stepped out of the diner and started to cross the street.
And then she heard it. It was the squealing sound of tires trying to keep up with an engine that was running fast. She smelled the burning rubber as she stepped onto the street and saw a flash of black coming her way. She suddenly knew what it felt like to be a deer in the headlights. She was strangely frozen by the sight of the car coming her way. She had to move, but she knew there wasn’t any time. God, she’d just gotten her son back. She’d found her men.
“Whoa!” someone yelled, and an arm wrapped around her midsection, hauling her back. She fell with her savior, hitting the ground behind them.
She looked up into the eyes of James Glen. His ever-present cowboy hat had fallen off, revealing his longish, golden-brown hair.
“What was that?” she asked, barely able to speak.
“That was some asshole tourist,” James replied. “Are you okay? Logan is supposed to be catching speeders. Where the hell is he? Trev, did you get a plate number on that asshole?”
Holly looked up, and there was a gorgeous slab of cowboy looking down at her. She was pretty sure she knew who he was, though. Trev McNamara, professional football’s bad boy and, if rumor was true, James Glen’s new partner in the Circle G Ranch.
“No. It all happened so fast. Are you all right, Miss? Should I get a doctor?” Trev asked, reaching a hand out. He had her on her feet in no time. “I think we need to call one. It looks like he missed you, but he caught that other guy.”
Holly’s heart nearly stopped. “Alexei!”
She raced across the street where Caleb was kneeling over Alexei’s body. She nearly screamed when she saw the blood on his leg.
Caleb looked up, his eyes rising to meet hers. “He’s fine. He got clipped across his thigh, but it’s not broken. The worst we’re looking at is a hematoma.”
“I am fine, dushka. Caleb pull me back in time.” Alexei took the hand Caleb offered, and they got him to his feet. “I should have watched what I was doing.”
“It wasn’t only you,” James said, striding up with his friend. “Holly nearly got it, too. That asshole came out of nowhere.”
If Alexei had been counting on Caleb for support, he would have fallen to the ground. Caleb was all over her like a monkey momma checking for bugs on her baby. His hands were suddenly everywhere.
“Where are you hit? Are you bleeding? How bad is it? Should I call an ambulance? There’s nothing an EMT can do that I can’t, but they can get us to a hospital faster.”
Well, she couldn’t trick herself into thinking he didn’t care. “I’m fine. I didn’t get hit. James pulled me out of the way then softened my fall by hitting the ground first in a gentlemanly manner.”
James had his cowboy hat back on. He tipped it and winked. “Ma’am, it was all in a day’s work.”
Caleb picked her up anyway. He simply leaned over and scooped her up, hauling her to his chest. “Come on, Alexei. We need to check her out. James isn’t a doctor, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t take his professional advice. No offense.”
James’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “None taken, Doc. I never would. I know you have a tranquilizer gun, and you know how to use it.”
Trev McNamara’s eyes went wide. “Tranquilizers? You people run around shooting each other?”
“Just Mel. How did I get this reputation?” Caleb asked. “Alexei, could you pick up the bag? It’s got the plug and lube and stuff in it.”
“Caleb!” Holly shouted, feeling her skin flush. The man had not one ounce of discretion.
All the men around her laughed.
Trev slapped James on the back. “Damn, I like it here. I can’t wait to tell Bo this story.”
James picked up the bag—which was apparently filled with sex toys—and passed it to Alexei. “Yeah, well, I think you’re going to fit right in.”
She had to wave over Caleb’s shoulder. He strode down the street toward his small clinic.
Alexei smiled as he tried to keep up. “I will have to remember to not get injured while you around, dushka. The doctor plays favorites.”
“Caleb, he’s hurt.”
“Are you hurt?” Caleb yelled over his shoulder.
“This, I will survive,” Alexei answered.
“See. He’s fine.” He leaned down and managed to get the door to the clinic open. He strode to the exam room and tenderly placed her on the small table. His hands immediately started to unbutton her shirt.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“I’ll decide that.” He pushed her shirt off her and smoothed his hands across her shoulders. “You have an abrasion right here.”
She hissed as he touched it. “I scraped the sidewalk.”
“It is nice of you to notice.” Alexei said it with a smile as he did as he was asked. He passed Caleb the kit and then started on the button of his slacks. “I hate this man who drives too fast. He ruin perfectly good pair of slacks.”
“Take off your bra, sweetheart,” Caleb ordered. “He could have ruined your life. I find it interesting that he nearly managed to mow down two people, but he drove straight as an arrow afterward.”
She frowned his way. “Caleb, I don’t need to take off my bra.”
Caleb tore open the packaging on some gauze. “Alexei?”
Alexei placed his folded slacks on the counter and walked around her back. He had her bra unhooked faster than she could protest. “Dushka, do not disobey doctor. He is boss here. If you disobey, he will not give you lollipop. You will be bad girl. You know what bad girl gets.”
Bad girls tended to get cock. What were they playing at?
Caleb shook his head. “You had to bring in the pervert, didn’t you, Holly? You couldn’t have chosen someone perfectly normal to complete our threesome?”
She hissed slightly as he cleaned the teeny tiny wound she’d taken. It was so small that it hadn’t even bled much. It shouldn’t affect her abilities in the least. It certainly shouldn’t stop either one of them from showing her some affection.
“Tell me you don’t want to play doctor. That is what you call it, no?” Alexei’s finger traced her spine. She leaned into his touch.
Caleb continued to work on her. “Yes. That’s what we call it. But only after the pretty patient proves herself fit for play. And we should talk about that car.”
Alexei’s voice went deep and dark. “We will talk about it. Later.”
“As long as we get around to it,” Caleb said. “That didn’t feel like an accident to me.”
She sat up straight, his words sending a chill through her. “What do you mean it wasn’t an accident?”
“Shhh.” Caleb dabbed at her wound. “I said we would talk about it later and we will. For now, I want you to lie back.”
She sighed. He didn’t sound like he was going to move. Sometimes Caleb turned into the rock that bumped up against a really hard place. She lay back on the padded exam table. Alexei loomed over her.
“Everything will be all right, dushka. Your men will take good care of all your parts. We will let no one be taking you from us.”
But she could think of someone who might want to take a lot from her. “Do you think it’s Scott? Do you think he could get so mad about Micky he would try to run me down?” It seemed incomprehensible. Scott was a jerk, but he wasn’t a killer. Of course she also would have guessed that he couldn’t possibly have tossed their son out into the cold.
“It was probably some asshole. And I don’t think anyone would want to hurt you, sweetheart.” Caleb’s hands worked the button of her jeans. “You weren’t the only one who got hit.”
She tried to get up. Alexei gently pushed her back down. “You think someone wants to hurt Alexei?”
Both men laughed. It annoyed the hell out of her.
Caleb ran his hands along her abdomen, pushing in lightly, feeling all along her torso. “I think there are several people who would love to see Alexei in two pieces.”
“You are wrong,” Alexei corrected. “They would love to see me in many pieces. One threatened to put body in wood chipper and fertilize yard. And I have had many, many threats to death.”
“Death threats, buddy. You’ve had a ton of death threats. Take a deep breath, Holly.” Caleb had his stethoscope out.
The chill of metal hit her skin as he placed the instrument to her back. “How can you two be so calm?”
Caleb sighed. “Because we’re not sure. And because whoever it was didn’t succeed. And we’re really not sure.”
Alexei rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If I were going to kill me, I would to use gun. It is easiest. It is quick. I wouldn’t bother with trying to make accident. This person is not best assassin, if there is one at all. So calm to the down. It will be all right. We will talk to sheriff and keep eyes on the open sign.”
Caleb shook his head. “I’m not even going to correct that one. Another deep breath.”
The bastard wasn’t going to give in. She forced herself to calm down. They were right. Alexei was a controversial figure, but they couldn’t jump to conclusions. “Should we go talk to Nate after you decide I’m fine?”
“Holly, do you understand anything about adrenaline?” Caleb asked. He turned to Alexei. “Take off the shirt, too.”
She turned her head so she could see Alexei shrugging out of his shirt. His big, muscular chest came into view. Caleb put the stethoscope to Alexei’s chest, moving it around with a deep competence.
“I know you get a rush of it when you’re in danger.” That was all she knew about adrenaline. Now sexual arousal was a different matter. She was learning all about that watching the two gorgeous men. The room suddenly seemed too small. And intimate. How many fantasies had she had about Caleb that involved an exam that got a little handsy?
“Let me tell you about the effects of adrenaline on the human body. Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland. It’s located behind the kidneys.” Caleb got to one knee and began examining the scrape on Alexei’s upper thigh. “Its purpose is to heighten the body’s response to stress, to make your senses more capable of reacting during dangerous situations. However, it tends to linger even after the situation is gone. Hence, that thing. Dude, do you mind?”
He gestured toward Alexei’s enormous erection. It strained against his boxers. Alexei grinned down. “I believe you explained why I have this hardening on. It does not help that I can see Holly’s beautiful breasts. And you are not without hardening yourself.”
“I am hard as a rock, but I’m not shoving it in your face,” Caleb complained.
“It is one of the dangers of being doctor.” Alexei turned his hips to the side.
Caleb washed down the scrape with antiseptic. “I guess you could say that. They don’t warn you about it in medical school. And you’re fine. So we can move on to the part where we burn off some of this adrenaline. One of the aftereffects is a need for physical activity. We could have a nice time with you or we could go out back and punch each other.”
“This is not good idea. I do not wish to break doctor.” Alexei seemed supremely secure in his physical prowess.
Caleb didn’t look so sure. “I don’t know. I’m way meaner than I look, and I know all the best places to hit. One good blow to the kidneys and you’ll be pissing blood for a week.”
Holly needed to put a stop to that. She would not have her men end up like Max and Rye. “I think we should fool around. Definitely.” She didn’t want them fighting. Playing a few games with them would be a much better way to deal with the problem.
Caleb got back to his feet. “You’re not where I left you. Look, sweetheart, you’re the patient. I’m the doctor. You need to trust me. Can you do that?”
He wanted to play doctor? She could do that. Her skin already felt warm. “Yes, Doctor.”
“Excellent. I need to perform a thorough examination.” Caleb smiled as he said it. “If anyone wants to start humming a little ‘bow chicka wow wow’ music, it would be fitting. This exam could get freaky. I could go over my privacy practices, but you should know that what happens in the doctor’s office stays in the doctor’s office.”
She loved the fact that he joked now. He never used to. He’d been so serious. It was all Alexei’s fault. She couldn’t take credit. They needed Alexei. “Is this your assistant?”
Caleb winked at her, a mischievous look in his eyes. “This is my nurse.”
Alexei frowned. “I am not liking to be nurse.”
Caleb slapped him on the shoulder. “Then go to med
school, buddy. For now, open up that bag and prepare my instruments. We wouldn’t want to miss a thing, would we?”
“I’m not going to be able to keep a straight face.” She already felt the laughter bubbling up inside her.
“Then my nurse will have to administer discipline. He’s good at it.” His hands went to the bottom of her jeans. “I’m afraid these are going to have to come off.”
Well, she would be surprised if they didn’t. She tried to look around to see exactly what Alexei was doing. She wasn’t sure about the whole anal plug thing. She needed to sit down with some of her friends and talk this out, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. Alexei was washing something. She couldn’t quite see what it was, but she had her suspicions.
Caleb pulled her jeans off with a quick tug. “I’m afraid the underwear is going to have to go, too.”
He hooked his thumbs under her cotton panties and dragged them down as well. She was left naked and vulnerable on the table. Caleb stood at the end of the table, his hands on her knees. He was still dressed, but his erection was thick and wide, pressing at the denim of his jeans. With a quick flick of his hand, he moved the stirrups from below the table into place. Holly allowed him to place her feet in the stirrups, opening her up. Her pussy was on full display. She could feel cool air on her folds. So vulnerable. She felt vulnerable, but it was all right with these men. She could explore this wild, sexy self she’d never imagined was inside her because neither of these men would hurt her.
“You look healthy enough.” Caleb was good. He wasn’t even smiling.
He stood between her legs, his handsome face serious. She loved the deep line that came between his brows when he concentrated. She had seen it a hundred times as he sat in the café, drinking coffee. She’d always wanted to kiss him right where the line was deepest, as though she could kiss away his cares.
“But I would be remiss if I didn’t check everything,” Caleb continued.
She was ready to laugh, but then his finger came out and traced a line from her sternum to her navel to her pussy, and she decided to play along. “I feel healthy, Doctor.”
