Maybe I’m shaking because of hunger. She hadn’t had anything since late afternoon, because part one of date night, apparently, was to be supper at Angel’s Roadhouse.
They hadn’t told her what part two was going to be.
She’d taken a moment to change into the skirt and tee shirt she’d brought with her. That had definitely been one source of her nerves. She almost always wore either jeans or slacks of one form or another, but the guys had asked her to please wear a skirt for their date.
I didn’t have to ask them why, either. There’d been such a teasing glint in both men’s eyes, she had a feeling the purpose of her wearing a skirt was to give them access to her thighs—and other things.
They didn’t tell me what they have planned for the second half of date night, but I have a feeling I know what it’ll be.
Leesa took one more moment. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. One two three. She exhaled, nodded, and walked through the swinging door to the dining room.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Jason asked.
“Not in the least. But I’m done here.” She stopped when she reached them and looked from one to the other.
Both men chuckled. Then Jason took her left hand in his and brought it to his lips. Before him—him and his cousin—no man had ever kissed her hands, not even as a joke.
“It’s going to be all right, you know.” Phillip held the door for them. Once they were all outside, the men gave her the time she needed to lock the restaurant. She wouldn’t be opening the next day. Carrie would do that and would take the first shift with breakfast and begin the soup and lunch menu prep. Leesa was scheduled to report for duty at eleven.
“You probably think I’m being silly.”
“Not at all.” Jason turned to look at her. He still had a hold of her hand, and somehow, he’d managed to lace their fingers. Leesa felt the intimacy of the connection between them. Then Phillip moved in closer, not behind her but beside her. He ran his hand down her back then took her right hand in his.
“I, better than most, understand that you only know what you know,” Jason said. “Our first few dates are going to be a learning experience for all three of us.”
“I’m glad we’re not going into the city this time,” she said.
“We wanted to make tonight, especially, all about us, as a triad,” Phillip said. “We want for us to find a level of comfort before we venture into the wider world.”
Leesa nodded. “I’ve been talking to a couple of the women, hoping for a few pointers. Rachel, who’s my best friend, and Carrie, who’s another one of my co-workers and also a friend, were both happy to answer my questions.” She felt the embarrassment wash over her, but that was okay. Maybe, as time passed and they became lovers—she was pretty certain that couldn’t be too far off—maybe she’d not feel awkward talking about intimate topics.
“To get some idea on how things are done? Because, baby, we’ve done the same thing.” Jason opened the passenger door of Phillip’s car, a nice Cadillac on loan from the family, and saw her seated. He fastened her seatbelt for her and then swooped in and placed a quick kiss on her lips. Then he got into the back seat while Phillip slid behind the wheel.
That man also leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. She licked her lips and imagined, for a moment, she could taste both men there.
“Okay, now I don’t feel like such a dork. Anyway, each of my friends told me there was only one thing they considered a negative with regard to their marriages. It was the same thing for both, and while they hated it, it wasn’t at all a deal breaker. They both hate it when they have to go out and about and have to pretend to be the wife of only one man instead of two.”
“And J. Coop’s brothers, as well as our cousins here, told us the only thing they hated was the way their wives all felt doing that very same thing.” Phillip started the car. “So, we thought we’d start off here in Lusty and see where we go from there.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Leesa liked Angel’s Roadhouse. She enjoyed the ambiance, which was slightly different during the day and regular supper hour as opposed to going on nine in the evening. At this time of night, music played, and some people danced. The Roadhouse, she’d learned soon after she’d moved to Lusty, hadn’t been in operation all that long. There was a section at the back of the dining room that had been dubbed “Benedict Central,” simply because the husbands of Laci, Bailey, and Jenny Benedict, three staff members here at Angel’s, were all Benedict cousins. Those cousins who’d relocated to Lusty—one pair of brothers from New York and the others from Montana—often came in at some point during their wives’ shifts. Add to that all the other Benedicts, Kendalls, and Jessops in Lusty showing up a few times a week and the area in back was more or less reserved for the family.
Jason reached for her hand as they’d gotten out of the car. “Normally, I’d suggest we pick a table in another part of the dining room. We’d both much rather have a nice private supper with you.”
“But you haven’t been here that long, and you want to mend your family relationships.” Leesa had understood that right from the first moment. When she thought of those words that Ian had said to him, and how Jason had interpreted them, her heart still ached.
He looked a bit embarrassed as he nodded. That, more than anything, underscored the fact that Jason was definitely not anything like Bryce Jordan.
“That’s a part of it. But our main consideration is to have us in a place where you don’t have to pretend to be on a date with only one of us.”
Leesa felt her heart trip. She’d been able to empathize with her bff and with Carrie. She couldn’t imagine how galling it would be to have to pretend to love only one man if she loved two.
She met first Jason’s gaze and then Phillip’s. When they’d planned this evening, they’d been thinking, specifically, of her. Of her comfort and her feelings. That was a damn good start. “Let’s go join the family, then, if there are any in there.” She knew of course there would be, simply because that was how the Benedicts rolled. Then something occurred to her. She put her palm on Jason’s chest. “Provided, of course, you don’t mind having a little ‘cousin-speak’ hurled your way. I have a sense that appearing with me, so that everyone will know we’re on a date, might make the two of you a couple of prime targets.”
“You know what? I think we’d both be honored. Unless, of course, that kind of attention would bother you.”
“I was a sergeant in the United States Army. I’m made of tough stuff.”
She liked the way both men grinned and the way they seemed to relax into the plan.
“On weekends, apparently, there’s a lineup. Especially if there’s live music,” Phillip said.
“I’d heard Ms. Stone was beginning to schedule bands and solo artists for Saturdays.” Leesa liked what she’d dubbed the “news feed” active in Lusty. She’d heard all about how Angela Stone had finally begun to hire entertainment for Saturdays only. Reports were that, so far, it had gone well and that, in another month, she planned to extend that to Fridays, as well. When there wasn’t a live band, the management provided a DJ, who played a mix of country and rock. This night she could hear an old favorite, "From the Ground Up" by Dan and Shay as Jason opened the door and a single bouncer sat just inside on a stool. His gaze scanned them, and then he nodded.
Leesa thought he took his work seriously, because he returned his gaze to the interior of the roadhouse. She’d heard there wasn’t much occasion for the bouncers to exercise their authority here.
The music wasn’t overly loud, and when Bailey Benedict saw them as they entered, she grinned and then pointed toward the back. The parking lot outside had already told them the roadhouse was doing a good business tonight. As they headed toward the back, Leesa liked the way her hands were both held and that Jason led the way toward “Benedict Central.”
I feel protected between these two men. That wasn’t something she’d felt often before in her life. Neither w
as it something she’d have ever thought would make her go all soft and gooey inside.
She’d grown up a loner, despite being the oldest of five kids. Or maybe being a loner was because she was the oldest. That sense of isolation had followed her in her career, and she wondered, in that moment, surrounded by so many people, a lot of whom she knew, if the isolation had become more than a habit—if it had become her personal defensive wall.
And then there were waves and greetings and invitations to “come sit” reaching them from the back of the restaurant. Benedicts, Kendalls, and Jessops shifted, and Jason led the way to the bench seat along the back wall that faced the room, where there now was enough space that Jason slid in first and drew her in after him. Phillip followed, and Leesa found herself sitting between her dates.
They were seated across from Chance and Logan, and beside Char, Jesse, and Barry. Leesa returned the waves of Ginny and Maggie, both of whom were surrounded by their husbands, to her right.
The Jessops were represented by April, Marc, and Jeremy, as well as Chloe, Grant, and Andrew.
The families of Lusty, Texas, were proof positive that date night didn’t have to be relegated to the weekends.
“Here you go.” Bailey gave Leesa a menu—but not one to either her brother-in-law or her cousin.
“So we can share,” Jason said. He grinned at Leesa.
“Ah, got it. So if I hold it open and up like this…” Leesa let that trail, because both Jason and Phillip leaned in nice and close.
“What are y’all doing behind that menu, there?” Chance asked.
“Boy howdy, you Yankees are beginning to sound like real Texans,” Ginny said.
“They are, aren’t they? I wonder if they practice at home before they come out on nights like this,” Adam said.
Leesa snickered. Jason raised his head and looked over at his brothers. “We were perusing the options is what we were doing. The lip-smacking sound you heard was merely a response to all the tasty possibilities. On the menu, that is.”
Jason had said that with a totally straight face. Leesa couldn’t hold back her laughter. She laid her head for a moment on Jason’s shoulder. The sly look he sent her, wrapped in a wink, just increased that sense of female softening within her.
“What looks good to you?” Phillip asked her.
“Other than my dates? I think I’m in the mood for a chicken quesadilla.”
“Is that spicy?” Jason asked.
“Not usually, no.” Leesa grinned. “Some folks like to put hot sauce on theirs. Now, if you order the salsa with it, that can make your taste buds dance.”
“I’ve always been a fan of spicy foods, but J. Coop, not so much,” Phillip said.
“It’s not my tongue or my taste buds that mind so much,” Jason said. “It’s everything else.”
“My mother has a delicate stomach, so she doesn’t use a lot of seasoning,” Leesa said. “My dad and brothers both ensured there was a bottle of hot sauce on the table for every meal.”
“Did you get to make much Tex-Mex food in the army?” Rick Benedict, one of Maggie’s husbands, asked.
“Not generally, no. The focus was on producing meals that were nutritionally balanced, with a fair bit of variety. The condiments also represented a wide assortment of preferences. At any given meal there would be soldiers dipping their fries in mayonnaise or gravy and others dipping them in Tabasco.”
“Did you notice our Texan Benedict, Kendall, and Jessop cousins alike shivering at the mention of dipping fries in mayo?” Logan asked. “That’s a clue, right there.”
“It’s a clue we all have excellent taste,” Jake said.
“The next thing you know, they’ll be claiming what a wonder it is to put vinegar on their fries.” Trevor Benedict shivered.
“What’s wrong with vinegar on fries?” Jeremy Bishop Jessop asked.
“Hey, if any of you want either vinegar or mayo with your fries, we can make that happen.” Bailey had returned to the table, her note pad held high, pen at the ready. “In fact, we can even supply you a packet or three of sweet green relish to go on your hamburger—if you want.” Groans and laughter followed that announcement. Bailey capped her performance by swooping in to kiss first Chance and then Logan.
Leesa gave her order then grinned when both Jason and Phillip ordered the burgers and fries. Jason asked for a side of mayo and one of vinegar while Phillip opted to give the green relish a try.
“We clearly have our work cut out for us,” Grant Jessop said. “Making Texans out of all y’all is likely to tax us sorely.” And he shook his head as if that was the most pitiful truth, ever.
The cousin-speak was off and running, and Leesa chuckled with Maggie, Ginny, Chloe, and Shar as the men let the puns and the quick comebacks fly.
Leesa ate slowly, enjoying her supper and really enjoying having a date on either side of her. These two Benedicts might be from New York, but they certainly know how to treat a woman.
They were attuned to her, using their gazes and little touches to show her that, despite the hilarity—and rivalry—that surrounded them, she was their focus.
And being with two men, sitting with other women that were with two—and, in the case of Maggie, three—men, Leesa felt herself relax into their date.
By eleven, most everyone in Benedict Central was ready to leave. Each of the triads had babies or small kids to pick up on their way home. Ginny confided that her mother-in-law, Samantha, had come over and shooed them out earlier.
That was one more thing that Leesa liked about her new hometown. Grandparents were plentiful and eager to give the parents a break.
The sky had cleared some, and Leesa looked up at the plethora of stars twinkling in the sky. They weren’t all that far out in the middle of nowhere, because some ambient light dimmed the view.
“Star gazing?” Jason asked.
“Busted. I’ve been in places where the stars were so vivid it nearly made my heart weep. In the desert looking up? You totally understand the concept of being a part of the Milky Way.”
“I noticed the same when we took an industry-related cruise a few years ago,” Phillip said.
“Did you find a star to wish on?”
Jason’s question, said softly against her ear, sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Everything within felt soft and mellow and ready—oh, so ready—for whatever these two men had planned next.
“Maybe. What comes next?”
“We continue our date,” he said. “The next item on our agenda is a movie.”
“Really? I didn’t think there were any movie theaters around open this late mid-week.”
“There aren’t,” Phillip said. “But we have a fine selection of movies available back at the house.”
“Where we hope to relax, fool around, and see if we can build some fires.” Jason turned her until she moved right into his arms.
“And if we do, and we all agree, then the next item, once the fires are quenched, will be breakfast.” Phillip gently eased forward until his front brushed her back.
She felt their heat, inhaled their scent, and reveled in the sensation of their erect cocks pressed snug against her.
“You’re both very good at making plans. That’s something that pleases me more than I realized it would.”
“Then let’s go, sweetheart. And later, maybe you can let us know how we rate at translating those plans into action.”
Chapter Eight
Leesa had thought as Phillip drove them back to their house that, since they’d all more or less agreed where the night would end, they’d skip the movie and head straight to the sex.
She surprised herself by feeling grateful they didn’t do that at all. Instead, they offered her a selection of movies to watch from the comfort of the sofa in their “man cave.”
“Pick one you really want to see, sweetheart.” Jason indicated the box of DVDs that sat on the shelf beneath the very large television. He set his hand on the shelf and pulled, and the
shelf slid toward her, making access to the box much easier. “These were here when we moved in. I have to say, whoever stayed here last had a very eclectic taste in entertainment.”
Whoever stayed here last? Leesa had been in Lusty long enough that she understood the only places that were empty but furnished, usually, were the apartments. The houses that were unoccupied tended to be empty of everything. She’d heard tales from so many people how they’d been moved into their “new” house, usually over the course of an evening.
She especially recalled Ginny Kendall telling her about her moving day—or, as she called it, her moving hours. Her ex, who’d broken out of prison, had posed a real threat to her and her son, Ben. The decision was made to move her into a house, which was easier to defend than an apartment. Adam and Jake had shown her a very dedicated Victorian, one that had been built by their uncle Northrop for his bride, Connie.
Ginny had told Leesa that, while they’d been standing on the sidewalk, family—a veritable train of family—had arrived, carting in furniture, dishes, and even linens.
Others had told Leesa about heading to the family’s warehouse—something that resembled a big box store—that held every single thing anyone would ever need to set up a house.
An idea occurred to Leesa. It wouldn’t surprise her one bit to discover that Grandma Kate had somehow known that Jason and Phillip were going to be arriving and had ordered this house made ready for them.
It was all she could do at that moment not to gasp out loud. Now there’s a sobering thought. These two men were not here because they wanted to be here for the long haul. They were here because they’d been given an offer to visit that they felt they couldn’t refuse. She’d be willing to bet—and she’d also bet that Kate Benedict had thought the same thing—that if a place to stay hadn’t been immediately available, ready to bring their suitcases into and unpack, Jason and Phillip would have declined.
Leesa struggled to focus on thumbing through the DVDs. You knew they weren’t going to be here forever. They’re just here for now. Did she want to continue down this path, knowing that it really was just temporary?
Love Under Two Financiers Page 7
