Training Summer [Passion Peak, Colorado 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Tara Rose

  Adorning it were authentic carvings from six Native American tribes—Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Pueblo, Shoshone, and Ute. Each time Summer gazed at it, she saw something she’d never seen before. Local legend held that if you gazed at it long enough, you’d see the symbol that would help you with a question you wanted answered.

  Summer had never tried that, and suddenly wished she were downtown right now so that she could. Maybe the guys would want to do that with her after they visited Gran? And what was she going to tell Gran when she waltzed in with both men?

  She’d find out soon enough. The guys would be here any minute. Summer stepped out of the shower and toweled off, then put on scented body lotion. She laid out the clothes that Leila had bought on her bed, then pinned her hair back on one side, this time with a simple clip. Dalton had said he liked her hair back on one side, and they both had admired her pedicure, so she’d wear sandals again today.

  As she fingered the delicate pink and tan lace underwear, she glanced at the tag and frowned. Victoria’s Secret? This certainly hadn’t come from Walmart. The only place to get something like this was at the mall in Grand Junction. Summer had bought lingerie there a few times, but always on clearance or when they ran a buy one, get one free special. Their stuff was beautiful but beyond her budget.

  She picked up the flirty cheetah print dress and peeked inside at the label. “Holy shit,” she said. “No fucking way did he do this.” The dress was from Pinque Boutique, and Summer had done no more than window shop in that store. Nothing in there was under seventy dollars, and that was if it were on sale. How much had this dress cost?

  She shook her head as she slipped it on, and then she stood in front of her full-length mirror and admired her new outfit. It was beautiful. She didn’t own anything as nice as this. What would it be like to live a life where you could simply make a phone call and tell someone to drive an hour and a half one way to a mall to pick out clothing for another person, and not give them a budget to stick to?

  Summer finished dressing and grabbed her purse. She had just put her keys inside when the doorbell rang. She opened the door, and had to admit it gave her a thrill to watch their eyes light up. She twirled around, unable to help herself. “Do you like it?”

  “Wow,” said Dalton. “You look absolutely adorable in that.”

  “Thank you, Dalton. I love it. Wes, I don’t know how to thank you for this.”

  “You don’t have to. I love that print on you. It really complements your coloring. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  They walked to Shady Pines as it was less than ten minutes down the street. The clouds from the night before had cleared, and the afternoon was sunny and warm. “I can’t wait for the parade tomorrow.”

  Wes glanced up at the puffy white clouds. “I hope they’re wrong about more rain tonight.”

  “No, it can’t rain.” She grabbed Wes’s hand. “We won’t let it.”

  Dalton chuckled. “What are you going to do, Summer? You know a way to hold off rain?”

  “No, but I want to go to the parade.”

  “They’ll reschedule it if it rains.”

  “Well, let’s hope they’re wrong. Here we are. Do you want to visit your mom as well while we’re here?”

  The change that came over his face nearly broke her heart. It was a combination of anger, sadness and embarrassment, all rolled up into one. An uneasiness settled over Summer’s mind as she recalled how he’d closed down yesterday when talking about his mother’s accident. She also remembered wondering if there was more to the story of that fall than Dalton had told them.

  “Not today,” he said. “I can’t wait to meet your Gran. I’ll bet she can tell me and Wes all your most embarrassing childhood moments, right?”

  Summer laughed. “Oh no you don’t. Don’t you dare ask her that. You might not like the answer.”

  “Excuse me,” said Wes, “I know I’m a new Dom and all, but are you supposed to be telling us not to dare to do something?”

  “No,” said Dalton, using the voice that made her want to kneel and give him anything he asked for. “She most certainly is not. Watch it, Summer. I’m not above putting you over my knee in the middle of downtown Passion Peak and delivering a spanking.”

  “Right in front of the totem pole ought to do it,” said Wes. “Maybe we can even take pictures and set up a tent to sell them? Right next to Mason’s Sleepy Cat tent?” Mason Ruiz was the current head of the Legend of Sleepy Cat Peak society in Passion Peak. His great-great grandfather was Ute, and was reported to have been among the first people to see the cat emerge from the mountains in the spring of 1836.

  “I hear his daughter and grandson are in town again,” said Dalton. “They all could watch us spank Summer, and then they’d probably find a way to tie the pictures into more Sleepy Cat merchandise. Just imagine it, Summer. Pictures of you getting spanked in front of the totem pole, all over town.”

  Mancie Ruiz had one son, Nevada, who was a few years younger than Summer. There had always been odd rumors about the pair, including the fact that Mancie dragged him from town to town to stay with various family members while Mancie took classes at every community college in Colorado. Nevada had rarely been in school, and eventually Mancie told everyone she was home-schooling him.

  “Really?” she said, giggling and smiling up at each of them in turn. “You expect me to believe you’d drag me downtown and spank me in public? And then take pictures?”

  Dalton stopped her with a look that forced a moan from her throat and sent a wave of wetness to her brand new panties. Wes grazed her neck with warm lips. “What do you think?” he asked quietly.

  Summer swallowed hard. “I think you two are going to wear me out.”

  “Complaining?” asked Wes.

  She shook her head. “Not at all.”

  “We’d better get inside,” said Dalton. “It’s not that long of a walk to Juniper Street, and Wes and I might decide to make good on our threat if we stand out here much longer.”

  Summer shivered as another tremor coursed through her. These two couldn’t be real. What had she done so right in her life that she was here with them now? Whatever it was, she hoped it was enough to keep them around for a very long time. Like forever.

  Her sandals made a clacking sound on the tile floor as they walked to the main desk to sign in. Summer still held Wes’s hand, but now she let go of it with the excuse of fishing her cell out of her purse. She told the guys she thought she’d heard it ring, which wasn’t true, but she’d freaked herself out by thinking about having them around forever. She couldn’t let her emotions go down that road. It was dangerous. Falling for them would only end in disaster.

  Summer had never had a serious relationship. She didn’t want to have one. When you loved someone they left you. Both her parents had. Gran would someday, but of course that wouldn’t be her fault. People died.

  But if she fell in love with Wes or Dalton, or worse with both of them, and then they left her, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. The only way to prevent that from happening was not to give her heart away in the first place.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Did you miss a call?” asked Wes.

  “What?” Summer looked up from where she’d signed her name.

  “Your cell. You took it out and then put it back. You said you heard it ring.”

  “Oh. I guess not.” She averted her gaze and then bent down to adjust the strap on her sandal even though nothing was wrong with it. She needed to get a grip and quickly. Neither man was an idiot. They’d see right through her ruse, and then she’d be in a world of trouble trying to explain what she was so freaked out about.

  “Which apartment is hers?” asked Dalton.

  “She’ll be in the common room this time of day. It’s this way.”

  Gran looked up and smiled brightly as Summer walked in. If she wondered why Summer was there with two men, she hid it well. “Hi, Gran.” Summer gave her a big hu
g, and then studied her face. “You look tired. Did you sleep all right?”

  Gran waved away her comment. “Summer, I’m eighty-five. All I do is sleep.”

  Summer thought she looked more pale than usual today. “What? You’re a night owl. Who calls me at two in the morning just to talk?”

  Gran shook her head. “I call you in my sleep.”

  “Okay Gran.” Summer glanced at Wes and Dalton. “This is Ruth Andrews, my grandmother. Gran, this is Wes Danbury and Dalton Metcalf.”

  Gran shook hands with both men then narrowed her eyes at Wes. “I know your parents. Bettie and Doug, right? They own Pacos Farms, out where Sunflower Trail joins up with Highway 13. Worked there a summer or two when I was a teenager.”

  Wes nodded. “Yes, that’s right. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Andrews.”

  “Call me Ruth, please. It’s my name.” She turned her attention to Dalton. “Dalton Metcalf…Any relation to Bryce?”

  Dalton’s smile faded and fear crossed his eyes. Summer frowned. What was that about? Why would he be afraid of Gran knowing who his grandfather was? “Yes. He was my grandfather.”

  “Passed away a while back, didn’t he?”

  “Ten years ago.”

  “Knew him, too, but I’m afraid I don’t have fond memories of him. I hope you're not like him.”

  The fear was gone, but Dalton’s face was now a mask. “No, ma’am, I’m nothing like him.” His voice was cold and hard, and Summer shivered again, but this time her body’s reaction had nothing to do with lust.

  “Good. I don’t want my Summer hanging out with unsavory characters.” Gran reached down and picked up her craft bag. “Had one of those sweet little nursing aides bring this so you wouldn’t have to fetch it from my room when you came. Care to play a hand of canasta with me?”

  Summer realized Gran had completely forgotten that she’d told her she had a date with Wes on Friday. While it was unusual for Gran to forget something like that, right now Summer was grateful that she had, because that meant she wouldn’t have to explain anything. At least not yet. Summer glanced at the guys. She doubted they’d want to sit around and watch her play cards with Gran. “We usually play when I visit. She taught me this game a long time ago.”

  “I’ve never heard of it,” said Dalton, pulling over a chair to sit down. “Will you show me how it’s played?”

  Wes took a seat across from Dalton. “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never played it.”

  Summer stared at both of them, unable to believe her eyes. Not one man she’d ever dated would have willingly spent an hour or two playing cards with her and Gran. “Well, Gran, it looks like we’ll finally have a proper foursome to play this game the right way.”

  “Hot damn. It’s about time. Sit down and close your mouth, Summer. You look like you’re trying to catch bugs with it hanging open like that.”

  Summer laughed and took her seat. Both men chuckled as well, and she was grateful to see the earlier disquiet gone from Dalton’s face and his eyes. She made a mental note to ask him later what had given him so much worry. Had her Gran known Dalton’s grandfather that well? It didn’t seem possible. She didn’t know very much about Gran’s past, but surely she hadn’t run in the same circles as Bryce Metcalf.

  The guys caught on quickly, and soon the four were wrapped up in the game. The men formed one partnership and Summer and Gran formed the other. Even though Wes and Dalton picked up the particulars of the game quickly, they were no match for Gran and Summer. The women easily won, and Summer was shocked when they both asked to play a second game.

  “Can’t stand to lose to girls, can you?” asked Gran with a gleam in her eyes.

  Wes laughed. “She found us out, Dalton.”

  “Now I see where Summer gets her spunk from.”

  “No,” said Gran as Summer dealt the cards for a new game. “She got that from her mother. Shannon was a spitfire, too. I suppose that’s why she ended up in so much trouble early on.”

  Summer kept her eyes on the cards, although dealing them now was a joke because her hands were shaking so badly. She couldn’t very well tell Gran to shut the hell up, although she desperately wanted to. She also wanted to cry. Why the hell hadn’t she simply told Wes and Dalton about her parents yesterday? They’d given her the perfect opening. Dalton had come clean about his grandfather, after all. It wasn’t right for her to withhold such important information from them.

  Hadn’t Dalton talked about trust Friday night as they watched the wax play scene? He’d certainly trusted her and Wes earlier. Would they both still trust her when they found out the truth and realized she’d kept it from them?

  “Gran, do you want to start this time?”

  Summer looked at the guys only when absolutely necessary. She was so distracted she played her worst game yet, and this time Wes and Dalton won. They high-fived each other and acted like kids in school, but Summer didn’t mind. After watching them square off bowling the day before, she was actually glad to see them band together like this, even if it was over a card game that no one played anymore.

  “Summer, that was fun. You should bring your friends by more often.”

  “I will, Gran. Are you sure you’re okay? You look exhausted. Do you want me to take you back to your apartment before we leave?”

  “No. I prefer to stay here where I can people watch. You go on, honey. Enjoy the rest of the day.”

  “Do you want to see the parade tomorrow? I could swing by and pick you up before heading downtown.”

  “It’s going to rain. They’ll reschedule it.”

  “See?” asked Wes, grinning from ear to ear. “I told you.”

  “All right. I’ll call you in the morning, after it doesn’t rain.” She smiled at Wes, and then she gave Gran a tight hug, not wanting to let her go, and not really understanding her reaction. When they all left, she waited for the guys to ask about her mother, but neither of them did.

  Outside, Summer groaned as she glanced up at the sky. Dark thunderheads were building in the west. “Are you kidding me?” She turned on Wes. “How did you know?”

  He shrugged. “I’m magical.”

  “Just keeping believing that,” said Dalton. “But I’ll give you this much. You can play cards.”

  “I can’t believe you guys did that. Thank you so much.”

  “It was a lot of fun.” Dalton gave her a thoughtful look and Summer searched for something to say. Anything to keep his mind from wandering back to what Gran had said about her mother.

  “Do you guys want to walk downtown?”

  “Not really,” said Wes. “But I thought maybe you two would like to see the ranch. What do you say?”

  “Oh, I’d love to.” That would be perfect. They’d be too distracted to ask her anything about her family. “Dalton, please say ‘yes.’”

  He grinned. “What did you call me?”

  Summer glanced around. No one was near them. “I’m sorry, Sir. I was only trying to keep anyone from hearing us.”

  “Sure you were. You’ve been pushing it all day. You didn’t even kneel when we picked you up to come here. Apparently Wes and I didn’t pay enough attention to your training last night.”

  Summer trembled at the look in his eyes. If they’d paid any more attention to it, she wouldn’t be walking right now. “Forgive me, Sir. I’ll try to do better the rest of the day.”

  “Maybe walking downtown is a better idea,” said Wes, giving her a look filled with lust. “We could visit the totem pole.”

  Summer recalled how they had said they’d spank her in front of it, and the images dancing through her head drove all thoughts about what Gran had said right out of her mind. Her nipples ached for their touch, her clit throbbed and now her pussy was soaked. How did they do it? One look, one word, and she was reduced to a pile of molten lust. “Whatever you want to do, Sir.”

  The look in Wes’s eyes was nothing short of triumphant. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” His voice was soft yet command
ing, very much like Dalton’s was when he was in Dom mode. Summer liked this side of Wes. She liked it a lot.

  She slipped one hand into the crook of his arm, and wrapped the other around Dalton’s forearm, enjoying the feel of his hair against her skin. It reminded of her of last night, when her entire body had enjoyed the brush of the fine hair that covered both their arms, legs, and chests as they fucked her. “So, what do my two Doms wish of me this lovely afternoon?”

  “That’s much better,” said Dalton. “I think because you turned that around so quickly and, I must add, so eloquently, that we should take Wes up on his offer to show us Pacos Farms.”

  “Let’s go,” said Wes.

  They walked back to Summer’s apartment because that was where Dalton had left his car, and just as they got inside it began to rain. That brought down the mood, at least for Summer. After texting Felicity to make sure she could check on Yosemite Sam that night, they left again.

  “Are you all right leaving Sam alone so much?” asked Dalton.

  “He’s not used to it, but I have cat lover friends, so they don’t mind checking on him.”

  Wes kept up a steady stream of talk about the care of alpacas on the way to the ranch. Summer resisted the urge to ask why they were bothering to go in the rain. She hoped the guys didn’t expect her to slosh around in the mud with these sandals and this dress on.

  The rain wasn’t enough to dull the beauty of the property for her once again as Dalton pulled past the main gate and began to drive slowly down the winding blacktop road that led to the house. Wes leaned forward from the backseat and pointed toward the enclosures where the alpacas stayed during the day.

  To Summer, it didn’t look as though the structures, which were open on one side, provided much protection, but Wes explained how the animals could freely come and go all day in the pastures, but still have shelter from the hot sun when they needed it, without having to walk all the way back to the main barns.

  “Where are the main barns?”

  He pointed toward a massive clay-colored structure, partially obscured by rows of blue spruce trees. It looked more like a house than a barn. There were three levels, a balcony that looked like it circled the entire structure, and outside stairs that led to the two upper levels. “That’s a barn?”