by Chloe Lang
“I have a concert this weekend. Will you be here for that?”
“Yes, honey. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Oh good, Mom. I can’t wait to see you and I can’t wait to move to Wilde.”
“You are going to love our new place. You and Andrea will each get your own room.”
“Really? My own room?”
She grinned. “Yes. Your own room.”
“Can I decorate it myself?”
She wondered what wild color she would like. “Yes. Let me talk to Andrea.”
“She’s shopping with Grandma. Larry is here.”
The tone in Autumn’s voice changed when she mentioned her dad’s name. Emma didn’t find that strange at all, since her daughter didn’t really know him. What she did find odd was how much time Larry was spending with the girls. He’d never shown much interest in them before. She’d seen him disappoint them so often by breaking so many promises and not showing up when he had said he would. He better not break their hearts again.
“Larry wants to know the address to our new house, Mom. Do you want to talk to him?”
She sighed, looking at the two wonderful men in her bed. “No, baby. Grab a pen and I’ll give you the address to share with him and Grandma.”
“I’ve got one right here.”
She gave Autumn the address to the rental house. “I will call you when I’m ready to leave.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.” After the call ended, she turned to Bane and Adam.
“You look happy, Em.” Bane cupped her chin.
“I’m very happy to hear from Autumn.”
“I’m glad it was one of your daughters instead of whoever you were afraid was calling.” Adam was getting too close to the truth.
“What do you mean?”
One of Adam’s eyebrows shot up. “We saw how you reacted when your cell rang.”
Emma wasn’t ready to tell them about the voices. She might not ever be ready to tell anyone. She didn’t like to lie, but she didn’t have any choice right now. “I thought it was this old friend of mine that just talks and talks and talks. I certainly wasn’t in the mood for that. You can understand that, can’t you?”
Bane leaned forward. “Sure, sweetheart.”
“When are you going back to get your things, Em?” Adam asked.
“I need to clear it with Mac. As you know, she is my new boss. I’m hoping to leave tomorrow, but I need her okay.”
He nodded. “We’ll help you move your stuff.”
“We can rent a truck here and drive down together.” Bane traced her bare shoulder with his fingers. “We can make a nice trip out of it.”
“Guys, it’s over sixteen hours to drive there. That’s asking too much of you.”
“We’re not scheduled to start our new jobs for another week, Em.”
Adam smiled. “And if Mac decides you have to wait, it will be easy to get leave.”
“You mean time off, bro,” Bane said. “We’re civilians now.”
“Right. Em, we know our supervisor quite well. We served with Caleb during several of our tours.”
“Adam and I want to help you. Let us. It would be so much fun for all of us to go together.”
“Oh it’s really fun when you’re loading furniture on a truck,” she teased. “I think it would be fun, but I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“I don’t think you’re taking advantage, sweetheart.” Adam traced her chin with his finger. “We’re the ones who are offering to help you. I, for one, am not ready to be away from you, Em.”
“I for two,” Bane added.
She smiled. “I for three. Okay. You can help me.”
Adam smiled. “Now you’re talking, baby.”
“Our first road trip together.” Bane kissed her. “I’ve never been to North Dakota before. Maybe we can take a detour and see Mount Rushmore.”
She laughed. “That’s in South Dakota, soldier. That would be quite the detour.”
He shrugged. “Maybe we can plan for it when we go back to get your girls.”
“That’s a great idea, bro. I can’t wait to meet your daughters.” Adam kissed her.
She’d been on her own for so long, but now these two amazing men wanted to be there for her. Things were moving quite fast. Too fast. But she couldn’t see any reason why she needed to slow things down. Not yet, anyway.
They squeezed her tight between them and she felt her body warm again.
As they showered her with caresses and kisses, she whispered, “Thank you.”
It would be wonderful to be able to spend more time with Bane and Adam. Already just being near them had made her feel safe—and sane.
Chapter Seven
Emma followed Mac into her new luxurious, gorgeously decorated office. There was a giant desk and credenza, a sitting area with a sofa and chairs, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and windows with a gorgeous view. “I can’t believe this is going to be mine.”
Mac smiled. “But it is yours. The new owners spare no expense, Em.”
“But it’s so large. You could fit at least two or three more people in here.”
“Believe me, you will be using every square inch of it in your new job.” Mac pointed to the chair behind the desk. “Try it out.”
“You’re the boss.” She grinned and walked around the desk. She pulled out the chair and took a seat. It was perfectly adjusted for her. “This is unbelievable. Thank you so much for hiring me. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t.” Mac sat in one of the two chairs facing her desk. “Let’s get down to business. I want you to learn every facet of the television station.”
I wonder why.
“I can see you have questions. I’m going to tell you a secret that you cannot tell anyone.”
“You can trust me, Mac.”
“I’m going to have a baby.”
“Oh my God. That’s really good news. Congratulations. You will make such a perfect mom.”
“Thank you. That’s the reason I’ve got to teach you everything. I will be taking a leave when the baby comes. The newspaper staff can handle it without me, but I need you to hold the reins here at KINK until I return.”
“Honestly, I’m overwhelmed. This is my first time in broadcasting.”
“Believe me, Em. You will be ready by the time I go in to have my baby.”
“When are you due?”
“January next year. I’m only a month along. Wyatt and Wade are so excited. We’re going to announce to our friends and family at our summer barbeque on the ranch in June. You will be there, won’t you?”
“I would love to.” Wilde folks sure did love their events, and there wasn’t a better party than hearing someone had gotten engaged or was going to have a baby. She hated to ask for time off since she just got started, but she had no other choice. “I have another question. I need to pack up my apartment and move into my new house. When is a good time for me to take off?”
“North Dakota is a long way from Nevada. Let’s make your official start date a week from today. Will that give you enough time?”
“That’s more than enough.” She looked across her desk at her new boss, who was fast becoming a good friend, too. “I’m sure I can get everything done by then. Thank you so much. Takes a big load off of my mind.”
“Do you need any help? My guys could go with you and bring a couple of our ranch hands to help you move the big stuff.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got help. Bane and Adam have agreed to go with me and lend a hand.”
“Oh. I see.” Mac smiled broadly. “Not just hands. Muscles, too, right? Not to mention their good looks.”
“You’re right about their good looks and muscles.” She grinned. “I guess we’ll just have to see about the rest of it.”
* * * *
Sitting at his parents’ table with Bane, Adam’s cell rang with the Marine’s Hymn. From the Halls of Montezuma/ To the shores
of Tripoli…
He looked at his screen and saw the caller was Em. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Got the okay from Mac.” Emma sounded happy and relieved. “She gave me a week to get everything done. How soon can you and Bane be ready?”
“We are ready.” He held up his thumb to Bane, letting him know things were on target. “Just been waiting for your phone call.”
She laughed, which was a sound he was certain he would never tire of. “I need a little more time, Adam. Can you give me an hour?”
“You got it, Em. We’ll be at the hotel with the truck to pick you up.”
“You already got a truck, too?”
“We’re Marines. We’re always prepared.”
“I can see that. Okay. I’ll see you shortly. Thank you so much for this.”
“It’s our pleasure, sweetheart.” When the call ended, he turned to Bane. “Just like we thought. Wyatt and Wade’s wife gave Em all the time she needed. We leave in an hour.”
“Good thing we already packed.” Their suitcases were by the front door.
“It wasn’t hard, bro. We’ve only been back in town a couple of days, and we haven’t completely unpacked yet.” He and Bane were set up in Carolyn’s old room for the time being. Carolyn hadn’t returned, but had finally called to check on Shelby and the baby. The whole family still held hope for Carolyn to find happiness one day.
“We need to let Mom and Dads know that it’s a sure thing we’re leaving.” Their parents were over at Shelby’s with the baby. “I doubt they will even notice we’re gone.”
“You got that right.” Bane smiled. “Who can blame them, bro? Grace Madelyn is the prettiest little angel I’ve ever seen. That pink Teddy bear we got her is bigger than she is.”
They both laughed.
“Yes, she is. Our niece looks so much like, Sis.” Adam was thrilled to be an uncle. He wanted to have his own children one day, too. He and Bane, having grown up in Wilde, would build a family together. Em? “What did you think about Em’s reaction to the phone call she got this morning?”
Bane shook his head. “She actually looked frightened to me.”
“I thought so, too. I don’t buy what she told us. Do you?”
“Not a single word of it. Something shook her pretty hard. Maybe we can get her to open up to us on the trip. A little BDSM play might do the trick.”
“Bro, she’s been away from Wilde a very long time. She left when she was a teenager.” Still he would love to see how she responded to two Doms. He had a hunch she would love to be dominated. “I doubt she’s been exposed to the life.”
“You’re probably right, but I find her so desirable. I know it’s early, but I believe she’s the one.” Bane’s confession was something new. Em had impacted his brother as much as him. “Do you feel the same, Adam?”
“We’re twins, bro. Of course I do. I’m nuts for her already. I can’t get her out of my mind.”
Bane nodded. “I think it’s time to move things further along with her.”
“I completely agree.”
* * * *
“Sir, is this your bag?”
Larry put on his best smile for the TSA agent. “Yes, it is.” As he’d expected, the equipment inside was causing him some grief.
“Please stand there. I’m going to inspect your luggage. Do not touch or reach into your bag while I’m conducting the inspection. Are there any items you need to declare before I begin?”
Larry handed the agent the paperwork he’d forged from his company. “This is a list of the items that are inside. You’ll find remote access security surveillance equipment.”
The agent looked at the list and handed it back to him. “Thank you.”
Larry watched her unzip the bag with her gloved hands. It was obvious by the agent’s demeanor she had no clue she was looking at the latest technology on the market. The cables, cameras, DVR, and speakers could be used in several ways besides what they’d been intended for by the manufacturer, especially after being modified.
Chapter Eight
“It’s twenty-one hundred. I think it’s time to find a decent place to stay for the night.” Bane kept his hands on the steering wheel. “We’re just five miles from Casper.”
“It’s a good halfway point.” Emma stretched her arms. “Right when you get inside the city limits there’s a hotel I’ve stayed at whenever I went to visit Mom.” She sighed. “I miss her, you know.”
Adam placed his hand on her knee. “Norma was a wonderful woman, Em.”
“Yes, she was.” She put on a brave face. God, Bane couldn’t get over how strong she was. Em had suffered so much, losing her mother to her crazy homicidal sister, and still, she found a way through the pain. “Anyway, the rooms are lovely and clean. Plus, the hotel has a great breakfast buffet. Biscuits and gravy. Yum.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Bane drove into town and pulled into the parking lot of the hotel Em had recommended.
“I’ll go get the room.” Adam jumped out of the cab.
He nodded. “Em and I will stay by the truck until you get back. That’ll give us time to stretch our legs.”
After Adam left, Bane helped Emma out of the cab. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“Why?”
He smiled. “Come here, you.” He put his arms around her. Holding her close, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He traced his tongue over her lips. God, she was utter feminine perfection. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since we left Wilde.”
She smiled. “Was it worth waiting for, soldier?”
“If I had to wait a hundred years knowing I would just get one more kiss from you, it would be worth the wait.”
“It was pretty damn good, wasn’t it?” She laughed and looked up at him. “Thank you again for doing this for me. It’s going to be quite the job when we get to my apartment. I haven’t packed a single box. I had no idea things were going to work out so fast in Wilde.”
“I’m glad they did, baby.” He held her quietly for several minutes.
“Where is Adam? It never took me this long to get registered at this hotel.”
“I’m not sure.” The parking lot was almost empty, which was a sure sign the place had a ton of vacancies. “But does it matter? It gives me more time to kiss those beautiful lips of yours.”
“I think Adam deserves a kiss, too. Don’t you agree?”
He grinned. “Adam can fight his own battles. I’m sure he’ll steal some kisses from you whenever he gets the chance, but for now, he’s not here. We are.”
“I thought you wanted us to stretch our legs, not our lips.”
“Lips or legs? Does it really matter? I like both on you, sweetheart.”
“You’re a devil, Bane, aren’t you?”
He thought about what he and Adam had planned for the evening. “I guess I am.” He bent down and devoured her lips, relishing the sweetness he tasted there.
“What’s going on, you two?” Adam smiled with the card key to their room in his hand. “I leave for a few minutes and come back catching you two kissing. Fair is fair. It’s my turn.”
Bane nodded as his brother pulled Emma into his chest and planted a lip-lock on her that seemed to take her breath away.
“Now,” Adam said. “That’s better.”
Bane laughed. “I’m still one up on you, bro.”
“Not for long. The night is young.”
Em shook her head. “You two are trouble with a capital T.”
“You bet we are, baby.” Adam put his arm around her. “Number 222 is on the second floor. We can park around back. There’s an entrance there and we can go up the stairs to our room. The lady at the desk said it was the first door on the left.”
After the short drive to the parking area, they climbed out of the car and walked up the stairs and into their room.
“Wow, this is a big sized room.” Em walked over to the table, which had a bottle of wine on it. “Mine was never this big and I never got one of t
hese.” She pointed to the bottle.
Adam grinned. “Perhaps they are going upscale since you were here last, baby.”
He and Adam placed the bags on the bed.
“I sure could use a shower,” Adam said. “How about you two?”
“You’ve got that right, bro.”
“How do we choose who goes first?” Em asked. “Rock, paper, scissors?”
“We don’t have to choose. Let’s shower together.” Adam grabbed the bag with the handcuffs, blindfold, and headphones they’d brought.
Bane was in complete sync with his brother. There was no time like the present to get to the night’s activities they’d planned for Emma.
“You two are big Marines. I don’t think we could all fit. The room might be bigger but the bathroom is likely the same size as the other rooms here.”
“Yes, we can fit.” Adam winked. “I got a handicap room so we could clean up together, baby.”
Emma looked around. “What if someone really needs this room?”
“According to the lady, they have nine more rooms just like this one and all of them are vacant. I don’t think it will be a problem.” Adam walked over to the bathroom door and swung it open. “So let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
She nodded.
The bathroom was huge with a shower to die for. It had a rain showerhead, six square body sprays, and one handheld wand. There were luxurious shampoos, soaps, and sponges.
“Candles?” Emma turned to Adam. “Now I know you had something to do with this, didn’t you? That’s why it took you so long to get the room.”
“Yes, I did.”
Bane appreciated his brother’s finesse. “Way to go, bro. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
“I set this all up with Hazel. She’s a doll and a complete romantic.” Adam pulled Emma into another kiss and slowly removed her top.
“Looks like she’s not the only romantic around here.” Bane kissed the back of Emma’s neck, letting his hands drift down her arms.
God, I love how soft her skin is to the touch.
