by Chloe Lang
They’d each called her, making it clear that these two more traditional dates, one-on-one, were meant for them to get to know each other better. But it wasn’t that Grant and Greg had any change of heart about her. They still wanted to share her, to bring her into their family, and to eventually marry her.
Her head hadn’t stopped spinning since meeting them.
What am I doing? I still don’t know if I’m going to stay.
Satisfied with her bikini, she pulled on her shorts and top over the suit.
She heard a knock on her bedroom door.
“Maude, it’s Mary. May I come in?”
“Of course, sis. It’s unlocked.”
Mary opened the door and walked next to her. “You look beautiful. You’re going to blow Grant away.”
“I shouldn’t even be going on this date. There’s so little time to get your bachelorette party put together, let alone finish up the plans for your wedding.”
“There’s plenty of time. Both are small affairs. And Mom is helping, too. I want you to make the most of this date with Grant. Go with him, have fun, and don’t worry about anything.”
“Please don’t get your hopes up about a relationship. This isn’t serious, Mary. Can’t be.”
Mary’s eyes narrowed. “Why can’t it be?”
“Because I will be leaving Wilde after your wedding.”
“I know you have a lot to think about, and I don’t mean to put pressure on you. But I don’t want you to leave, no matter what happens between you and the Strong brothers.”
“I only have so many days left for my leave, sis.”
“You never liked that job in the first place. Quit. You can find something here.”
“Maybe so, but that would take too much time. I can’t miss a paycheck. It’s not just my bills. I have a payment I have to make to the new private investigator I hired last month. He’s expensive, but his success rate for cases like mine is higher than any other I’ve ever employed before. If I’m late, he will drop my case entirely.”
“I can help with that until you get something here. I have money. Besides, I need your help, and not just with the wedding. With everything. You’re not just my sister, Maude. You’re my closest friend. I need you here. Won’t you stay?”
Carol appeared in the doorway. “Your date is here, sweetheart. Are you ready?”
Thankful for the interruption so she didn’t have to answer her sister, Maude nodded. “Thanks, Mom. Gotta go, sis. Love you.”
She walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She could hear Mary and Carol talking about her.
“Mom, do you have any idea how we can get her to stay in Wilde?” Mary asked.
Being at the bottom step, she wasn’t able to hear Carol’s answer to her sister. She walked into the foyer. Seeing Grant standing by the front door took her breath away. He wore a blue knit shirt, white shorts, and had exchanged his cowboy boots for black leather sandals. He could’ve graced the cover of any magazine with his good looks.
“Here is your date, nephew,” Pop Will said. It seemed natural to think of him as her pop. The three men had been kinder to her in the week she’d known them than her own father had ever been.
Grant turned to her. His perfect smile made her weak in the knees.
“Come here, daughter.” Pappy Jack held out his hand. “We need to get a closer look at you. You’re just about the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen.”
Pop Will nodded. “Totally adorable.”
“Grant, you’re a very lucky guy to be going on a date with our girl,” Dad Tom said.
In the short time she’d been in Wilde, she’d grown to love these three wonderful men. When they’d first called her “daughter,” she’d almost cried. She wished her father had half the warmth for her and Mary as Carol’s husbands.
“Are you ready, Maude?” Grant asked her, his sexy eyes never leaving hers.
She stepped next to him. “Yes, I’m ready.”
He turned to Carol’s three husbands. “I’ll have her back at a decent hour.”
“Have fun, you two,” Pop Will said, heading into the kitchen.
Dad Tom smiled. “Enjoy yourselves.” Then he also left them.
Pappy Jack put his arm around Grant. “Be good to our girl, son. Show her a good time.”
“I will, Uncle Jack. I promise.”
The dear man nodded and joined his two brothers in the kitchen.
Grant took her hand. “Shall we?”
No turning back now, Maude. “Lead the way. I’m all yours.” Oh God, why did I say that?
They walked out of the house to his truck. He opened the passenger door for her.
She smiled. “What a gentlemen you are.”
He gave her a wink and then bowed in front of her. “Thank you, fair lady. Your chariot awaits.”
She laughed and climbed into the seat. Glancing in the backseat, she saw a blanket, towels, and a basketful of food. He’d prepared everything for their date, which made her feel so special.
He hopped into the driver’s seat. “Here we go.”
“Where is the swimming pool, and how far away is it?”
“Swimming pool?” He grinned and started the engine. “This is the biggest swimming pool you’ll ever see. It’s just three miles away.”
Ten minutes later, Grant parked the truck in front of the most beautiful lake she’d ever seen. “Welcome to Strong and Wilde Lake.”
“This is a private lake?”
He nodded. “It sits between our ranch and the Wilde Ranch. It’s been in the family for generations.”
Laughing, she said, “You’re right. I’ve never seen a pool as big as this.”
“That’s not all you’re going to see.”
“Oh, really? What else are you going to show me?”
“Our ride for the day.”
“I thought the truck was our ride.”
He shrugged and jumped out of the cab. He came around and opened her door for her again.
She stepped out, and he grabbed the basket and towels.
“This way, sweetheart.” He led her down a path that ended at the shore and a dock.
There were three boats in slips. Two were battened down, and one looked ready to go out on the lake. The one in the water was a bright red with white leather seats.
“You like my speed boat?”
“I like it very much. It’s so pretty.”
“And fast. I came by here before I picked you up to get her ready.” He stepped inside the boat, placing the towels and baskets in a hatch. “We’re all set for our date.”
“This looks like it is going to be so much fun, Grant. I can’t wait.”
“Let me help you in,” he said, offering her his hand.
She sat down next to him. Already, this date was better than any she’d ever gone on before. And it had only just started.
He untied the boat from the dock and started the engine. “I’ll take you around the lake first, and then I’ll show you my favorite spot to swim.”
Once they were clear of the dock, she turned to him. “How about you show me how fast this baby can go?”
He grinned. “Hold on tight.”
She nodded.
He hit the gas. The engine roared and the boat came alive. They sped over the surface of the lake, slicing the water in two.
“I love this,” she yelled, laughing. “This is so great. Faster, Grant. Faster.”
“You asked for it, sweetheart.” He pushed the lever all the way forward, and the boat accelerated to a dizzying speed.
After a few minutes, he slowed the boat down, coming to a stop in the middle of the lake near what looked to her to be a small island.
“Your turn, Maude.”
“My turn what?”
“Your turn to drive.”
“I’ve never driven a boat before.”
“No time like the present, sweetheart. Get over here.” He stood. “I’ll be right next to you the whole time.”
&nb
sp; She moved into the driver’s seat. “Okay, but I am a little scared.”
“So was I my first time, but it only lasts for thirty seconds because you start having so much fun. Push the lever forward a little bit and then you turn the steering wheel like you would a car.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this, cowboy?”
“Let’s go.”
When she pushed the lever forward, the boat took off very fast. “Oh my God.”
“No problem. Back it off a little. That’s it. Perfect. Take a few turns. Excellent.”
In a few minutes, she felt like she’d mastered the boat. “Hold on tight.”
He laughed.
She pushed the lever all the way forward. Like lightning across the surface, she raced the boat down the lake. She yelled, “I’m an expert. Look at me.”
“Slow down a bit, Maude. Take us over there close to the island. It’s a perfect place to swim.”
She felt so comfortable driving the boat now. “Right here?”
“Right here.” He threw over an anchor and took off his shirt and shorts. As he stood before her in only his bathing suit, she got a full view of the most perfect male, muscled chest and six-pack abdomen. “Maude, are you ready to swim?”
“You bet I am.” She stripped off her clothes, revealing her green bikini. “Cannonball!” She jumped into the lake.
When she came up above the surface, she watched him dive into the water. In a playful mood, she splashed him when he came up.
“So that’s how it’s going to be with you,” he said with a grin. “If war is what you want, then war is what you get.”
They started splashing each other like crazy, but his crashing waves were twice the size of hers.
“I surrender,” she yelled to him.
The water stilled.
He smiled. “Do you really surrender?”
“Yes. I swear,” she said in her most convincing tone.
“Good.”
When he started to swim over to her she drenched him.
“You little deceiver.” He proceeded to double his water assault against her.
“I surrender.”
“I’ve heard that before.” More splashes.
“For real this time. You win.”
He swam over to her and pulled her into his arms. “Now you’re my prisoner, sweetheart. Time for your first punishment.” He pressed his lips to hers and she melted into him.
Her heartbeat sped up.
When he ended their kiss, he kept hold of her, kicking his legs to keep them above the surface. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she admitted.
“Let’s get back in the boat. There’s a little dock on the other side of the island we can tie up to.” Once in the boat, he put a towel around her shoulders.
It took them no time to get around the tiny island.
Once the boat was secured, Grant led her to a spot by the shore and spread out the blanket.
“Does your island have a name?”
“Greg and I call it ‘Treasure Island.’”
“Like the book.”
He nodded, pulling out their lunch from the basket. “Grant, our dad, and I camped out here many times. Lots of good memories. When we were twelve, Dad brought a copy of the book during one of our outings here and we all read it together.”
“What I would give to have had your childhood.”
“Growing up in Wilde is wonderful.” He opened the bottle of white wine and poured her a glass.
She took a sip. “Nice and sweet. Just like I like. Thank you.”
“I’ve made fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, and homemade fried pies for dessert.”
“Yummy.”
After they finished the delicious meal, they stretched out on the blanket side-by-side.
“This has been the most perfect day, Grant. I’ve never had so much fun on a date before. Ever.”
“Greg’s going to have trouble topping this, isn’t he?”
She laughed. “Unless he teaches me to fly a plane.”
“Damn. He is a pilot and does have a plane.”
“Oh my God, I was just kidding.”
“I’m not going to give him any ideas. I want my date to be the best.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Her heart skipped several beats as he deepened their kiss. She parted her lips, enjoying the feel of his mouth against hers. Being in their swimsuits added to the heat and intimacy between them. What was it about him that drew her in so deeply? Was it the ease in how he carried himself? Or was it those eyes that mesmerized her each time he looked at her? Or his laugh that was so contagious? Perhaps it was all of those qualities and so many more that had stolen her heart. God help me, I’m falling in love with him.
He started kissing her neck, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She felt him remove her top, and she didn’t resist. She wanted him so badly.
His lips dotted kisses on her neck and down to her breasts. She heard herself moan, which sounded distant. When his tongue scraped against her nipples, her desires for him increased and the pressure inside her began to build.
He trailed his hand down her body until it reached into her bikini bottoms. When he touched her pussy, she gasped, needing more. He sucked on her breasts and fingered her pussy, creating an electric connection between her nipples and clit. She licked her lips and clawed at his shoulders, dying for more.
He stripped her out of her bikini bottoms and then removed his swimsuit. She felt his thick, hard cock pressing against her.
She reached down and grabbed his dick. In a single fluid motion, he flipped around so that his cock was positioned next to her lips and his mouth on her pussy. Following his lead, she licked the slit of his dick, drinking down his salty drop. Totally lost to her desires, she opened her mouth and slid her lips down his shaft. When she felt him simultaneously lick her clit and send his thick fingers into her pussy, she moaned, bobbing up and down his cock.
Her body was out of control, burning with want. Every scrape of his wet tongue on her pushed her closer and closer to the edge of release. She sucked on him more intensely, hollowing out her cheeks.
When he tightened his lips on her clit, delivering just the right pressure, she climaxed, exploding with sensations that sizzled along every inch of her body.
Grant pulled his cock out of her mouth and continued pleasuring her with his tongue and fingers. “That’s it, sweetheart. Enjoy every passionate tremble. This is all for you.”
Even more than his caresses, his words sent her higher into a wonderful, dizzying, dreamlike state. “Oh, Grant. I didn’t pleasure you enough.”
“You were wonderful.” He flipped around until they were face-to-face again. “Absolutely perfect.” He kissed her again and moved on top of her, pressing his cock against her swollen folds.
“God, yes. Please, Grant. I need you inside me.” She clawed at him, shifting her hips to try to ease him into her.
“And I need to be inside you, too. I want to feel your pussy clamping down on my cock.”
Slowly, he sent his dick into her. Every inch he claimed stretched her body, filling her to the max.
The pressure returned, more intense than before.
He thrust into her, over and over, deeper and deeper. She let go of trying to control anything. He was in charge of her pleasure, and thankfully, what he was doing to her hit every button. Every pass of his shaft into her pussy, he scraped that spot that sent her to the moon.
“Damn, I’m going to come,” he said through clenched teeth.
His admission ignited a fresh climax inside her and she screamed, lost to the new round of sensations.
His eyes closed, and he let out a primal sound that must have been born deep inside him. So low. So dangerous. So male. And then a final powerful thrust into her depths.
With all the energy she had left, she tightened her insides, squeezing his cock as hard as she could.
After several breathless minutes, they
held each other.
“You’re trembling,” he said softly. “Do you need me to cover you with the blanket?”
“No. Just hold me. Please.”
“Whatever you want, that’s what I will do, sweetheart. The truth is I love you.”
Shocked at his words, she shook her head. “You can’t know that so soon. It’s not possible.”
“Possible or not, I love you. No doubt about it.”
Tingling from head to toe, she smiled, looking into his gorgeous eyes. “If I’m not careful, I will fall in love with you, Grant Strong.”
“That’s what I’m counting on.” He leaned forward and kissed her, making her warm all over.
But in her heart she knew she was not right for him. Not right for anyone.
Chapter Twelve
Vibrating with excitement and concern, Maude walked over to Greg’s plane. He was wearing a coat and tie, which didn’t seem quite appropriate for a day of flying. But what do I know about flying? “I can’t believe you have your own airstrip on your ranch.”
“Dad was a pilot and built this in the sixties. He’s the reason I got my pilot’s license.”
The way both he and Grant talked about their parents, she knew they missed them very much. “Does Grant know you are taking me flying for our date?”
Greg smiled. “Absolutely not, but he did keep asking me what we were going to do. How was your date with him?”
“Very nice.”
“Where did he take you?”
She laughed. “Fair is fair. You didn’t tell him, so I’m not going to tell you.”
“So that’s how it’s going to be with you.”
She remembered those exact words had come out of Grant’s mouth during their splash war. “You two are twins in every way.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You obviously think alike since your brother said the very same words to me on our date.”
“And where was that?”
“You can’t trick me, mister.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
She’d not expected to be flying today. “Now I get why you asked me to dress up for our date. You only did it to make sure Grant didn’t get wind of what you had planned for me today, right?”
He shrugged, but didn’t answer.
