Her Colorado Pleasures [Spirit, Colorado 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Lara Valentine

  Sin narrowed his eyes. “You’re fucking perfect. Who called you fat?”

  There was a menacing tone in his voice, like he was going to knock the snot out of the person who dared called her heavy. She felt a moment of shock, then warmth suffused through her. No one had ever been so passionate about defending her before, and she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. Something about this gruff, stoic man called to her softer side. She found herself reaching for his hand. She rubbed her hand up and down his arm to soothe him. “It’s okay. No one called me fat. I was just heavier than a lot of women in Tampa. I felt a little self-conscious about it.”

  He caught her fingers in his and held tightly. His hand was large and warm and his touch sent sparks through her body, settling in her pussy. She couldn’t have pulled her hand away if she’d tried. These men brought out something in her she had never felt before. Evan quickly ordered the dessert and turned back to her. “So did you grow up in Tampa?”

  Casey was relieved Evan changed the subject but wasn’t a huge fan of talking about herself.

  “No. I kind of grew up everywhere. I ended up in Tampa my junior year of high school. I went to Florida State and then ended up taking a job at a public relations firm back in Tampa. It’s pretty much my home.”

  “Your family must miss you. Are they coming out here, too?”

  Casey shook her head. “No. I don’t see my family much, really. What about you?”

  She didn’t imagine Sin’s body going tense under her hand. She stroked his hand in an effort to get him to relax.

  Evan just smiled tightly. “Sin and I are the only family we have. That’s why we love Spirit so much. Everyone here is like a family.”

  Casey looked back and forth between them. “You don’t look like each other much for brothers.”

  “We’re not actually brothers,” Evan explained. “It’s kind of a long story.”

  Casey nodded. “Oh, stepbrothers? That would explain why you don’t look alike.”

  She didn’t miss the look passed between Evan and Sin. They weren’t telling her something.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters, Casey?”

  Evan was determined to ask her about her family. She had experience with this. She knew how to stop it. Once she told her pathetic story, people always stopped asking about her family. She hated to be this way, but…

  “One sister—Carlisle. She and my parents are living on a commune in North Dakota.”

  There. That should shut them up.

  “Listen, I had a pretty crappy childhood, if you must know. My parents were kind of like modern-day hippies. They rarely worked and dragged my sister and me across the country in a run-down station wagon. Sometimes, we had to live in it. There was never enough money and never enough food. The minute I could get out, I did.”

  The words had come out in a rush. She wasn’t sure why she had even said them, to be honest. There was something so real about these men, she didn’t want to bullshit them like the usual smooth losers she dated back home.

  She felt the tension drain from Sin. This time he clasped her hand and squeezed. Evan, too, seemed to relax. She hadn’t even realized he had been so tense.

  Evan put his arm around her shoulders. “We know what it’s like to have a crappy childhood, Casey. I’m glad you were able to shake it. How did you?”

  Casey looked into his blue eyes. They were filled with tenderness but not pity. It was almost as if he understood. “Aunt Mel convinced my parents to let me live with a friend my last two years of high school. I worked hard and got a full-ride scholarship to FSU. When I got out, I worked even harder at my job. I’ll never go back to being poor again. I’m going to make something of myself.”

  Sin surprised her when he spoke up. “I think you already have.”

  Casey loved that Sin didn’t waste words. His statements were simple but to the point.

  “Well, thank you, but I have more to do. That’s why what you’re doing at the store is so important. Once I fix it up, I can get a good price for it. Then, I can go back to Tampa and open my own PR firm.”

  Chapter 5

  The words hung in the air, pushing the breath from his lungs. Sin had finally found a woman he could possibly fall in love with, and she was planning to leave as soon as she could. She could understand him. She had known unhappiness and uncertainty as a child. She wouldn’t look down on him, or Evan, as so many others had when they found out about their sordid background. Now he knew what it was about her that fascinated him. He felt her past pain. It wasn’t obvious to anyone but someone like himself.

  He’d had a nightmare of a childhood, in and out of foster homes. That’s how he met Evan all those years ago. They had ended up in several of the same homes. They finally lucked out in their teens. Bob and Cindy Parker had taken them both in and gave them a real home. The first real home for either of them. Bob had taught them how to be master carpenters and what it meant to be good men. Cindy had taught them to cook, clean for themselves, and treat a woman decently. When Bob and Cindy were killed by a drunk driver six years ago, both he and Ethan had taken their last name. Everyone assumed they were biological brothers anyway.

  The waitress placed their dessert on the table. Sin smiled as he spooned up the mousse and held it in front of Casey’s luscious red lips. She hesitated only a moment before opening for him. He imagined the spoon was his cock as she licked delicately at the chocolate. His jeans tightened uncomfortably and he shifted in his seat to relieve the pressure.

  He caught Evan’s eye, noticing his brother was shifting in his seat, too. They needed to keep Casey here as long as they could. He wanted her to start feeling the same thing he and Evan were beginning to feel.

  Sin lifted another spoonful to Casey’s lips as she sighed in contentment. He wanted to be the one to put that look on her face.

  “That’s quite the plan you have, Casey. I have no doubt you’ll be successful no matter what you do.”

  Sin gave Evan an evil smile. He had a plan, too.

  * * * *

  Casey walked up the stairs to her apartment with Evan in front of her and Sin behind. She couldn’t help but feel warm and protected. She almost snorted at the thought. She had rarely in her life felt warm and protected, but somehow these two men made her feel that way when it was below freezing.

  The whole evening had been wonderful. The food and company were better than expected. She knew she wouldn’t really be here long enough to get involved, but these men had her doing things outside of her normally conservative nature. Perhaps inheriting a sex store had her revealing some long buried sensual nature she didn’t know she even had. Whatever it was, she liked it. She liked this side of herself that was opening up to these gorgeous guys.

  She had revealed so much about herself tonight. Even her closest friends knew very little about her background. She almost snorted again.

  Close friends?

  She didn’t really have close friends. She was too used to keeping people at arm’s length, afraid they might find out where she came from. Somehow these men had her spilling her secrets before dessert.

  They’re good men.

  She could see it. Lord knows, in the business world, she had been around enough not-good ones. They didn’t judge her for the eccentricities of her family. They judged her for who she was.

  “Key, sweetheart?”

  Evan held out his hand, and she handed him the key to her apartment. He unlocked the door and handed the key back to her. It was an old-fashioned gesture that made her stomach do funny butterfly things inside. It was another example of how different these men were than others she had known.

  Sin leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “We’d like to take you out tomorrow night. Are you free?”

  Casey opened her mouth to refuse. She was getting in way too deep with these gorgeous men, but the words died in her throat when she looked into Evan’s deep blue eyes. His head lowered toward hers, and she knew he was going to kiss her. H
er heart started to pound as his lips brushed hers softly. He hesitated for a moment, as if to give her a chance to say no. She was too far gone to refuse.

  His lips took hers in a kiss that melted her resistance. Her arms clung to his neck and his heady scent filled her lungs. He smelled like wood and man, and she pressed herself closer as his tongue swept her mouth. She opened more for him, eager to feel the pleasure he could bring. The kiss ended too soon, and she clung to him as he lifted his head. He gave her a soft smile before turning her around. She was disoriented, but only for a second.

  Sin was there. And now he was kissing her, too. It was a kiss she felt in her soul. His tongue was doing wicked things in her mouth, and Evan was kissing and nibbling the back of her neck. She was lost to the maelstrom of arousal. Her panties were soaked and her nipples were pebbled in her bra. She didn’t feel the cold or the snow falling softly around them. She only felt the heat of their bodies and her own answering desire.

  Sin lifted his head, his expression stamped with need. “Tomorrow night?”

  Casey nodded mutely. Her knees had turned to water and her verbal skills had deserted her. This was just from a kiss. What if she actually made love to them?

  Sin brushed her lips softly. “It has to be both of us, Casey. We share. Are you okay with that?”

  “Um, I don’t know. I guess. I’ve never been in a relationship like this before. The fact is I don’t have too much experience with relationships in general. It’s hard enough with one man, two, well, I don’t know about that.” Her voice sounded strange, a little shaky.

  Evan nipped her earlobe. “Will you let us try to convince you? I promise you two men are infinitely better than one.”

  His warm breath caressed the shell of her ear and made her shiver, but not with cold. She realized she was going to have a lot of trouble saying no to Sin and Evan. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to anyway.

  “Okay, I guess another date wouldn’t hurt anything.”

  “Good. We’ll see you tomorrow then. Night, baby.”

  Sin opened the door and checked the small apartment thoroughly before allowing her to enter. She watched as their truck drove down the street, their red taillights disappearing in the night. She was not falling in love with Evan and Sin Parker. That was a luxury she could not afford.

  * * * *

  Evan and Sin sat in front of the fireplace in their living room hatching a plan. The fire popped and crackled in the background as Evan pondered what Sin had laid out. It just might work.

  Hopefully, the plan would keep Casey in Spirit long enough for feelings to grow between the three of them. After their evening together, both Evan and Sin were definitely more than interested. They knew they were sexually attracted, but after spending time with Casey, they both agreed it was more than that.

  Evan poked at the fire. “So, you think we just slow down the entire project? Put five coats of finish and protectant on the shelves and cases instead of three. Work a regular eight-hour day, five days a week, instead of our usual ten- or eleven-hour day, six days a week. How long do you think it will buy us?”

  Sin shrugged. “You’re the genius. You tell me. By my thinking, it should get us at least an extra week or more.”

  Evan quickly calculated in his head and nodded. “I think it might get us closer to two extra weeks. I hope it’s enough.”

  Sin stared into the flames for a long moment. “I hope she’s the one. I want her to be the one.”

  * * * *

  Casey fiddled with the feather duster as she walked along the display shelves, cleaning and tidying the store. The men were out getting supplies, and she was annoyed with herself that she missed them. The shop didn’t seem the same without their presence. There was something about them that made her feel safe and warm.

  “Pouting?” Lorna gave her a look from her spot behind the counter. She had been trying to show Casey the accounting for the store but had given up. Casey’s mind was anywhere but on ledgers.

  Casey tossed the feather duster and dropped into a chair. “No, why would I be pouting?”

  “Because those men of yours didn’t kiss you good mornin’ and left to get supplies without kissin’ you good-bye. You look miffed.”

  “I’m not miffed.”

  Lorna shook her head. “You’re about fit to be tied, missy. Spit it out. What happened last night?”

  Casey’s face grew warm as she thought about the heated kisses she had shared at the end of the evening. She had kissed men before, but it never seemed to matter until last night. As if everything else had just been preparation for meeting these men.

  “Nothing happened. We had dinner. We’re going out tonight.”

  Lorna chuckled. “Two nights in a row. Sounds like something went right last night. What are you all worried about? Those men are aces. They’re the real thing, Casey. Real men. The kind you can depend on. The kind that know how to treat a woman. Time you found men like that.”

  Casey sucked in a breath. She’d thought long and hard last night after Sin and Evan left and couldn’t think of a good reason not to date two men other than society wouldn’t approve. Except Spirit made their own rules, and she didn’t need to worry about what society would think.

  “There’s two of them. That doesn’t bother you?”

  “Nope. Didn’t bother me thirty years ago when I wed my two husbands, why would it bother me now?”

  Casey was amazed. “You married two men? Two men?”

  “Yes, I did. We were married for twenty-five wonderful years. Our son lives in Denver and is a big-time lawyer. John had a ski accident and passed away five years ago. James is in Denver with Jason, our son, visiting. You’ll meet James in a few weeks when he comes home.”

  “But, you went to dinner with Bill Studder!”

  Lorna smiled. “When you’ve been in a ménage as long as James and I have, well, two just doesn’t seem right. We’re looking for a new third.”

  Casey planted her face in her hand. “Holy shit.”

  Lorna sat in the chair opposite Casey. “I say that myself quite a bit. So why are you torturing yourself over those boys? Think three is a shameful number?”

  “Well, no. Not really. It’s just…”

  Lorna leaned in close. “Some men are fine loving a woman by themselves. Others need the support of another man. My James and John were like that. Sin and Evan are, too. They’ve had hard lives, the both of them. They’re not interested in each other, but they do need each other.”

  “Hard lives?”

  “Not sure it’s my place to say, but I think you need to know, so you understand why it has to be both of them. They both grew up in foster care. From what I hear, being in the system was hard on them. They have no other family. They grew to depend on each other all those years ago. They depend on that now. Sin, you may have noticed, doesn’t have much to say. Evan does most of the talking for the two of them. Evan’s about the smartest man I’ve ever met. There isn’t a subject he doesn’t know about.”

  Casey had noticed that last night. Evan had been extremely knowledgeable about every subject they talked about.

  “Sin is the teddy bear. He has the most loving heart. That man takes in stray animals and nurses them back to health. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, except to protect someone he cared about. But he’s so hurt from his childhood, he doesn’t show how much he cares. He needs Evan for that. Evan needs Sin to keep him grounded in reality.”

  Casey thought back to last night when Sin had looked angry that someone dared call her fat. Perhaps, despite his silence, Sin did care for her a little.

  “No one will think less of you for loving Sin and Evan. Not in Spirit.”

  Casey jumped up. “I’m not in love with them! I just had dinner with them. I’m not going to fall in love with anyone.”

  Lorna picked up the ledgers and placed her reading glasses on her nose. “Everyone falls in love with someone, Casey. Who do you want that someone to be?”

  Chapter 6

&
nbsp; Lorna’s words were still echoing in Casey’s head as she dressed for her evening out with Evan and Sin. She had tortured herself all day, going back and forth about spending any more time with them. On the one hand, she wasn’t going to be in town very long, and there were two of them, so there didn’t seem to be much point. On the other hand, she wasn’t going to be in town very long, and there were two of them, so why not? Factor in those kisses, and she knew she was going to go out with them. She was probably going to go to bed with them, too.

  Casey wasn’t a virgin. That ship had sailed her first year of college. But her sex life had been sadly lacking in the passion-and-fire department. Most of the time, she wondered what all the fuss was about. The men she dated seemed weak and submissive compared to Evan and Sin. She had no doubt they would rule the bedroom. She’d never had a relationship based on sex, but if any two men could get her motor running, it was these two.

  The peal of the doorbell sent her rushing to pull on her shoes and open the door. They both stood there looking hot as hell. They had traded their work clothes for dress blue jeans and cowboy boots. They both wore heavy jackets, but she could see button-down shirts underneath. They looked yummy and smelled even better, fresh from the shower. She fought the urge to lean forward, sniff their chests, and lick their necks.

  “C’mon in. I just need to grab my coat and we can go.”

  Evan stepped forward and held a package out to her. “Actually, we have a present for tonight. You can’t wear your tennis shoes or snow boots dancing. So we bought you these.”

  Evan smiled hopefully. Sin had the same unreadable expression. If anything, his expression was shuttered as if she might throw the gift back in their faces. Casey had received few gifts in her life. She wasn’t about to toss this one back.

  “For me? Really? How sweet!”

  She quickly opened the package and found the most darling cowboy boots inside. They were light blue with brushed-nickel trim. She quickly toed off her tennis shoes and shoved her feet inside. They were a perfect fit.