Brokenhearted Beauty [Divine Creek Ranch 19] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  She laughed with him and then turned to Vincent for a kiss. From his position squatting behind her, James kissed her as well.

  Jared chuckled from his seat down the dock and looked out at the water before turning his hypnotic, pale blue-gray eyes on her. “You don’t by chance have a sister, do you, Leah?”

  Leah giggled and said, “As a matter of fact I do, but…her life is complicated right now.”

  The usual bitterness didn’t rise to the surface when Presley Ann came to mind. She didn’t wish her sister ill, and knowing the hardships Presley Ann seemed to be earnestly attempting to overcome lately made her less inclined to resent her.

  Kendry said, “Well, there’s a lot to recommend this community, judging by what we saw of it and what we’ve heard about it from the three of you. If she’s anything like you, maybe we’ll visit again when life is ‘less complicated’ for her.”

  James rose to his feet and reached down to lift her from Vincent’s lap. “Maybe so. You never know. And like I said before, you’re always welcome. Next time we’ll take you to the Dancing Pony and introduce you to some of our friends.”

  Leah smiled as the men hugged each other like old friends, clapping each other on the back, and she walked with them back up to the house. After finding out that they were planning to stay in Divine overnight, James and Vincent offered to let them make use of the spare bedroom but they declined, saying they’d already dropped their things off at the Hourglass Inn in Divine.

  Jared said, “We don’t want to intrude on the rest of your evening and you probably need a little time to decompress from the experience alone. But if you’d like to meet for breakfast in the morning, we’ll need to eat anyway.”

  Vincent looked over at James and caught his nod and said, “We know the perfect place.”

  With plans made, they bid the men good-night and watched as the taillights on the older model Blazer disappeared down the driveway.

  “Okay, honey,” James said as he lifted her into his arms and cuddled her to his chest, making her feel positively tiny. “How are you really?”

  Winding her arms around his neck, she kissed him and said, “I was shaking in my boots when I got here but I’m doing much, much better than I thought I would. They’re both nice, and that was really sweet of Kendry to let me listen like that. He didn’t have to.”

  “Before you arrived, he mentioned that he would be fine if you wanted to, or if we wanted to for that matter.”

  “Wow.”

  Vincent nodded at her car. “What’s in the trunk, fluff?” His eyes twinkled when she looked over at him.

  James put her down and she beckoned to them. “Come see.” She untied the rope keeping the trunk partially closed, lifted the lid, and gestured grandly. “Voila!”

  “Well, I’ll be damned!” Vincent said as the trunk light came on, illuminating the object within.

  “Is that what I think it is?” James asked with hands on hips.

  “Yes! It’s the tailgate to a 1986 Chevy short-bed 4x4 pickup!” Happiness rushed in when she saw their expressions.

  The tailgate had been missing from the truck when Patterson purchased it and he’d never had the chance to hunt up a replacement from any of the junkyards in the area.

  Predictably, James frowned at her. “What were you doing in a hot, dirty junkyard? You were supposed to be shopping and getting a massage and relaxing today.”

  “I did all those things. It was perfect timing. After my massage, I drove past Dave’s Place. You know Dave the tow truck driver, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “He was hauling it into his scrap yard when I drove by. I was pretty sure it was the same year model as the truck so I zipped in there and inquired about it. Dave made sure the locking mechanism still worked and then removed it for me. The truck has some bad front end damage but he said you’re welcome to come and get any other parts you might need from it. When I told him who it was for, he wouldn’t accept any payment. There’s just one problem.”

  “A problem?” James asked.

  Giggling, she said, “If you turn it over, you’ll see.”

  The men lifted it out of the trunk and did as she instructed. “Sweet Thang” was emblazoned in fancy script letters. “I’m assuming the truck was owned by a girl. You’d need to repaint it to match Patterson’s truck anyway but I imagine you probably won’t want to drive it around town until after that’s covered up.”

  James and Vincent looked at each other and laughed. James said, “I think it’s perfect.”

  “Wow,” Vincent said. “Of all the things for you to find for us…”

  “I had a dream about Patterson this morning,” she said, and watched as both men turned worried eyes on her. “Not a nightmare. I dreamed of him and it was…well, it was amazing and pretty hot, to be honest. And he kept telling me to find the missing piece.”

  Vincent raised his eyebrows. “The what?”

  “He was with me and he kept telling me over and over, ‘Find the missing piece, fluff.’ I didn’t get it at first but then when I drove past Dave’s Place I thought maybe this was it. But that’s not all I discovered—”

  Vincent grabbed her up and whirled her around. “Before you say anything else, I think we need to show you something, fluff.”

  “You do?” she asked as he carried her back into their home. “What?”

  “You’ll see.”

  James followed them down the hall to the master suite and Vincent deposited her on the bed. He removed the book of Patterson’s poetry from the bedside table and began flipping through the pages. “I decided to take a look at Patterson’s writing last night. This is what I found.”

  He handed her the book. The words were scrawled as if written in haste and there were a few places where he’d scratched through and rewritten, giving it the look of a first draft. She let out a breath and her vision went a little wavy as she read.

  You need us in your life

  I can see it in your eyes

  It kills me to see that need

  And listen as you deny.

  Woman, it drives me crazy

  Because we’re right here

  Ready to be there for you

  Aching to draw you near.

  If you’d just give this a chance

  The burden of your fear would ease

  Let down that guard of yours

  And find the missing peace.

  The last word startled a gasp out of her and she looked up into their smiling eyes. “I…I thought he was referring to the piece that was missing in my life but he meant the inner peace I was missing out on.” A wave of heat shimmered through her as she remembered the dream and wondered if it’d all been a construct of her subconscious mind or if perhaps he’d somehow communicated with her.

  She turned the page and realized it was the last thing he’d written in the book.

  Looking up, she wondered why they’d put up with her this long. “I wasted a lot of time and cost us precious memories.” What she wouldn’t give to be able to look back and remember that at least they’d made love together and been there for each other before he was gone. The thought made the tears overflow.

  James and Vincent took places on either side of her on the bed and Vincent held her jaw in a gentle grasp as he said, “I didn’t show you that to bring you new recriminations. I wanted you to see his last words. ‘Find the missing peace.’”

  James said, “If we were a puzzle, we’d always be shy one piece because he’s gone but I think we still did exactly as he wanted us to do. We’ve brought together the missing pieces.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vincent took a deep breath and said a prayer that he wouldn’t get ahead of himself, that he wouldn’t push her too much with what he had to say. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any other woman, as she perched there on the bed, so tiny and vulnerable. The fact that she was the strongest woman he’d ever met only served to increase the contrast between those two parts of her.
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br />   “Fluff, there will always be a Patterson-shaped hole in our lives. But for me, the missing piece is you. I want you—I need you—in my life. You know that. But if you have to go I’ll let you go. If, because of me, you’re expecting, I won’t do anything to make things harder because I don’t want to push you away. Just…will you stay with us tonight? Both of us?”

  A pretty blush filled her cheeks and she looked down at her hands, as if choosing her words.

  “Stay with us tonight, honey,” James said in a voice raspy with emotion. “Let us love you together. Let us take care of you. Then at least you’ll know what it could be like.”

  Vincent smiled, knowing James would do everything in his power to convince her to stay.

  She stood from the bed and turned to them. At five feet tall, she was nearly at eye level with them as they sat on the edge. She removed her sandals and slipped the capri pants she wore down over her hips and let them fall to the floor. “I need a shower first.”

  Relief flowed through Vincent as he pulled off his boots and rose from the bed. Her eyelids shuttered a little as she turned her attention to him as he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. James did likewise and they both watched as she turned and sauntered on shapely legs into the bathroom, clad in only her white button-down blouse and pink lace panties. His hands itched to squeeze her little bouncy bubble butt as he followed her.

  James nudged him on the arm and gave him an appreciative nod, letting him know he’d put his feelings into words well.

  In the bathroom, she stood at the shower, adjusting the water temperature. Her blouse was completely unbuttoned, revealing a white lace bra underneath. She cast a gaze over her shoulder, warming him with her hazel eyes as she watched him finish undressing. Her breathing changed and she shifted from one foot to another as she stared at his cock, desire glowing in her eyes. She took in a slow breath and he saw the way her chin trembled, as if she was still experiencing the residual effects of having cried earlier.

  He tugged at the back hem of the shirt and she allowed it to slide down her shoulders and off into his hand. He pressed his nose to the collar and breathed in her sweet scent, watching as her cheeks grew even rosier and she looked at him as if in awe. After she’d removed her bra and panties, James helped her into the shower. They watched as the water splashed on her shoulders and sluiced down the contours of her breasts and torso. His dick jerked in reaction.

  What was left of his rational mind wanted to know what her decision was right then. Wanted to demand that she stay. There was even a part of him that hoped she was pregnant. Just one more way to tie her to him…to them. He didn’t want to disrupt her life. He believed in the deepest part of his soul that she belonged with them. But he also knew he couldn’t force the decision from her.

  She lathered a washcloth and the herbal scent of the bodywash filled the enclosure. Taking the washcloth from her, he rubbed the suds across her collarbones and over her shoulders. The trust in her eyes encouraged him and he smiled down at her and kissed her temple. She lifted a hand to both of their chests and a soft sigh escaped her as James stroked her skin and helped him bathe her from head to toe.

  She bit her lower lip as his soapy hands encircled her breasts and whispered, “Your big, strong hands feel wonderful.”

  “They’re so callused, I feel like I have to be careful that I don’t mar your skin with them.”

  Water droplets drew her eyelashes into little clumps and she swiped a hand across them before she said, “That’s actually one of the reasons I like them.” He could feel her pulse beating steady beneath his fingertips as he stroked her throat. It sped up as he leaned toward her and kissed her soft lips.

  The wavy locks of her hair were slicked back as she put her head under the spray and he reached for the bottle of shampoo. He poured some into his hand, while James hurriedly scrubbed his body and Leah’s eyes widened as he reached for her.

  “You want to wash my hair?”

  He grinned and said, “Would you mind?”

  She giggled and shook her head. “I just didn’t think you’d be interested in doing something so mundane.”

  Mundane? Did she not understand? “Turn for me, fluff.” He stroked the shampoo over the top and back of her head, careful not to get it near her eyes and then started massaging her scalp. James peered at her face as she moaned softly and grinned. Her eyes were closed, and Vincent felt it as she relaxed. Her shoulders and neck loosened up as he scrubbed her scalp.

  “That feels wonderful,” she murmured.

  Getting to touch her like that, holding her little head in his hands as he stroked her felt so right. It felt like a gift. Stay with me, fluff. Stay with us.

  He slid his fingertips up the back of her neck and massaged the muscles at the base of her head and the sound she made caused his cock to twitch. He wanted to hear her make that sound while he made love to her. Her sudden gasp caught his attention and he noticed that James was busy with the washcloth, stroking it between her legs before going to his knees in front of her. Her eyes were closed, so she didn’t see the worship in his brother’s eyes as he looked up at her. They couldn’t lose her. It would break James’s heart.

  James’s lips parted and he sighed with pleasure before whispering, “Honey, you’re so hot and slick. God, I love touching you.” He leaned forward and kissed her abdomen and then looked down at the most intimate part of her as she stroked her fingertips through the hair at his temple.

  “All done, fluff,” Vincent whispered. “Let’s rinse you off.”

  She turned to the spray and bowed her head, bracing her hands against his chest as she rinsed her hair and then smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

  Once they were finished with the shower, they dried off and left the steamy bathroom. His cock was so hard it had its own pulse. James looked like he was in a similar condition.

  Vincent watched her wander around the room as he lit candles and turned off the lamps, bathing the room in flickering light.

  James opened the shutters on the row of windows that faced the river and she smiled as she joined them. “The moonlight looks beautiful, filtering through the trees.”

  “It’s full enough that when it gets a little higher, you’ll be able to see it reflecting off of the river.”

  Silvery light shone on her face as she smiled up at them. “You must love living here.”

  James smiled and nodded. “It’s where we grew up. We’re lucky.”

  He wished the bed was closer to the window so they could watch her, bathed in moonlight as they made love to her. If she decided to stay, he’d buy one of those padded loungers so they could do that, or maybe the Garners could make something special for her.

  Leah looked from him to James and said, “You know I’ve never…that is…I don’t know how…”

  Vincent smiled in understanding. They’d both known she was an anal virgin and uninitiated in the ways of threesomes. “We’ll take good care of you, doll, and make sure you’re ready. All you have to do is relax and trust us.”

  “I can do that,” she whispered.

  Her trust was the greatest gift he’d ever been given.

  Glorious and precious were the only words that came to mind to describe her as she climbed onto the bed and allowed them to position her, lying back on the pillows piled at the headboard.

  “Do you need to…” she began to ask before biting her lip as her words trailed off.

  “Need to what?” Vincent asked, captivated by her sudden shyness.

  The words tumbled from her lips as she looked from him to James. “I’ve never used a plug or anything like that.”

  James smiled and held up the bottle of lubricant so she could see it. “You’re just fine the way you are, honey. We’ll use this to lubricate you really well and then stretch you with our fingers. We won’t do anything that will harm you and we won’t be rough with you.”

  She let out a breath and nodded. “I guess I’m not much of a modern woman since I obviously don�
�t know what I’m doing.”

  “No worries,” Vincent said. “We’re not in any rush. Not tonight. Lie back.” She didn’t need to apologize for being a virgin to the pleasure they’d open her eyes to tonight.

  Working together, like he’d always imagined it would be, back when they’d first discovered a mutual attraction for Leah, Vincent and James stroked her sensitive skin, delighting in her shudders.

  “Those callused fingertips should be patented as sex toys,” she whispered with a giggle.

  James grinned at him over her abdomen as they worked their way down. Her reactions were so genuine and unrehearsed. Vincent slid a hand down her rib cage from the side of her breast, all the way to the dip where her hip met her thigh. He kissed the spot and said, “I love the way you curve right here.” He rubbed his light beard against the soft flesh above her hip bone and she gasped and her fingers slid up the back of his head.

  “My sister got the supermodel’s figure and I got my Granny’s plump curves. You make me feel beautiful when you talk like that.”

  James replied, “You dress to hide these curves, don’t you?”

  She nodded. “I buy bigger sizes so everything fits and I feel covered up.”

  Vincent sat up a little and looked at her. “You don’t have to hide yourself, fluff. We think you’re beautiful just the way you are. Your gorgeous body turns me on like no supermodel ever could.”

  “Thank you. That’s hard to understand,” she replied, sliding a hand down over her soft stomach and over her hip to her plush ass cheek. “It’s all so big.”

  James nipped at her stomach and said, “This is part of you trusting us, Leah. We really, really like your ass and all of the rest of you. We wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

  Vincent nodded in agreement when she looked at him. “You are the sweetest, softest thing to make love to, fluff. Just thinking about pressing you into a mattress and sliding inside you gets me hard.” Sometimes at the most inopportune times. “Never apologize to us for your body. We love it and we want you to let us prove it.”