by Neil, Louisa
One Queen with Two Kings
On the morning of her second wedding, Thea realizes marrying Lloyd is a mistake and learns his ultimate motive is to gain control of her family business.
When confronted, Lloyd admits lying. His bombshell confession is that he gave the search team false coordinates, wanting Thea for himself instead of looking for Dexter and Russell’s crash site. When the men are found alive, they bring home proof that their plane was sabotaged by Lloyd.
While reconnecting with her husband and his friend, she realizes their relationship changed. Catching the men in a compromising sexual position reinforces her theory.
Accepting Dexter and Russell had become intimate while on the island is earth-shattering. She’s floored when they suggest combining the two relationships into one, a threesome the men have dreamed about.
Can she share her husband with his best friend? Can she be the queen with two kings?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: , words
ONE QUEEN WITH TWO KINGS
Louisa Neil
MENAGE AND MORE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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ONE QUEEN WITH TWO KINGS
Copyright © by Louisa Neil
E-book ISBN: –
First E-book Publication: October
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
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DEDICATION
For my husband, my erotic muse.
ONE QUEEN WITH TWO KINGS
LOUISA NEIL
Copyright ©
Prologue
Dexter didn’t believe what he heard or thought he saw in the distance. He stood motionless, watching the dark blob get closer and the noise louder. It had been two long, arduous years since their plane crashed on this deserted Pacific island. He wouldn’t let himself believe the aircraft approaching was actually tilting its wings at him in acknowledgement.
Russ came running to his side and used their most prized possession, his late father’s Zippo lighter that he carried as a good luck charm to set their emergency fire ablaze. The men stood on the beach jumping up and down and waving their arms.
“Was that real?” Dex asked, afraid of Russ’s answer.
“God, I hope so,” Russ said, “if not, we wasted our only firewood.”
“Maybe he saw the seaweed-covered SOS rocks.”
“I don’t care what he saw, as long as he knows we’re here.” Dex had never heard Russ’s voice so excited.
The plane circled their tiny island homestead several times, reinforcing they had been found. The two men ran to the fuselage wreckage and grabbed the package Dex had so long ago prepared for just this occasion. He was the first to lose the rush of excitement the plane brought. Russ noted immediately, “What’s wrong?” realizing the frown on Dex’s face.
“We’re going home,” Dex answered and watched the smile drain from Russ’s expression. The silence between them became deafening. Russ recovered first.
“We always said if we were ever rescued from this godforsaken sandpit, our secret would stay on this island and die with us.”
“I know, and I trust you with my life and our secret. It’s just—we’re going home.” Dex kicked at the sand.
“There’s no changing the past, we knew that. We didn’t know we’d ever be rescued,” Russ reinforced.
“Now that it’s happened, it feels strange, almost frightening.”
Russ dropped his arm over Dexter’s shoulder. “Civilization will feel strange for a while, too. We’ll deal with it. For now, just be happy that plane saw us.”
“I can’t help but wonder why it took so long,” Dex mused, finally letting himself believe they were going to be rescued. He glanced at Russ and began jumping up and down. “They found us, someone finally found us. I don’t care who it is, we’re found.”
“We’ll find out soon enough. Whatever happens, from this moment on we keep our solemn promise. What we did as consenting adults in a dire situation dies with us.”
“That’s easy to say, my friend. It’s going to be harder in everyday life.”
Russ laughed at him. “You’ll survive. We survived two lousy years on this pit, you’ll survive the future. At least the amenities will be better.”
Dex looked at Russ. “What if she’s married and had a kid?”
“We’ll deal with that if it become a reality. Just like we dealt with the last two years.” Russell ran into the surf and started kicking at the water. “I’m so glad to be getting off this flea-bitten island.”
“And tired of being flea bitten,” Dex teased, joining Russ in the surf.
“Real food, Russ!”
“I want chocolate,” Russ said, his tone dreamy. “And ice, anything and everything with ice.”
“I want my wife,” Dex reinforced, “and a cold beer, and a large, rare steak with onions and fried potatoes.”
“I want your wife too, but I know that’s the las
t time I’ll ever say those words aloud to you.”
It wasn’t long before they heard the whopping noise of the helicopter blades in the distance.
“Russ, this is real, we’re going home.”
“As long as we go somewhere, anywhere but here.” Russ dragged himself from the water. “You’re going home to your wife.”
“I’d share her with you, Russ, if I could. Especially after all we’ve been through together.”
“I know. You can’t blame me for longing for her after listening to you every night whine about missing her.” Russ hesitated. “Dex, we’re not the same men going back that we were when we left. Everyone at home will be different too.”
“Hopefully better versions than we left behind.” Dex finally relaxed and smiled. He accepted this wasn’t some horrible nightmare of joke. “We’re going home, Russ, better versions of us too. Even if we can’t tell a soul about our private times here.”
The chopper came closer, and Dex held a tight grip on the package to be brought back. “Thanks for saving my life and keeping me sane.”
“My thanks to you, too, old friend. For that and many hours of pleasure that I’ll only relive in my dreams.” Russ looked around them.
“What are you looking for?” Dex asked.
“Just making sure we didn’t leave anything important behind.”
“The only thing we leave behind is our secret. The rest will work out.”
The chopper was closer, and Dex could see the pilot. “This is real, we’re going home, Russ.”
They waited until the pilot got in position and lowered the basket. They argued several moments about who should go first, Dex pushing Russ into the gurney-style basket and handing him the package. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Dexter Norden realized these were the longest minutes of his life, watching Russ being hoisted into the chopper and waiting for the basket to be lowered for his use. During those moments, he sent up a silent prayer. Please let her still want me and never find out about what Russ and I did with each other here.
Chapter One
Thea Wainwright-Norden stood poised at the window, waiting for her father and brother, Alex, to come to her. Her fingers felt for the chain she wore around her neck, the chain she couldn’t bring herself to take off this morning. She heard the familiar light tap against the door and knew she had to stop this before it went any further.
Her father, Alistair, was still tall, with a straight back and clear eyes. She smiled to him, noticing the extra gray at his temples. Her brother entered and let out a low wolf whistle, his sign of approval. Unconsciously, she smoothed the ivory linen dress around her hips and took a deep breath.
“Thank you both for coming,” she managed to whisper.
“Thea, that sounded like my tax attorney does when he has bad news. What’s wrong, honey, are you having a case of the jitters?” Alistair Wainwright plastered a weary smile on his lips and sat on the small couch in the dressing room.
Thea glanced at her older brother. Only three years separated them, yet he was her best friend and had his mother’s fair skin and hair, her trademark aqua-blue eyes. As tall as their father, he had yet to find his someone special and settle down.
“Dad, Alex, I have something to say to you, and I hope you’ll both let me say this before taking issue with me, all right?” She glanced out the window to see the early-morning golfers on the course. By all rights, her father should be on the back nine right about now. Instead, he was dressed in a tuxedo, waiting to escort her down the aisle of the country club banquet room to marry Lloyd Jenkins.
“Dad, I know these last two years have been hard on you, and you, too, Alex. I understand that I didn’t accept Dexter’s death well. And I know you both feel this marriage to Lloyd is the best thing that could happen to me, but…”
Both men straightened as she spoke and were quiet, waiting for her to continue. “Dad, I know what the doctors said, and don’t try to tell me they’re wrong. I know you have lots of good years ahead of you and this marriage will allow you to retire and enjoy that time, but, Dad, I can’t marry Lloyd, today or any other day.”
Both men stood and started talking at the same time. She let them go on for a moment before moving to her father’s side. Taking her hands in his, she pulled him to her.
“Dad, I love you and Alex more than anything else in the world, but please understand this is wrong. I don’t love Lloyd, and I don’t even really like him. To be married to him would suffocate me. I’ll take over whatever workload you had designated to Lloyd, I promise I won’t disappoint you, but you have to know I can’t be his wife.”
Again both men started to interrupt her, and she gave them both her silencing look. It was a look both of them recognized. “I should have spoken up sooner, I know that, all the expense and inconvenience. I’m sorry. Daddy, please, whatever it takes to make you well, I’ll do, but marrying Lloyd isn’t one of them.” Thea had said her piece and finally relaxed.
She was now staring at odd looks on both their faces. Alex went to the telephone and ordered a bottle of champagne to be brought to them while Alistair sat and waited. Not one of them said a word until the discreet knock on the door was answered and the tray placed on the low table before them.
“Thea, honey, I love you beyond reason, but where in the hell did you get the idea that I was sick, and who told you I was going to turn over the company to Lloyd?”
Alex’s sinister laugh surprised her. “Really, Thea, we’ve all been worried about you these last years, but this thing with Lloyd was enough to push us over the edge. Actually, we wondered if you hadn’t lost your lust for life!”
“Alex! How could you say that? Dad, doesn’t he know about your heart?”
All three of them studied each other quietly before Alistair finally spoke. “My children, I think I smell a rat! And it smells like Lloyd Jenkins. Alex, lock the door and pour the champagne.” He patted the seat beside him, and Thea moved toward him. She hesitated to sit, not wanting to crease her wedding gown. Then she remembered she wasn’t getting married, and relief washed over her. She sat with a sigh in the deep couch, her head coming to rest against her father’s shoulder. They both accepted the glasses of cold champagne Alex offered and waited for his toast.
“To Thea, for realizing she was about to make the mistake of her life and correcting it in time.”
“Here, here,” her father added.
She was totally confused but drank anyway. “Dad, should you be drinking with your medications?”
“Thea, who told you I have a heart problem?”
“Dad, please don’t pretend. I’m thirty-three years old, and I can accept the truth. We’ll get you the best care.”
Alistair pulled from beside her, standing quickly and turning to his son. “Damn it!” he whispered almost to himself, then let loose with a string of more appropriate curse words that ran together more like a monologue than a few choice words. “Thea, what exactly have you been told, and by whom?”
“Lloyd told me four months ago you were having problems with your heart and not telling Alex or me. He said Dr. Lancing had confided to him on the golf course one morning that you weren’t as fit as you wanted everyone to believe.”
“And you accepted this information without questioning the doctor?”
“Lloyd said it would undermine his doctor-patient confidentiality if I started questioning what he’d been told. The only way to help you was to elevate some of your stress. That if I was settled and happily married, you wouldn’t worry so much about me.” Thea stood and started to throw the glass at the door in anger, then decided to drink it instead.
Suddenly it all made sense to her. Lloyd’s insistence that she not talk to the doctor or her father about it. That Alex already had more than his share of responsibility, that her marriage to him ensured the family company’s future.
“Son of a bitch!” Thea rounded on the two men, who stood quite shocked at her revelation.
“
Thea, tell me how bad the addiction is. Please be honest, honey. We just want to help.”
“What addiction? Are you crazy too, Alex?”
“No, I’m not, but I’m beginning to get a bad feeling about all this. Thea, sit. Dad, you, too.” When they were all settled and calmly talking openly amongst themselves, it all seemed so simple.
“But he kept telling me you were both so busy, that socializing with you only took your precious time,” Thea added, realizing the diabolical plan Lloyd had put together.
“Yes, but how did he think he’d gain control of the company by marrying you?”
“Don’t you see, Dad?” Alex interjected. “For months he’s been dropping hints Thea had a substance abuse problem. Last week he mentioned to me that when they got home from the honeymoon, he had a wonderful new doctor to take her to.”
Thea stood, anger seeping from her pores. She paced the small room several times, seeing the pieces fit together. “If he could convince you and Alex to leave me alone, he’d isolate me enough to somehow take control of my shares. This new doctor of his probably wasn’t even a doctor at all, and if he is, well…”
“Dad,” Alex added, “their prenuptial agreement. In the event of sickness, the spouse automatically gets control until the other is well. Once he had control, he’d never let Thea be well enough to take back control.”
There was a loud knock on the door, and all three of them simultaneously yelled back, “Go away!” Whoever was on the other side didn’t bother them again.
“Daddy, does this mean you’re not sick? Please tell me the truth.”
“Thea, if I was ill, I’m smart enough to take care of myself. Alex, do me a favor. Dr. Lancing is among the guests, go and get him, will you?” Alistair asked.
“Quietly,” Thea added. “Everyone in that room probably thinks I need a sedative to get through the ceremony.” Alex nodded but hesitated before leaving, going to his sister and folding her into a bear hug. She held on to him as a lifeline, the one she missed for these last months. “Alex, I’m sorry I distanced myself from you and from Dad. Lloyd made me believe it was my only choice.”
