by Leah Brooke
Jared’s stomach clenched. “No. We didn’t.” Too restless to sit, Jared shot to his feet. “And it can’t happen again. I can’t live through another day like yesterday.” Turning, he leaned back against the counter. “She knows now that keeping secrets from us won’t be allowed, and she sure as hell understands why. I don’t think it’ll be an issue anymore, but we slipped up with her. We’re gonna have to do what we can to make sure it never happens again. She needs to feel secure, and I need to know that she’s safe.”
Duncan’s jaw firmed. “It won’t happen again. It can’t. Christ, Jared. I’d be lost without her.”
“I know.” Jared nodded. “Kind of makes you understand what the founders of Desire were thinking. They had to deal with outlaws, wild animals, and all sorts of dangers.”
Imagining trying to keep Erin safe in such an environment, Jared grimaced. “I sure as hell don’t know how they did it, but I’m glad that we live in a town where protecting our women is our biggest priority.”
“Amen.” Duncan took another deep breath, blowing it out in a rush. “Still, keeping her safe is our job.”
Jared cursed when the phone rang, grabbing it before it woke Erin. “And it’s a job we’re gonna do.” He lifted the receiver. “Preston.”
“Jared, it’s Ace. They got Cramer. They waited until he dug up the money and then arrested him.”
Jared braced a hand on the counter and slumped in relief. “Good.”
“I’m gonna keep an eye on the case and make sure I get a call when he gets free.”
“Thanks, Ace. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. How’s Erin?”
“Sleeping.”
“Good. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks again.”
Jared disconnected and straightened, turning to Duncan. “They caught him.”
For the first time in over twenty-four hours, the knots in Jared’s stomach started to loosen.
Chapter Thirteen
Erin woke slowly, a pleasant grogginess making it impossible to move.
The warm solidness at her back told her that Reese had stayed with her, his warm hand on her hip.
“Feel better?” Reese’s deep voice, husky with sleep, tickled her ear.
“Hmm.”
“That’s a yes. I knew you were exhausted. Getting some sleep was good for you. How’s the headache?”
“Hmmm.”
“That’s good. I’m glad it’s gone. I was worried about you especially when you moaned in your sleep.” His hand moved lightly over her hip. “How’s the rib?”
Erin smiled and stretched again, rolling to her back. “Hmm.”
Chuckling, Reese slid his hand over her abdomen, slipping his fingers into her panties. “Better. Good. The pain medicine works. You know, learning your wake-up language has been a lot of fun, but you know, it also presents a challenge that I just can’t resist.”
Erin opened her eyes to look into his, closing them again on a moan when his fingers slid lower. “Mmm.”
She parted her legs wider, lifting into his caress. “Reese.”
“She speaks.” Reese slid a powerful thigh over hers. “Be still. I don’t want you to hurt that rib. You move, and I’ll stop.”
Lifting one hand to his hair and closing the other over his forearm, Erin opened her eyes again, staring into his as the pleasure mounted. “If you stop, I’ll smack you.”
Reese’s smile tripped her pulse. “That’s not nice.” Bracing himself on his elbow, he leaned over her, avoiding her hip. With another wicked smile, he slowed his caress even more. “If you want to come, you have to be nice.”
Tightening her hold on him, Erin bit back another moan when he slid his finger lower to gather more moisture. “If you wanted nice, you married the wrong woman.”
Staring down at her with narrowed eyes, Reese smiled again. “No. I married exactly the right one. Do you want to come, baby?”
Erin sucked in a breath when his finger slid over her clit again, the swollen bundle of nerves slick with her juices. “Of course I want to come, damn it!”
Shaking his head, Reese clicked his tongue, covering her clit with his finger, but not moving it. “That doesn’t sound very nice. You’re gonna have to be real nice to get what you want.”
She knew damned well that he was trying to provoke her. “Really? You don’t think I could go to Jared or Duncan and get what I want?”
Raising a brow, Reese removed his finger, easing her panties down to her knees before gathering both of her wrists in one big hand. “You wanna play that way, do you?” Raising his voice slightly, he called for his brothers. “I thought you understood that you can’t play us against each other. Guess you need to be reminded of that.”
Jared and Duncan rushed into the room just as Reese lifted her nightgown to her chin.
“What’s wrong?” Jared stopped abruptly when he saw her, his eyes going wide.
“Is she all right?” Duncan rushed to the other side of the bed, his lips curving. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
“We have someone who wants to come.”
Lowering a knee to the mattress, Jared slid her panties the rest of the way off and tossed them aside. “Be careful of her ribs.”
Reese ran a fingertip back and forth over her nipple. “That’s what I was trying to do. I told her not to move and that I would make her come but she had to be nice.”
Fire raced from her nipple to her clit, the sensation intensifying when Jared sat at the edge of the bed and eased her leg over his lap, effectively spreading her wider.
Dropping to his knees beside the bed, Duncan traced his fingertip over her other nipple. “That sounds like a reasonable request.”
Sucking in a breath at the next stab of pleasure, Erin looked down to look at Jared. “I was being nice. He’s being mean.”
Reese slid a fingertip down her body, slipping it between her folds again. “She got real demanding and cursed at me. When I told her again that she had to be nice in order to get what she wanted, she said that if I didn’t make her come, one of you would.”
Duncan continued to run a fingertip back and forth over her nipple, his eyes narrowing in a way that usually meant trouble. “Really? Don’t you think you’ve pushed your boundaries far enough? Do you really think you’re gonna get away with pitting one of us against another?”
Running a hand over her thigh, Jared smiled. “Just lie still and you can come.” Flattening a hand on her abdomen, Jared smiled faintly. “I’ll help you.”
Erin’s eyes closed again, the feel of Reese’s finger moving over her clit and Duncan’s fingertip teasing her sensitive nipple taking her closer and closer to the edge.
Her stomach muscles quivered beneath Jared’s hand as the pleasure built. Her clit burned, making it impossible to remain still.
Writhing as much as their holds allowed, Erin rocked her hips. “Oh God! No!” A sob escaped when Reese removed his finger.
Jared pressed lightly. “Easy, baby. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”
Reese traced her folds, bending to touch his lips to hers. “You’re not doing such a good job of staying still.”
“I will, damn it.”
Reese chuckled. “Not nice.”
Duncan took her wrists from Reese and held them higher. “Make her come. She needs it. I can’t stand to see her suffer.”
Stunned, Erin gaped at him, sucking in another breath when he bent to kiss her nipple. “Oh God. You’re the one who always teases me.”
“Yeah, well, you caught me at a weak moment. Don’t count on it happening again.”
Reese smiled. “Hold her. I’m gonna use my mouth on her.”
As soon as his lips closed over her clit, Erin knew she was a goner. “Jesus, you’re good at—oh!”
With all three of them holding her, she couldn’t move much at all as the pleasure consumed her.
She cried out when the pleasure crested, her entire body stiffening.
Relea
sing her hands, Duncan gathered her close. “Easy, darlin’. Please don’t hurt those ribs.”
Reese kissed her clit before sliding his lips to her mound, still holding her thighs in his firm hold. “She’s good, aren’t you, honey?”
Wrapping her arms around Duncan, Erin sobbed, the intimacy of the moment and her loss of control allowing the horror of the last twenty-four hours to come rushing in.
Duncan eased into the bed next to her while Reese slid back to his former position behind her.
Holding her against him, Duncan gently slid a hand into her hair, his lips barely touching her temple where Nelson had hit her. “I wondered how long you were gonna hold all this in.”
Reese rubbed her back while Jared ran his hand back and forth over her hip, each touching her.
Each warming her.
Each of her beloved husbands murmuring to her and giving her the support and security she needed to fall apart in their arms.
Wiping her eyes, she lifted her head. “I’m sorry.”
Duncan helped her sit up, and after Jared pulled her nightgown back into place, eased her against him. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Jared moved closer, reaching out to cup her cheek, his expression hardening when his gaze lingered on the taped bruise on her temple. “You don’t have to hold anything in with us, Erin. We’re here for you. I know we failed you yesterday—”
“What?” Erin looked at each of them in turn, stunned to see the looks of self-disgust on their faces, a look she’d never seen them wear before.
It made her feel guilty as hell.
“What the hell are you talking about? None of this was your fault!”
Reese shook his head. “Erin—
“No.” Pushing out of their arms, Erin eased from the bed. “I should have known you would try to take the blame for all of this. You’re so damned protective that you’ve even convinced yourself that my mistakes are on you.”
Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but smile with love for them. “Idiots. This was all my fault. Get it?”
Jared rose and reached for her. “Erin, you got hurt because we didn’t protect you. If I hadn’t walked away instead of having it out with you, none of this would have happened.”
“You don’t know that!” Jerking her arm away, she took several steps back, inwardly wincing at the hurt that flashed in his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I need to talk to you, and if you touch me, I’ll fall apart again.”
Jared’s smile, filled with tenderness, made her heart lurch. Dropping his hand, he inclined his head. “Say what you need to say, baby.”
His tenderness added to her feelings of guilt, his overwhelming love for her almost taking her to her knees. “God. I love all of you so much. You’re all so amazing that sometimes I can’t believe you’re really mine.”
Choking back a sob, she waved off Reese’s attempt to console her. “I got hurt and your store was burned down because I was too fucking stupid to see what the hell was going on!”
Pushing her hair back from her face, she winced at the pain when she inadvertently brushed her fingers against her temple. “I hate feeling stupid, and I hate it that my stupidity created this mess.”
Duncan stepped up behind her, gripping her upper arms and pulling her back against his chest. “That’s enough.”
Wiping away fresh tears, Erin tried to pull away from Duncan, even though she already knew it was useless.
Bending, he touched his lips to her shoulder. “You are so damned stubborn! You’re harder on yourself than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Jared stepped in front of her, sliding his hand over her chin and into her hair, his gaze lingering on the bruise on the other side of her face. “You’re not perfect. None of us are.”
Bending, he touched his lips to her. Breaking off the light contact, he lifted her face to stare into her eyes. “But you’re perfect for us.”
Reese moved closer and took her hand. “Very perfect for us.”
Erin’s eyes welled with tears again. “And you’re perfect for me. I still don’t understand how I can love three men, but I do. Damn it! You’re turning me into a wimp.”
Duncan lowered himself to the edge of the bed, pulling her onto his lap. “You? A wimp? Never.”
Wrapping both arms around her, he held her close, somehow avoiding her injuries. “You’re the strongest, most fascinating, and most frustrating woman I’ve ever known, and I wouldn’t change you for the world.”
Jared squatted low beside her. “But, my darling wife and love of my life, if you ever keep anything from us again, I’m gonna turn you over my knee.”
Contrary to his harsh tone, Jared ran a gentle hand up her thigh. “I love you, and the thought of losing you terrifies me.”
Leaning against Duncan, Erin nodded. “I know. I feel the same way. The thought of losing any of you scares me to death.”
Voicing the fear that had contributed to her headache, Erin reached out to Jared and Reese. “I’m scared that Wes is going to come here again. What if he believed me and comes here for the money because he thinks I actually have it? I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt.”
Sitting up, she met their amused gazes with a frown. “I don’t know what the hell you think is so damned amusing. I want you to be careful. I mean it! Maybe you should just stay home.”
Expecting an argument, Erin held out a hand. “I know what you’re going to say. I know you have to deal with the store, but it can wait until they catch Wes.”
Duncan pulled her close again and kissed the top of her head. “Now you know how we feel, but you don’t have to worry. They caught him.”
Erin slumped in relief. “Thank God.”
Reese’s brow went up. “Sucks to worry, doesn’t it? Love has a way of making a person crazy.”
“Yeah.” Smiling, Erin eyed each of them. “What does it say about a woman who happens to love three men?”
Jared chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. “That would be crazy if the men didn’t love her in return. You, darling wife, are loved, and you know it.”
“Yes.” Erin blinked back more tears. “I do, and it’s amazing.”
Duncan hugged her close. “Yes, baby. It sure as hell is.”
Epilogue
It had been over a month since the incident with Nelson, and Erin felt better than ever.
Her husbands’ actions, though, left her more than a little confused.
She looked up at the house Jared pointed to, taking in the large yard, abundance of flowers—and the For Sale sign on the front lawn.
The house looked relatively new, and appeared well cared for, but she had no idea why her husbands had brought her.
They’d been very secretive the last several days—hushed conversations ending when she walked into the room.
They’d been in a hurry to get through breakfast that morning, and she’d thought they were anxious to get back to work on the store, but instead, they’d rushed her to shower and get dressed while they’d gotten William ready to stay with Rachel.
Rachel had been expecting them but was just as baffled by Jared, Duncan, and Reese’s excitement.
Although Erin had questioned them extensively, her husbands wouldn’t give her any clues at all.
When they’d driven into Tulsa, Erin had assumed that they were doing to do some kind of shopping, but they continued to drive to the outskirts of the city until they’d arrived at the house with the sign out front.
Putting the SUV in park, Jared smiled. “What do you think?”
Erin blinked. “What do I think of the house?”
Jared inclined his head. “Nice yard, don’t you think?”
Duncan sat forward. “Downtown is only a ten-minute drive. We couldn’t find a place in the city that had a yard for William and enough room for us to build the outbuilding we need.”
A cold knot formed in the pit of Erin’s stomach. Swallowing heavily, she looked at the house again. “You’re not talking about
us moving, are you?”
Getting out of the back seat behind her, Reese opened her door. “We know how much you like living in the city and how much you like doing things in Tulsa that you can’t do at home.”
Holding up a hand, Erin stared up at him, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. “Wait a minute. Do you think that I want to move here?”
Jared sighed. “Baby, we know you like the city.”
Lowering her hand, Erin turned to him. “How about the things I can do in Desire that I can’t do here?”
Duncan touched her shoulder, his eyes hard. “Listen, I know the people here aren’t used to having ménage marriages so close, but they live close enough to Desire to know about them.”
Erin blinked, the knot in her stomach tightening. “I don’t care about that. Rachel’s in Desire.”
Jared frowned. “You can visit.”
Erin couldn’t quite believe the day had turned so abruptly. “How about your parents?”
Duncan smiled indulgently. “Darlin’, you can visit them and they can visit us anytime. It’s not that far.”
Wondering if she was dreaming, Erin fought the urge to pinch herself. “The lingerie store and the furniture store are both in Desire.”
Reese reached in to undo her seatbelt. “We can commute. One of us can take you every day and work in the store until you’re done.”
Erin had had enough. “Have the three of you lost your fucking minds?”
Jared’s expression hardened. “Erin, we know how much you miss living in the city. Dallas is too far away, but—”
Snapping her seatbelt closed again, Erin glared at each of them. “You have lost your fucking minds. I’m not moving. I love living in Desire. Everything I want is there. Everyone I love is there, but if you want to move to Tulsa, feel free.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at Reese. “Shut the door. I want to go home.”
To her stunned amazement, all three men started laughing.
Unhooking her seatbelt again, Jared dragged her across the front to settle her on his lap. “Thank God.”
Erin smacked at him. “I don’t know what the hell you think is so damned funny. Is this some kind of a joke to you? If so, I’m not amused.”
