by Vanessa Vale
God, the thought of going back to that was almost too depressing to bear.
My mother’s words came back to me. It wasn’t normal. She was right about that. Life in Bridgewater wasn’t normal… but it was better. Better than the life I’d been leading in New York, at least. If I went back there, I’d be going back to day after day where I was too busy to meet a nice, single guy and go on a date, let alone have a meaningful relationship. Hell, my job in New York left me no time for a simple friendship outside of the office.
Less than a week in Bridgewater and I’d experienced more joy, friendship, laughter, and amazing sex than the last few years in New York. Maybe the people in this town had the right idea. They certainly had different priorities than most people I’d known in my life, but that didn’t mean those priorities were wrong.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I remembered Sam and Jack’s means of helping me get my priorities straight. Especially the spanking. Sheesh, my ass was still a little sore. Other places, too. Maybe their particular techniques were working, after all. Because I sure as hell was starting to reconsider what was important to me. Not spanking, but the way they made me forget everything, to focus on what was really important. And it wasn’t a corner office.
I’d be hard pressed to find a more caring group of people than those in Bridgewater. And Sam and Jack? My heart constricted in my chest at the thought of those two men. My men.
Yeah, they were definitely a priority.
But so was my career. I’d already invested a shitload of time and energy into getting where I was. Granted, I still wasn’t partner, but I would be. All that hard work had to count for something, didn’t it? I couldn’t just throw all of that away. Could I?
Sally told me she had a potential buyer to meet at another property and with a quick wave she was out the door, leaving me alone with the clutter and my conflicted thoughts. Luckily intensive cleaning was a fantastic distraction, so I threw myself into it and didn’t stop for the next hour.
I probably wouldn’t have stopped then if it wasn’t for Charlie’s phone ringing. The man on the other end introduced himself as Buck Reinhardt. The name didn’t ring a bell but from his arrogant tone and the expectant pause, I guessed it should have.
“What can I do for you, Buck?”
Turned out Buck Reinhardt was a pretty big deal in Montana real estate—or at least, he seemed to think so. He launched into a spiel about his company and all the development projects they had in the works. As he was talking, Sam and Jack knocked on the back door and walked in, making concentration difficult. Two sexy cowboys strutting around my kitchen and I had the attention span of a gnat.
As Buck yammered on in my ear, Jack sauntered over with that sexy grin of his and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me up against him so I could feel his hard cock pressing against his jeans. Sam leaned against the kitchen table beside me and gave me a wink.
“Do I have your attention, Catherine?” Buck asked in my ear.
“Um…” I gave Jack’s chest a little shove but apparently he took that as a request to start nibbling at my neck. I bit my lip to keep from moaning into the phone.
“I wasn’t fortunate enough to know your uncle, but I’ve heard great things about him,” Buck said.
“Mmhmm.” Why was he still talking? And what was Jack doing with his tongue that made my knees give out like that?
“But I do think your uncle would have appreciated the New York City apartment you could purchase for the price I’m offering on his property.”
My eyes sprang open. Offer? What offer?
Buck quoted a number then that made me gasp so loudly, Jack sprang back with surprise and Sam shot up straight. They hovered over me with questioning looks, but I waved them off as I asked Buck to repeat what he’d just said.
“The amount?”
“No, all of it. I was distracted.”
Buck repeated himself and this time I listened, with Sam and Jack waiting impatiently nearby. By the time I hung up, they were pacing the kitchen. “What was that about?” Sam asked. “Was it your ex? Chad? Because he and I had a little chat and he won’t be bothering you any more.”
I frowned at him wondering what he’d done, what he’d said to Chad, but I was distracted by Buck’s offer to think on it further.
“No, not Chad. A real estate developer.”
I told them what he’d told me—how he wanted to buy Charlie’s property, along with his water rights, for a sum that made my stomach do backflips. Holy shit, I could buy myself a partnership with that kind of money. Hell, I could buy the firm.
Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was a hell of a lot of money—more than I’d be able to save in a decade at my current salary. Buck had been right, I could buy property in the city. No more shoebox apartment. For an investor, he’d done his research and worked his sales pitch to where it would be most enticing.
Jack muttered a “hot damn” at the sum and Sam slid down into a kitchen chair. By his grim expression, I had a feeling he’d gone into lawyer mode, thinking through every angle of this deal.
I knew, because I’d done the same thing. As soon as my stomach settled down, my brain raced into action trying to sort through possible pitfalls, the legal ramifications, what to do next, and what this deal would mean for me.
“Are you going to take the offer?” Jack asked. My gaze met Sam’s.
He knew what I was going to say and he beat me to it. “She needs to do her homework at city hall first. Isn’t that right, doll?”
I was already gathering up my purse and car keys as I nodded. To Jack, I explained, “I can’t even start to consider the deal until I sort out the details of this property’s water rights and what they’re worth. It’s Old West laws I know nothing about.”
He scratched his chin as he stared at the ground. I could tell he wanted to ask more questions and I had a good idea where they would lead. What then? If I sold, or even if didn’t… what then? Would I stay or would I go?
I didn’t want to hear the questions because I didn’t have the answers. I was even more confused than before. Instead of sticking around, I busted my ass trying to get out of there, ignoring the tension in the room.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Sam asked. “I could give you a ride, help you do some research.”
I gave him an appreciative smile, but shook my head. “Thanks, but I need to do this on my own. Could you guys lock up when you leave?”
I’d almost reached the door when Jack’s voice stopped me. “Sam and I will stick around and clear out some of this mess,” he said, gesturing toward a stack of boxes and filled trash bags. “When you’re done doing whatever it is you need to do, we’ll meet you at Sam’s house, got it?”
I nodded. It wasn’t a request, really, but a command. I’d gotten used to Sam being the one who issued commands but Jack was a natural. He sauntered across the room until he was standing right in front of me, and placed a finger under my chin to tip my head up so I couldn’t avoid his gaze.
“Don’t make us wait, sweetness. There’s a lot we need to discuss.”
Shit. I knew exactly what they wanted to talk about, but I wasn’t ready. “I thought you said you wouldn’t pressure me.”
He flashed me that shit-eating grin of his as he tugged me toward him roughly. “Did I say that?”
Oh fuck. He slipped a hand down the waistband of my jeans and cupped my pussy, using his fingers to tease my clit through the thin fabric of my panties. My whimper made him smile again and I heard Sam get out of his chair to join us.
“We won’t pressure you, doll,” Sam said, coming to stand behind me so I was sandwiched between them. Trapped in the best way possible. There was no place I’d rather be.
“Not everything can be solved by good sex,” I countered, trying to keep my focus which was close to impossible with these two.
“Just good?” Jack countered.
Sam wrapped his arms around me, his hands cupping my br
easts through my T-shirt. My nipples pressed against the fabric of my bra as his thumbs teased them and I found myself pushing against his palms, trying to get him to touch me harder, the way I liked.
He wouldn’t, and I knew that was on purpose. These men loved to tease, to build up anticipation. I bit back a moan.
What they were doing was working.
“We won’t push you,” Sam said. His hands fell away, but Jack made no move to release me. His palm was still firmly pressed against my pussy and if he didn’t stop working his fingers, I’d come for him just like that—standing and fully clothed. “And we won’t use sex like a weapon. But you have to keep in mind how much we want you. Mind and body. This conversation? You can’t put it off indefinitely.”
No, I couldn’t. Time was running out on this trip, which meant the clock was ticking on our relationship. “Not indefinitely,” I agreed, my voice coming out irritatingly breathy. How was a person supposed to argue effectively when she was being manhandled from all directions?
As much as I wanted to give in and let them have their way with me in the kitchen, time wouldn’t allow it. “But not now,” I said. “I need to get to city hall before they close for the day.”
“Not so fast, sweetness.” Jack leaned down so I could feel his breath against my neck. “You’re not going anywhere with those panties on.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
CATHERINE
A little while later, I was going commando as I walked into Bridgewater’s town hall. I was also a good deal more relaxed than I’d been that morning since they’d made sure to give me two orgasms before sending me on my way. Jack hadn’t stopped fingering my pussy until I came right there in the doorway. After that they’d ordered me to strip off my jeans so I could lose the panties. Sam, apparently not content to let his cousin give me an orgasm without giving me one as well, dropped to his knees and buried his face between my thighs and started flicking my clit with his tongue, making me come fast and furious as I leaned against the kitchen counter.
So much for not using sex as a weapon. A very pleasurable, mind blowing weapon.
I was sure everyone I passed in city hall could see that I was glowing, but I didn’t have time to worry about gossip. The building was only open for another hour and I needed the legal information so I could make an informed decision. Buck hadn’t pressured me to give him an answer immediately, but I wanted to figure out what I was doing with Charlie’s property as soon as possible. It was too much of a mess to get it ready for market in the next few days, so I’d have no time to think about it if I went back to New York.
If I went back. Since when had I started to doubt my return? For a little while now, if I was being honest. Hell, I’d started to have my doubts about heading back to New York after that first night with Sam and Jack. And who wouldn’t? There was never any question that being wanted by two sexy cowboys was a temptation. I wouldn’t have been a badge carrying woman if I didn’t at least think about staying.
But being tempted didn’t mean it was the right choice. I still had responsibilities and a life to get back to.
The clerk in the records department helped me find all the information I needed in about five minutes. I took the next half hour to read through it all at a small counter and then read it all again. After I was done, I called Sally and asked her some questions to make sure I’d understood the details. Real estate law was fascinating, especially since I had such a personal case.
As I hung up from Sally, I knew any hope of being an overnight millionaire vanished before my eyes. No fancy apartment in New York. Turned out Charlie’s water rights were not only senior, but affected most of the ranches in the county. What was done to Charlie’s land had long term, lasting impacts. Basically, by taking Buck’s offer, I’d be screwing over all the properties downstream of Charlie—and that was most of the land west of Bridgewater.
I left city hall just before closing and headed straight toward Sam’s place downtown. I’d been warned about being late, but that wasn’t why I rushed. I had my answers. While I didn’t know what to do with the land, it didn’t matter. Not right this second. Truth was, I couldn’t wait to see them again. God, I couldn’t be away from them for an hour without missing them.
About halfway to his place, my cell rang and I answered it on speaker without looking to see who it was. The streets were straight and I only passed a few cars, but I still didn’t want to take my eyes from the road. I should have looked. I really should have checked.
“Just called to say thank you, Catherine.”
Roberts. Crap.
A call from the case stealing lawyer was exactly what my day did not need. But it was his nasally New York accent that filled my car and had my hands clenching the steering wheel in annoyance. “What do you want, Roberts?”
“No need to bite my head off.”
There was no way I’d give him the satisfaction of asking what he was talking about. His smug tone said enough. I didn’t cut him off quickly enough, because he continued uninterrupted. “I guess you heard that I settled the Marsden case. Farber was pleased with the outcome, as I’m sure he told you.”
Fuck. I slammed a fist against the steering wheel. “That’s my case.”
“Was your case.” There was no denying the laughter in his voice. “Thanks again for taking a vacation. Please, feel free to stay as long as you’d like. Where are you? Bumfuck, Montana? I hear cow tipping’s tons of fun. I’ve got your cases handled, so just—”
I hung up on the prick before he could finish. My fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white, my blood pressure probably on its way to stroke level. I had to get back. Now. The sooner the better. I couldn’t waste any more time in the middle of nowhere while my cases were being stolen out from under me. Panic made my heart race. Every minute I was here was another chance for Roberts to take credit for my work. If I didn’t get back now, I’d lose out on the partnership for good.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Goddammit, breathing exercises were a useless waste of time when I was seething with anger. No amount of controlled breaths would give me the release I needed.
But Sam and Jack could. They knew how to make me forget, make me let go of all the shit in my life and just… be. Just come again and again. Yes, I needed to fuck. I needed orgasms. Thank God I was headed to them now or I might combust. And when I was back in New York? What would I do then? Book a flight to Montana every time the stress got to be too much? It was a long way for a booty call.
I could quit. The thought resonated like a gong. I could say goodbye to the stress and the competition and live life like the people of Bridgewater—surrounded by friends, enjoying life. Being loved.
I could be a lawyer in Montana. Sam did it. Why couldn’t I? But would I? It would mean giving up everything I’d been working toward, everything I’d thought I’d wanted for so long. Was I ready to make that sacrifice for the Kanes?
As I pulled into Sam’s driveway, I still didn’t have an answer.
***
SAM
Jack and I hauled a truckload of boxes out of Charlie’s house and took them to the dump before coming back to my place to wait on Katie. Manual labor had been a great distraction from the elephant in the room but now we had nothing to do but sit and wait.
“You don’t look nervous,” I said. Not that Jack typically looked nervous; he was easygoing by nature. But this was hardly a normal situation. It wasn’t every day we asked a woman to be ours. We hadn’t used the word wife, not yet at least, but it was implied. It was what we meant and what we wanted. Katie as our wife, mother of our children.
I couldn’t remember the last time I wanted something more. This was nothing like Samantha Connors, my high school sweetheart. I could see now that Jack had been right to turn away from that. She hadn’t been the one for us.
Katie was.
“That’s because I’m not nervous,” Jack said. He sank into the couch and sprawled out, stretched his long legs out in front of
him. “Katie loves it here in Bridgewater. She’ll stay.”
I kicked his boots off the couch so I could sit too. “I wish I had your confidence.”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “You don’t think she loves it here?”
“I know she does. But deciding to stay means getting out of her own head for more than two seconds and listening to her gut.”
Jack gave a little grunt of agreement. He knew I was right. Did Katie love Bridgewater? Hell, yes. Did she enjoy spending time with us? Absolutely. That woman couldn’t doubt that she was our perfect match in bed—and out—at least. We’d made our point there… we’d showed her just how good it could be. But just because she enjoyed hot sex didn’t mean she was ready to admit that she belonged with us. It sure as hell didn’t mean she was ready to commit to being with us for the rest of her life.
Jack seemed to read my mind. He shifted so he could lean forward, his gaze unusually intense. “Look, Sam, we don’t need her to agree to marry us—not today, at least. We just need her to stay. If she does that….”
He had a point. If she stayed, we would win her in the end. If she wanted courting, we’d do it. Roses, candlelight, horseback rides. Whatever. This had been fast and that damn lightning wasn’t something she believed in. That was okay. If she stayed, we’d have all the time in the world to have her fall in love with us.
“You’re right,” I said.
He grinned. “Of course, I am.”
I kept thinking of the way her eyes had lit up during dinner at Cara’s the other night. She’d been luminous and in her element. Laughing and talking, she’d been relaxed and content—a far cry from the tightly wound ball of stress I’d met that first day at the bar. She deserved to be like that all the time, not just when she was on vacation.
That right there was what I was afraid of. She saw all of this as a vacation from life. A hot fling, a leisurely pace, fun with friends—I had a horrible feeling that in her mind this was all just a break from “real” life. Perhaps even a distraction, something keeping her from the fast lane, the corner office. Maybe I was wrong and Jack was right. Maybe she was coming around to the idea of staying. There had definitely been moments when I’d thought she had, but then there were times when I could see her mind drifting back to New York and all the bullshit that waited for her there. It was hard to fight against a cell phone, instant messaging, emails and a type-A personality.
