by Becca Van
Heat suffused her cheeks and even though she had the urge to turn around to see if he was looking at her, she fought it. There was no way she was going to meet the guy’s gaze if he was looking this way and end up giving him the wrong impression. She’d learned from past experience that just meeting a guy’s eyes could be misconstrued as a come-on, and that was the last thing she wanted. Tori was glad that Flick was talking to her men and didn’t seem to be taking any notice of her. If her friend had picked up on her attraction she may well have tried to set her up. Felicity had already tried her hand in matchmaking with some of their ranch hands and it was embarrassing to have to say she wasn’t interested. She hated the thought of hurting anyone, but it was better to take a stand so that problems couldn’t arise in the future. Although she didn’t think that the men had really been hurt when she’d refused their offers of dinner. How could they when they didn’t even know her?
No, it was best to steer clear of any entanglements with men until she knew her own mind and had control of her life once more. How could she offer anyone anything when she didn’t even have a job? Which reminded her…
“Is there a travel agent office in Slick Rock?” Tori asked.
“No,” Luke replied. “Why? Are you thinking of opening up one of your own?
“I’ve thought about it.” She sighed. “But it’s just not possible.”
“Why not?” Tom asked.
“Because I don’t have any money and now I don’t have a job either.” Damn! She hadn’t meant to say that. She hadn’t told Flick that she was unemployed and now she and her men knew. She hoped they didn’t think she was here to freeload off of them.
“Tori, why didn’t you tell me you’d lost your job?” Felicity reached out and patted the hand she had resting on the table.
“Because I won’t be unemployed for long. I have every intention of getting another one.”
“You could always go to the bank and get a loan. I’m sure you wouldn’t have any trouble if you had a business plan,” Billy said.
“Not in this economic downturn. Banks want to know that you have at least some money behind you as a deposit. I don’t have anything.”
“You won’t know unless you ask,” Tom said. “The economy is starting to pick up again. The banks may have loosened their rules a bit.”
“You should go see a loan officer, Tori. You won’t know for sure whether you can get a loan unless you ask.” Felicity took a sip of her drink and then she was looking behind Tori.
Frissons of awareness raced up and down her spine and across her skin. Someone was behind her. Was it one of the three men she’d seen leaning against the bar? Maybe it was all three of them. Please, don’t let it be them. I’m not ready to get close to them or face them. I don’t want them seeing how attracted to them I am. I’m not ready to deal with one man, let alone three. Tori didn’t want to look around and see who was behind her because she already had a pretty good idea who it was and didn’t want to make a fool of herself, and end up drooling.
“Hey Ty.” Luke smiled.
“Hi, this is Luther, Jeremiah, and Bryant Katz.”
Tom, Billy, and Luke rose from their seats and shook hands with all the men. Tori kept her eyes on her half-empty glass of wine and hoped that none of them talked to her and that they wouldn’t end up sitting at their table. She didn’t know if she could keep her attraction to them from showing if they ended up any closer to her. She could still see their handsome faces in her mind’s eye. And that wasn’t all she could see. She’d seen the way the sleeves of their T-shirts stretched around their bulging biceps and how the denim jeans they wore cupped their delectable asses. Her heart rate and respiration escalated, the palm of her hands dampened with nervous excitement, and her girly bits stood up to take notice.
Shit, Tori, get a hold of yourself.
“Luther and his brothers are interested in starting up their own cattle ranch,” Tyson said.
Tori had met Ty earlier when he’d come over to say hi to them so she didn’t have to look to know who was speaking.
“Do you mind if we sit down and talk with you for a bit?”
Tori shuddered as the deep, gravelly, masculine cadence washed over her and more goose bumps formed on her skin. She hadn’t realized that anyone was watching her until Felicity leaned over and whispered to her.
“Are you cold, Tori? Do you want to borrow my cardigan?”
“I’m fine.” Tori mentally cursed the little tremor in her voice and hoped that no one had heard it. Felicity was looking at her intently and then a small smile graced her lips. She wondered what that was about but didn’t dare ask. She only hoped that it wasn’t because her friend had figured out about her attraction. The last thing she needed was Flick trying to match-make again.
“Grab some chairs and take a seat.” Tom waved his hand to emphasize his statement.
“Come sit with me so there’ll be more room, baby,” Billy said right before he scooted his chair back, wrapped an arm around Flick’s waist, and hauled her onto his lap.
Tori wanted to scoot across to Felicity’s seat so she wouldn’t end up hemmed in by two of the three men and was about to do just that, but then it was too late. One of the men was already sitting in the vacated chair. Tom and Luke moved their chairs and then another one was placed on her left side.
And then the introductions began. As much as she didn’t want to look at the men she didn’t want to be impolite, and when she met the gaze of the man on her right she sucked in a deep breath.
He was so damn fine with his dark brown hair, dark green eyes, and ruggedly handsome, chiseled features. Luther was the epitome of tall, dark, and good-looking.
“Pleased to meet you, Tori,” Luther said.
Tori looked down at the hand he held out to her and she found herself reaching for it. When their hands connected and their skin slid together it was all she could do to stop the moan building up in her chest from escaping. She clenched her jaw and bit her tongue hard enough that she tasted blood, but she was able to stop from making any noise. When she finally found her voice, she was pleased that it didn’t come out sounding like a squeak or breathy. “Hi.”
She turned her head to the left and met blue-green eyes and took Jeremiah’s hand when he offered it. He was so similar to Luther, yet his jaw was a little squarer and he had dark stubble along his jawline.
“Hey, Tori.” Jeremiah’s voice was deeper than Luther’s but a lot smoother, and the touch of his hand sent heat traveling into her veins, too.
“Pleased to meet you,” she managed to murmur.
Bryant leaned around Jeremiah and she looked into his blue eyes as he offered his hand. When more heat assailed her she was scared that her voice would tremble and so only nodded when he said ‘hi’ to her.
She was surrounded by three very big, brawny men and her body betrayed her by lighting up like the Fourth of July. They were older than her and looked confidant and more sophisticated and Tori just hoped she didn’t do anything to make a fool of herself by showing her attraction. Not that she had any intentions of doing something about it, but it would be embarrassing if they knew she found them desirable and they didn’t even find her attractive. But that was beside the point. She’d vowed to keep away from men and she was determined to keep her promise to herself. At least she hoped so.
She was glad when the men started talking about ranching and hoped that would keep any attention away from her. She thought about what Flick and her men had said about going to the bank and asking about a loan. The more she thought about it the more merit it had.
When she looked up she met Luther’s green-eyed gaze and quickly looked away, but her eyes collided with blue-green eyes and she lowered her head until she was staring at the table top.
Tori felt their eyes on her even though she was no longer looking at them, and it wasn’t just the two men sitting either side of her. Bryant was looking at her too. She began to fidget in her seat and when she realized she was pant
ing slightly she knew she had to do something.
She shoved her chair back and muttered, “Excuse me,” and hurried away toward the ladies’ room, and was pleased to find it empty. She leaned on the counter and took deep breaths as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, there was a definite sparkle in her eyes, and she could see her nipples pushing against her shirt.
“What the hell, Tori? Get control of yourself, girl.” She turned the faucets on and ran cool water over her wrists, but it didn’t seem to help to lower the heat running through her veins. “What makes them so special? You’ve seen handsome men before.”
Yeah, but not as sexy, muscular, handsome, or sophisticated as those three men.
She turned off the tap and then reached for some paper towel and dried her hands and wrists. Just as she turned to walk toward the door it burst open.
“Are you all right, Tori?” Flick asked.
“I’m fine.”
“You look a little flushed. Are you coming down with something?”
Yeah, you could say that. I would call it a case of plain old lust.
“No, I just felt a bit hemmed in.” She wanted to slap her hand over her mouth when she said that, especially when a speculative look came into Felicity’s eyes.
“They are something, aren’t they?” Flick asked.
“Who?” Tori hoped that Felicity wouldn’t see through her.
“The Katz brothers.” Felicity tilted her head and then smiled. “You don’t fool me, you know. I see that look on my face nearly every morning. You’re attracted to them.”
“No I’m not,” Tori said a little too quickly and emphatically, and Felicity’s grin got bigger.
“If you say so.” Flick hooked her arm into hers and led her back toward the door. She paused with her hand on the handle and looked at her. “Have you finished hiding out?”
“Bitch,” Tori muttered and Felicity burst out laughing.
“They like you, too.”
“They do not!”
“Ah, yeah, they do. Maybe you could go out with them.”
“Look, I don’t want to get involved with anyone. Not for a long time. I’ve had it with men and want to concentrate on getting a job and a place to live.”
“You can stay with us as long as you like, Tori. There’s no need to have your own place.”
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do and thank you for it, but there is every need. I hate interrupting you and your husbands’ lives. The sooner I get a job and my own place the better.”
Felicity yanked open the door and they headed back to the table. Tori was glad she’d let the subject of the Katz brothers and her plans drop.
All the men stood up when they came back and didn’t sit down until she and Flick were once more seated. She liked that the men all had such good manners. It made her feel special, which she knew was totally ridiculous, because as far as she was concerned she was no different than any other woman.
“What do you do Tori?” Luther had leaned down close to her ear so she could hear him over the music and chatter of the other people. Her pussy pulsed, leaking cream onto her panties, when his breath caressed her sensitive flesh.
“I’m currently out of work and looking for a job.”
“What did you do?” Jeremiah asked from her other side, and when she turned her head he was so close that her lips bumped against his chin.
Damn. That small brush of her mouth made her lips tingle and she looked at his mouth, wondering if he would taste as good as he looked. When she realized what she was doing she turned back to the front, picked up her wineglass, and drained it before finally answering him. “I was a travel agent.”
Bryant leaned forward and it was only then that Tori realized he’d been listening to the conversation. “Did you get to travel anywhere?”
She met his gaze for a heartbeat and looked away again. “No. I’d only been working for the firm for a year and was told I would have to prove myself before I got to do any travelling.”
“Did you like it?” Luther asked.
“It had its ups and downs like any other job, I guess.”
“What do you mean?” Jeremiah asked.
“Some of the people I dealt with were rude or treated me like I was a second-class citizen.”
“Who would do that?” Bryant propped his elbow on the table as he turned toward her and rested his head in his hand. He looked kind of angry on her behalf, but those thoughts drifted from her mind as she gazed at him again.
He was so damn hot just like his brothers and she was having trouble keeping her eyes off all three of them. They were older than her and she felt way out of her league talking with superior, confident men. And the more they asked questions the more tense she became.
“Well-off people mostly. There were a couple of well-to-do families in our town”—including my own stepfather and cold-hearted bitch of a mother—“and whenever they came in they always seemed to look at me down their noses. It pissed me off, but there was nothing I could do about it, especially if I wanted to earn a commission. But there were some really nice people too and they made up for the snobby ones.”
“You sound like you didn’t really enjoy your job too much, Tori,” Luther said. “Have you thought of doing something else?”
Tori frowned. As a little girl she had always dreamed of traveling, and as she grew up she’d thought the best way to achieve that goal was get into the travel agent business. But now, looking back over the year she had worked for the agency, she realized she hadn’t really enjoyed her job. Had she made a mistake taking courses at college in business and tourism? Should she have chosen something else? But what made her a little trepidatious was the fact that Luther had picked up on her emotions, when he didn’t really know her.
How the hell did he do that?
All of a sudden she had an epiphany. It wasn’t the travel that had enticed her to do that course and take that job. Tori had never been accepted for who she was and she realized that she had been looking for a place to belong. Somewhere she would fit in, where she wasn’t perceived as an anomaly.
She pushed those disconcerting thoughts aside came back to the subject. She’d always wanted to own her own business and had been working toward getting the experience she needed to achieve what she wanted out of life, but now it seemed it was time to rethink her career choice.
“I don’t know,” she finally answered Luther.
“How old are you, honey?” Jeremiah asked.
“Twenty-four.” Tori scowled at him and then reciprocated in kind. “How old are you?”
Jeremiah’s lips tilted at the corners and then he laughed. The smile made him even more handsome, and the sound of his deep laughter shot straight to her clit and pussy.
Shit! I am in so much trouble.
“I’m thirty-four.” Jeremiah chuckled again.
Luther tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention and she gulped when she saw the humor in his eyes. “I’m thirty-five, just in case you’re wondering.”
“And I’m thirty-two,” Bryant said and stared at her intently.
She looked at Jeremiah when he started talking again and hoped her face wasn’t as red as it felt.
“You’re young enough to do anything you want to do.” Jeremiah took a swig from his beer. “Maybe coming to Slick Rock was meant to be.”
When she realized she was gawking at the way his throat muscles and Adam’s apple moved as he took another drink and swallowed, she quickly looked away again. Had she been reading too much into the look he gave her? Was that heat and appreciation she’d seen in his eyes as he perused her body over?
No, Tori, don’t even go there, girl. There is no way those three hunky, sexy men see you in anyway other than Felicity’s friend.
At least I hope that’s the case.
Chapter Two
Jeremiah’s cock was as hard as a rock. From the moment he’d seen Tori from across the room he’d been drawn to her just as his broth
ers had. But when he’d sat down next to her and smelled the light strawberry scent on her warm skin he’d had a boner. When he’d seen her from over near the bar he’d thought she’d been pretty, but now that he was seeing her up close he realized that had been a gross understatement.
Tori was gorgeous with her long brown hair, aquamarine-colored eyes, and slim yet curvaceous body. When he’d first sat down and seen her beautiful face he’d been worried she was too young for him and his brothers. Even though they were older than her it wasn’t an insurmountable gap.
Thank you, God.
Eleven, ten, and eight years weren’t too much of a difference. Please, don’t let it be too much of a gap for her. She was over twenty-one, fully grown, and hopefully as attracted to them as they were to her. Tori was old enough to make her own decisions, and he just hoped that she wouldn’t be averse to having three older men courting her.
She’d been gazing down at the table since he’d spoken last and had a frown on her face as if she was thinking. He wondered if she was pondering over what he’d said about what she was going to do, or if she was pissed at him for saying she was young. Women were funny creatures at times and didn’t like to be told they were too young or too old. Some women hated being told what to do at all. He speculated if she was one of them.
Finally she lifted her head and went to take a sip from her empty wineglass but put it down again when she saw that it was already gone. Jeremiah had snagged her glass and risen to his feet before she could blink. “What are you drinking, beautiful?”
He had to hold in a smile when she gaped at him and then quickly shut her mouth again. Her lips pulled in tight and she frowned as if he had insulted her, but then her face lost all expression.
