by Jane Jamison
“No, man, leave him be. If you wake him up, he’s going to be a pain to get moving.”
“But he’s sleeping in our bed,” exclaimed Burton. “Hell, he’s sleeping in her bed.”
“Yeah, he is. But sheets can be washed.” Ridge tugged on Matt, moving him back out to the hallway. “And mattresses can be burned. But, fuck. He’s drunk as a skunk. Let him sleep it off.”
“Fine. As long as I get to kick his ass in the morning.” Matt would be damned if he’d let Ron sneak into their house without getting some kind of payback.
“And we’ll help you do it.” Ridge shut the door. “First, we run. Then we kick his ass.”
A couple of minutes later, three lions padded down the stairs, bumped open the kitchen door, and scampered across the yard toward the waiting darkness of the tree line.
* * * *
Bree sipped her second cup of coffee in less than thirty minutes. She hadn’t managed to get much sleep even after she’d thought Ron had gone away for good. Instead, she’d continued to pace the bunkhouse and check her phone every fifteen minutes.
If only Winnie was here.
But she wouldn’t interfere with her friend’s good time. And if her friend had found love, then even better.
Did I find love?
She’d asked the same question a hundred times throughout the night. Yet, although she’d anticipated having a difficult time in answering the question and even thinking the answer would be a resounding no, she kept coming up with the same answer time and time again.
I love them.
Even stranger was the fact that she loved all three men equally, even though she felt a stronger pull toward Matt. Why she did, she didn’t know. But it didn’t matter, either.
It was as though the men were a package deal and she couldn’t love only one of them.
Where the hell are they? And where is Carol?
Yet Carol being absent wasn’t strange. She’d made a point of staying away from the home, giving Bree and the men more opportunity to be together.
Thank you, Carol.
Yet what good did it do if the men were never home? For the hundredth time, she looked toward the main house, hoping to see a sign of them. Still no lights. When would they get home?
Then a terrible idea hit her. Were they staying away from their home until she left? Were they ghosting her? But she couldn’t, wouldn’t think that way. No, the way they’d made love to her had left no doubt. They wanted her. That was easy enough to see. But she knew without any doubt that their need for her went beyond the mere physical. No men could ever have treated her in such a special way if they didn’t care for her. But how deep did their affection go?
Was it merely affection? Or could it be they’d fallen as strangely and as amazingly hard as she had?
Again, she checked the house.
Where the hell are they?
What if they’d already come home and gone into the house? Could she have missed their arrival?
That had to be it. But if so, why hadn’t they come to the bunkhouse? She’d left a light on. But was the small light in the back of the bunkhouse bright enough for them to see?
She pushed the idea that they were avoiding her away.
I didn’t miss them, and they aren’t avoiding me.
She’d make damn sure that she didn’t miss them when they finally came home. But there was only one way to make that happen, and that wasn’t by sitting in the bunkhouse. She’d wait for them inside the house. Setting down her cup, she slipped out into the night and strode toward the main house.
Halfway there, she paused when she caught movement off toward the tree line. Something white was in there. And then another flash of white was followed by yet a third. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see better, but whatever it was had moved into the darkness of the trees.
She started toward the trees, her heart thumping in her chest. What had she seen? Could it be? Had she seen a lion? Maybe more than one? Yet the closer she came to the spot where she’d seen the white blur, the less sure she became.
The rustling of bushes had her whirling to the left. Suddenly a white rabbit darted out from the underbrush, startling her. She let out a squeak then covered her mouth. When she could finally catch her breath again, she studied the darkness. Had there been other white rabbits? Was that what she’d seen?
“Holy crap, Bree. Keep your shit together or you’re going to end up going down a fucking rabbit hole and talking to the Mad Hatter.”
Stealing herself, she continued to the house. As it had always been before, the door leading into the kitchen was unlocked. At one point, she’d asked the men why they left their cars and houses unlocked and had received questioning stares as though asking the question was stranger than actually leaving them unlocked. She’d let her curiosity slide, putting it down to the fact that Lonesome was a small town with small-town habits and trust.
The kitchen was dark except for the light from the bright moon. After quietly closing the door behind her, she waited for a moment as she listened for any sounds. Were they awake? Yet she didn’t hear anything.
Either they’re not at home or they’re already sound asleep.
Neither idea made her happy.
Okay, so they’re not home yet. But I’ll be waiting for them when they do finally do make it home.
A sly smile curved her lips as she headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. She didn’t know which bedroom was which, but it wouldn’t matter. Whichever man’s bed she ended up in didn’t matter. Once one of them slipped into bed, she’d let her presence be known. The other men would come running. At least, that was her plan. If everything worked out, she’d get exactly what she wanted.
As soon as she got to the top of the stairs, she heard an encouraging sound. Someone was snoring. All she had to do was figure out which room the snoring was coming from.
Tiptoeing down the hallway, she stopped at each bedroom door and listened. First one, then the second, and then finally the third bedroom was dismissed. Her gaze fell on the door at the end of the hallway. The snoring was coming from the fourth bedroom.
“There you are,” she whispered.
Bree held a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. Why hadn’t she thought of this idea before now? How many times had she waited for them to come to the bunkhouse when she could’ve taken fate into her own hands and gone to them?
Thankfully, the moon shining through the windows and into the house was enough to guide her down the hallway. She couldn’t stop grinning. The closer she came to the bedroom, the bigger her grin grew. Excitement zipped its way through her. She could already feel their hands traveling along her skin, their fingers dipping into dark places, their tongues tantalizing her flesh. She grew wet quickly as she moved on, discarding one piece of clothing after the other.
As soon as she opened the door, she’d sneak into the bed and crawl between the warm sheets. Sheets that would soon go from dry and warm to wet and hot.
Naked now, she put her hand on the doorknob and listened again to the snoring. It was definitely a man’s snoring. Not that she worried about it being Carol. Carol’s room was the converted attic above the second story. Besides, she’d been on the ranch long enough to know that Carol rarely came home. She preferred to stay with friends—or, as Carol had put it one morning, “next to a warm body.”
It seemed both the men and the women of Lonesome were very free, sexually speaking. Which, of course, worked in her favor.
She drew in a long breath, a sudden rush of uncertainty swamping her.
They wouldn’t turn her down. Of that, she was certain. She was, wasn’t she? Yet a question remained. Should she have fun and simply enjoy herself? Or should she push one last time to get them to admit to what they are?
Or more to the point of the real question now haunting her. Should she tell them how she felt?
No. She couldn’t admit to loving them yet. Saying so this fast would run any man off, and she couldn’t take that chance now.
Later. Once I get them to admit what they are. Once they trust me enough to give me The Allure, then I’ll tell them.
Okay. Here goes nothing.
She drew in a steadying breath.
Actually, here goes everything.
Pushing open the door as silently as she could, she peeked around the edge and saw the body underneath the covers. Even with the moon streaming through the window, she couldn’t tell which man it was. He had his entire body covered, including his head.
It doesn’t matter which one it is.
The chilly air wafted over her body, but the heat surging within her kept her warm. Her nipples hardened, and her heart raced. She was happy to see that the bed was enormous, more than enough to comfortably sleep four people even when three of those people were huge men.
Taking care to stay quiet, she came to the side of the bed. The snoring was incredibly loud, but she imagined she would get used to it in time. After all, even amazing, hot men like her men had to have a fault or two.
Lifting the covers, she eased into the bed.
Warm. Just like I knew it would be.
She snuggled next to him. At first, she was too ecstatic to notice. But then it stuck her and she had to wonder why the man lying next to her didn’t feel as muscled as she remembered. She quickly chalked it up to her imagination. Once she turned him toward her, she’d skim her fingers along his hard abdomen. Then she’d travel those fingers even lower to find his cock. Would it be stiff if he was dreaming? If not, she planned to make it long, thick, and hard with her mouth.
But damn, his snoring is literally shaking the bed!
She pushed that thought aside and put her lips to the curve of his neck. At once, he squirmed and let out a low moan.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “Roll over and face me.”
He moaned again as she slipped her hand around to find his pec. A pec that strangely also wasn’t very muscled.
I’m just overthinking things.
“Hey.”
She smiled. He’d awakened before she could take his cock in hand, but that was all right. “Hey, yourself.” Was it Matt, Burton, or Ridge? His voice was guttural, filled with sleepiness.
She snuggled closer, bringing her hand back to cup his butt cheek.
Again, not as tight as she would’ve thought it’d be.
Doubt filled her. Something was off, but what?
“Hmm. That feels good.”
Despite her doubt, she continued. “Yeah? Then how about you make me feel good, too? You make me feel good and I’ll make you feel extra special good.”
“Yeah? How?”
She still couldn’t recognize which of the men he was. Maybe it was because she’d never heard their just-woke-me-up voices. “You give me The Allure and I’ll go down on you.” She snuggled even closer, pressing her breasts against his back. “Come on. You know you want to.”
“Yeah? You want my allure? But I thought you already got…never mind. Then you’ll suck me off?”
He didn’t deny The Allure! Isn’t that almost the same as admitting he’s a shifter?
She paused then took her hand from his ass. Something was definitely off, but she couldn’t stop now. Not when she was so damn close. “You bet I will. And then I’ll ride you so hard you’ll beg me to stop.”
“Fuckin’ yeah. They’ll kick my ass, but it’ll be fucking worth it.” He twisted around, the sheet falling away from his body. His mouth was puckered as though ready to blow.
Oh, shit!
Ron Gardner wrapped his arms around her, jerking her against him. “Take my allure, little pretty. I’m going to fuck you until you scream.”
She screamed, all right, but not in the way Ron wanted. Shoving against his chest, she pushed away as hard as she could, the smell of his alcohol-laden breath flowing over her.
In the same moment that she held her breath, the overhead light came on and a hand gripped Ron’s shoulder. Ron’s eyes widened as his body was jerked out of bed and flung across the room.
Chapter Seven
Bree grabbed the sheets to cover her body. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Matt stood over a groaning Ron while Burton and Ridge came to either side of the bed.
“Are you all right?” Burton’s gaze skimmed over her. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head, embarrassment heating her cheeks. “No. He didn’t—” She stopped as the questions whirled.
What had he done? She’d asked him to give her The Allure, and he’d breathed on her. She could still smell the stench of his breath. Had he allured her?
Burton and Ridge exchanged a telling look. Ridge grabbed a blanket from a nearby chair, and although she was already covered, he placed it over her. “What did he do? And why are you in bed with him, anyway?”
“Fuckin’ A, guys.” Ron held out his hand to defend himself as Matt stood, hands fisted, and glared down at him. “I was only going to do what she wanted me to do. Hell, she came on to me.”
Bree’s embarrassment morphed into full-blown horror. “No, no. I didn’t. Not really. I mean, I thought he was one of you.”
Matt snagged Ron’s jeans off the floor and threw them at him. “Get dressed.”
“I’m telling you guys the truth. She came on to me.” Ron pointed an accusing finger at her. “She’s the one who said she’d suck me off if I gave her my allure.”
Shock registered on all three men’s faces. A flush swept through her. “No. You don’t understand.”
“What happened, Bree?” Ridge frowned, confusion, pain, and anger mixing together in his expression. “How did you end up in bed with him?”
“I told you.” She stalled, fighting to find the right words. “I thought he was one of you.”
“You thought he”—Burton pointed at Ron as though staring at a piece of shit on the floor—“was one of us? He doesn’t look anything like us.”
“And he didn’t feel anything like one of you, either.” Why hadn’t she paid more attention to that fact?
“What the hell, little pretty?” Ron staggered onto his feet. “What the hell’s wrong with this?” He waved his hand along his body like Vanna White displaying the letters on the wall.
Whatever happened wasn’t Ron’s fault. At least, not all his fault. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” She swallowed then did her best to sound sincere. “You have a very nice body.”
Ridge growled, then lifted his lips in a snarl. “What that fuck did you do, man? Did you”—he glanced at Bree then back to Ron—“do it?”
“No!” she exclaimed.
“Well, did you, Ron?” Burton fisted his hands and got within a few inches of Ron.
“No, man. Shit. You know I wouldn’t do that to you guys.”
“The hell you wouldn’t.” Burton glanced down at a naked Ron and stepped back.
“This shit ends now.” Matt glared at her then shoved Ron’s shirt against his chest. He took hold of the now-smiling man and shoved him toward the door. “Get the fuck out before I decide to rip that smile off your face.”
Ron stumbled toward the door, twisting around to wiggle his fingers at Bree. “Call me, little pretty, if these guys kick you to the curb. I’ll still give you my allure if you want it.”
“Fuck you.” Matt shoved Ron out into the hallway then slammed the door closed before rounding toward Bree. “Get dressed. Now.”
Anger welled. “Stop shouting at me.” She drew in a ragged breath as the men she loved crowded around the bed. But they weren’t about to get in bed with her. Instead, they continued to glare at her. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Not really.”
“Is that right?” Burton’s tone was low but well controlled. A little too controlled. “You claim you ended up in bed with Ron by accident. Is that what we’re supposed to believe?”
She jumped on the opening. “Yes! That’s the truth.”
“You’d better start explaining, hon.”
Tears burned in her eyes. At
least, Ridge was still calling her “hon.”
“I waited for you guys to come home. I mean, sure we’ve had fun around the ranch and we had wonderful sex…” She searched them and, thankfully, saw that mentioning their lovemaking stirred hunger in their expressions. “But lately, it seemed like you were trying to avoid me.”
“That’s not true,” interjected Burton. “We were just trying to figure things out. That and we had trouble with the herd.”
She fought to keep the tears at bay. “It didn’t feel that way. So I decided to take things into my own hands. I snuck into the house to wind up in bed with one of you. Instead, I ended up in bed with Ron.”
“And you couldn’t tell the difference between him and one of us?” Matt snorted his derision. “Damn. If that’s true, we need to bulk up, guys.”
“I thought he—I mean, one of you—felt different, but I just brushed it off.” She dragged in a shuddering breath. “It was all a big misunderstanding.”
“And you promised him you’d suck his cock if he gave you The Allure?” Ridge shook himself. “Fuck. I’m not sure I’ll ever get the image of you in bed with him out of my mind.”
She’d promised Ron more than that, but she wasn’t about to offer that bit of information. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. What more can I say?”
“I don’t know.” Matt ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I don’t know what the fuck to think.”
They grew silent for a moment, which rattled her more than anything they’d said so far.
“And you asked him to give you The Allure?” questioned Burton. “So did he? Did he give you his breath with his allure?” He frowned then suddenly looked surprised.
“That asshole better not have.” Matt’s lip lifted into a snarl. “I’ll rip his fucking head off.”
Understand dawned. “Is that what you guys were talking about? You weren’t talking about sex?”
“Just answer the question, Bree.” Burton rubbed the back of his neck, looking more perturbed than angry now.
“He didn’t. I mean, I think he tried, but—” She hadn’t realized what Burton’s reaction meant until then. “Wait a minute. You’re all acting like it’s possible. Like The Allure is real. You believe Ron could’ve given me his allure, don’t you?”
