Men Times Three

by Edwards, Bonnie

  “Don’t look at me as if this is my fault.” Deke was a big guy, but now he loomed large and hard and furious. She refused to be cowed and stared just as heatedly back at him.

  The breeze kicked his dark hair into waves, making him look even angrier. “You heard me: How over is this?”

  “Very.” But her answer made her uncomfortable. She’d slept with Jack just before she got here. She shifted with her guilt and Deke noticed.

  He stepped back as if he couldn’t bear to be near her. His face closed, his body went rigid. Shit, she’d never been much of a liar. And Deke had definitely been lied to before. “Why am I doubting you, Holly?”

  “We haven’t even seen this man yet. It may not be Jack,” she hedged. Then she got riled. “So what if I have an ex? We’re divorced. It’s over. End of story.”

  The heat of anger rose as she stared at him. “You can’t tell me you don’t have some woman in your past you cared about.”

  He narrowed his eyes but she didn’t heed the warning. “You didn’t put in that foundation for nobody. You had plans, Deke. And they were broken, just like mine. Are you saying you’ve made it to thirty-two without ever having cared about someone?” She couldn’t believe it, Deke was too good a man, too kindhearted not to have fallen for some woman somewhere.

  He blinked and set his jaw at a stubborn angle. “It wasn’t a woman I fell for.” His eyes went bleak. “I know that now.”

  “But—” This was not something she could have seen coming. “But, you’re—”

  He held up his hands, the bag dangling in the breeze. “I’m not gay, but I’m not bringing my baggage into this. This is about yours.”

  Baggage. Jack.

  “What the hell is Jack doing here? You told me there was nothing to worry about.” He stepped away, yanked on his truck door and climbed inside, his face a mask of stubborn denial.

  “There is nothing to worry about,” she snapped, still stunned by the force of his anger. “Jack’s harmless. He’s probably just here to—” He started the truck, so she leaped into the passenger seat to avoid being left in the hardware store parking lot, an honest-to-God spectacle. She couldn’t believe she’d been about to say Jack was here to get laid. Yeah, that’s exactly what Deke wanted to hear.

  Deke was so large and intimidating she wasn’t sure what to expect once they were alone, but she’d give her last breath knowing he’d never hurt her. He wasn’t that kind of man. So she buckled up and turned her face to the side window to avoid the steaming heat of anger that rose all around him.

  “I didn’t ask for you to handle this for me, Deke. If this is Jack, I’ll talk with him and send him back to the city.”

  He grunted and pulled out of the parking lot. He turned left toward the inn. “Turn around,” she said. “Take me to your place so I can get my things. I’ll move into the inn with Kylie. You won’t have to deal with me or my ex-husband ever again.”

  “Goddamn it.” He slammed his palm on the steering wheel, then white-knuckled the thing as he pulled a U-turn. “I got into the middle of a legal battle between a woman I cared for and her ex. I’ll never do it again. She used me. Convinced me of all kinds of things that weren’t true.” He glanced across the cab at her, his eyes dark pools of pain. “In the beginning, she told me the same thing you are. That there was nothing to worry about, that she’d handle everything. But then, occasionally, she’d mention some of the things he’d done, some of the shit he was pulling to hurt her and her son. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker.”

  And then she saw the source of his pain. He’d wanted a family. He’d cared for this woman and her son and she used Deke’s feelings for the boy to her own advantage. “Oh, Deke, I’m sorry. You wanted that little boy to have a dad. A real dad.”

  He stiffened and she knew the pain was still fresh. That was why he’d been drinking so hard. He was grieving the loss of a son. She wanted to ask what happened, where the boy and his mother were now, but Deke was still raw and it wasn’t her place.

  He needed to understand more about her and the divorce so he’d see she wasn’t a repeat of this other woman. “I went through my divorce without even getting my family involved, so I’m not about to ask you to get between Jack and me now.”

  “You divorced without telling your family?”

  “I told them after I left but kept the process to myself. They never warmed to Jack and I didn’t think it was fair to blame him for the whole thing, which is exactly what they’d have done.” The death of her marriage had been painful enough without going over it in intimate detail during every conversation. And her father and brothers would have been in Jack’s face. “I was always their little girl and baby sister.” Having anyone else deal with Jack would be admitting she couldn’t stand on her own two feet. As stubborn as Aunt Trudy? Maybe. “I needed to deal with my divorce in my own way.” She still did. “And I’ll deal with Jack without your help now.”

  She wasn’t sure if this argument signaled the end with Deke. Not everyone wanted to share their vulnerability so soon in a relationship. If he’d said too much too soon, and was already sorry for talking about his recent painful break up, the end could be on them without warning. Intimacy needed to be earned and she had no way to know how far along that path they’d gone.

  None of this pain would have surfaced if Jack had just stayed home. “This is exactly the kind of shit Jack loves to pull. He’s ruined what you and I have and I’m so sorry about that, Deke. I didn’t want this to happen. When we promised to leave our baggage out of this, I took my promise to heart. I never meant for this to happen.” Her voice wobbled in the middle of her speech, but she pulled it together admirably by the end. If Jack knew the way he’d ruined a good thing for her, he’d be happy enough to crow.

  “I don’t want us to part on angry terms, Deke. We have to see each other at the inn. It’ll be uncomfortable for TJ and Marnie, too.” The distance to his camper was eaten by the tires on the damp road. Another misty rain morning.

  When he didn’t respond, she turned to the window again and stared out at the passing trees. Trees and more trees. She wanted to look out the other side, but Deke would think she was staring at him, so she subsided into her seat and let her mind wander.

  She refused to let her thoughts settle anywhere, because if she did, she’d get angry again: at Jack, at herself and at Deke, when none of this was his fault.

  Deke drove on autopilot. Good thing it was midmorning with little traffic. Holly sat beside him stonefaced and staring out the side window to avoid looking in his direction.

  He couldn’t blame her. He’d really lost it back there. But he had the right to be sick and tired of women and their baggage. He tried to get back his fuck ’em all attitude but he wasn’t built that way.

  And there, right there, was his problem.

  He wanted a woman, a family, a home. A life.

  Why couldn’t he find a woman who wanted the same things? Who came without baggage? Losing Misty’s son Gabriel had kicked the shit out of him, plain and simple. He’d loved the boy like his own and he wanted to hate Misty for tearing them apart.

  A sniffle from Holly brought him back from the simmering sense of loss that had never gone away.

  The moments spent with Holly at his building site had been filled with a future again. He glanced at her and caught the sag in her shoulders as she did her best to ignore him.

  It must be like ignoring an angry bear inches from your face. “What do you think Jack’s up to? Why would he be here?”

  She turned, her face a furious mask, her blue eyes snapping. “I don’t need your help. Did I say one word about being helpless? This is my problem, Deke.”

  “So some guy comes around asking questions and looking for you and I’m supposed to ignore it?”

  “Yes. I said I wouldn’t bring anything to our table and I won’t. I don’t go back on my word, and if you’re bringing a woman who did go back on her word to our table, that’s your shit. Don’t lay it o
n me.”

  He jerked in his seat and the truck veered for a second. When he righted it, he still couldn’t think of what to say. So he said nothing.

  When the turnoff for Lyle’s place came up, he turned in. She was right, he was taking on her concerns about her ex when she hadn’t asked him to. His downfall was wanting to rescue women. This one clearly didn’t want or need his help.

  He should be relieved. This was exactly what he’d wanted when he struck the no-baggage bargain. It was stupid to push at her, demanding to be let in to her problems. He’d said he didn’t want to know and he should stick to that. He pulled to a stop in front of his camper.

  “Thanks, I’ll get my stuff,” Holly said. “It shouldn’t take long.”

  She was leaving. He put his hand on her arm when she opened the door to jump out. She looked at him, wary. “I was wrong to assume you wanted help. Jack is your problem, not mine.” It was hard but he knew not to ask any more about her break up. Whatever was going on with her ex, it was none of his business. She’d made that clear even when he’d been an ass. “I’m sorry about bringing Misty’s lies into this. It was wrong.”

  She blinked and her eyes looked misted.

  No way would he ask another question. But still, something was off about Jack. If Holly hadn’t told him where she would be, she had good reason. “I’ll keep out of your business. But I’d like you to stay with me.” It would be safer if she were with him, but he couldn’t say it. She did not need to be rescued and she’d spit nails before asking for help.

  “I’ll think about it,” she grumbled. Her expression was just as dark as it had been before so he expected to be on pins and needles for the rest of the day.

  “Let me know when you’ve decided.” He tried to keep his tone light and easy but it was tough. “I’m sure an air mattress is plenty comfortable.”

  She lifted one side of her mouth in a half grin. “Plenty soft, too.”

  He slipped his hand to hers. “The idea of you sleeping anywhere but with me feels a lot like heartburn.” He rubbed his chest. She let her gaze slide down his chest to his lap and back again. She turned her hand over to clasp his.

  “That’s rough.”

  He nodded.

  She smiled and shut the truck door. “We’d better get to work. Marnie’ll give us hell if she comes back and we’re behind schedule.”

  Marnie. He’d ask Marnie his questions. Holly may not have told her parents and brothers what had happened in her marriage, but Marnie would know.

  When they were heading back toward the inn, Holly’s mood shifted to horny. She hated confrontation and make-up sex was the best. “Tonight, we’ll shut the door of the camper and lock out the whole world.” She ran her fingers up the inside of her thigh in suggestion.

  Deke’s firm mouth kicked up and he slanted a sexy glance her way. “Oh, yeah? And how will we do that?”

  She leaned on the passenger door and opened her thighs. Her khaki shorts gave plenty of room for his fingers to roam. He couldn’t mistake the invitation.

  He patted the seat next to him. “Slide on over here.”

  With a grin she felt in her heart, she slipped into the middle seat, belted herself in and set his hand on her knee. He grinned and drew circles up the inside of her thigh, sending whorls of intense sensation to her sex.

  Her breasts rose and her nipples peaked. She pulled the material over her crotch out of the way of his fingers. Soon his touch would scorch through anything that stood between them. The truck veered in the lane again as he watched her. He swore and corrected immediately.

  “Touch me, Deke. Right there where I’m wet.” She slid her finger into her mouth and sucked. He squeezed the fleshy part of her thigh in his large palm and the flare of desire in his eyes made her wetter. He stretched his little finger north toward her center. “Pull over,” she breathed. “Please.” Pressure built in her lowest reaches and need overrode her good sense.

  Midday on a rain-slicked road was a dangerous place to play this game. The danger heightened her edgy need.

  But Deke was still able to think clearly and turned the truck onto an overgrown driveway entrance. “This is a summer home. No one is here yet.” But he didn’t drive the length of the lane. Instead, he parked the truck in the deep shade, out of sight of the passing traffic.

  She undid her seat belt and gave him a delighted whoop.

  “You’re not fooling me, Holly. You want me to forget about your ex. You want to distract me.”

  “I want sex, Deke. I told you I have a strong libido. That’s all there is to this.”

  He narrowed his eyes and she felt the burn through her chest and held her breath. “I don’t want to talk about Jack. I don’t want you to be concerned.”

  He turned in the seat and she took that as a good sign. If he was facing her fully, she could drag him down onto the seat and get his mind on her and off their disagreeable discussion. “What I want,” she said, “is you. Now.”

  Suddenly his hands were on her thighs, opening them. He slid his fingers up to her center and moved the crotch of her shorts out of the way. Finally. She melted as moisture pooled and heat rose between them.

  He tugged her down to the seat, shucked her out of her shorts, then set her left foot on his headrest. Thrilling at his touch, she arched her hips toward him in total surrender. He made her feel this way, made her want to give him everything, made her want to abandon herself to him.

  He set her legs wide as he gazed at her. Cool air touched her heated slit as a warm pool of moisture grew with each second. Blood rushed to her labia and her flesh opened to receive him. How much more could she surrender?

  How much more could he want?

  She shied away from the answer. Not her heart. Surely, not that.

  And then he was there, his lips kissing and licking her fleshy mound. She clasped his head, burrowing her fingers in his hair and held him to her. Intense pleasure rolled up through her belly and out the top of her head and he hadn’t actually touched her core. But anticipation brought orgasm closer as she rolled her hips up to meet his audacious mouth.

  He teased her by blowing air across her sensitive flesh until she dug her hands into his scalp and moved his head to bring him to her.

  She felt his lips move against her and his muffled voice came from between her thighs. “Why me?”

  He stopped. Just as she’d begun to crash against a wave of release. She groaned in desperate need. She cried out. “What?”

  “Anyone could get you off, Holly.” He lifted his face, his eyes glittering hard as diamonds, his lips and chin wet with her juices. “You said it yourself. You’re a slave to your needs. Anyone would do, anyone could do this for you. So why me?”

  Why not him? But that was too cavalier. In the few short days and nights they’d been together, Deke had come to mean more to her than she’d planned. Desire ebbed as she pulled her sex-filled mind back from the brink of letting go.

  She thought of the laughs they’d shared, the intense attraction that had steamrolled her into his bed that first day. His expression of pride in his future home where he’d shared the floor plans and for just a smoke-moment of time, she’d wanted the home to be hers, too.

  “I don’t understand,” she whispered, but it was more to herself than to him because she wasn’t sure what she wanted with Deke.

  Being Deke, he nuzzled his chin against her soft belly. “If you’re not happy with me worrying about your ex, then that’s too bad. I know about him now and I can’t unknow it. We can’t just fuck each other anymore. We lost that free-and-easy time. It’s gone. So, we chuck the whole agreement about no baggage and accept that we both have some.”

  She nodded and blinked away a tear. He was such a gentleman.

  Dare she think of him as a keeper? Her heart hammered a tattoo that rattled her chest. “Oh, God, Deke. You’re right. We’ve moved past the beginning now, haven’t we?”

  He licked her clit and suckled it gently, pulling her straight bac
k into orgasmic waves of sensation. “Oh, Deke. Yes,” she panted between strokes of his tongue, arching and needing more. Dying a little as more waves rolled through her. “I’m coming.”

  He entered her with three fingers at once, then turned his hand to make her scream with a deep, forever orgasm that roared up through her belly, into her chest and down her arms. Her head swam as she let the sensations take her to the sky and back again.

  She was limp as a rag doll, but Deke was able to lift her to straddle him as he slid to the center seat. The feel of him, full and hard, brought her back to awareness as he rocked up into her. The strain of control made his lips firm, his eyes dark and his face flushed.

  So she took him over the edge with her again, clinging and rolling her hips in time with him.

  She shattered on him again and when she opened her eyes, he buried his face in her neck. A wet sensation where they were joined warned her they’d been rash.

  “Bareback?”

  He mumbled against her skin. “I’m sorry.” His head whipped back, his eyes stark. “I’m healthy. I got checked a while back and haven’t been with—”

  “Then we’re okay. I’ve been very careful since my divorce.”

  A roar of tires spewing gravel startled them. Deke looked out the cab window. “That blue car. It’s him! He saw us. He must have.”

  “Maybe this is a good thing. He’ll know I’ve moved on,” she said, doubting every word. “Maybe he’ll leave now and never come back.” Jack had always been possessive, but she truly thought he was past the worst of that behavior. He’d been easing back, letting go, she would swear it. Unless that was wishful thinking. She’d spent a lot of her early years with Jack in that very pursuit. She’d wished her family liked him, wished they could settle in one place, wished he was happy with his work, wished he was more social, wished for a child to help open his heart.

  Eventually she’d given up the wishes. Hard reality had finally moved her to leave him. Her love had been slowly, inexorably squeezed out of her by his demands and pettiness.