“We want to spend some time with you, getting to know you. Have you eaten supper yet?”
The music notched higher, and Jenny nodded toward the door. Dale opened it, and held it, while Parker set his hand gently on the small of her back, escorting her out. The sounds of work muted once they were outside and the door closed behind them. It was summer-hot tonight, but the relative freshness of the air rejuvenated her.
“That’s better. Now we can hear each other. And no, I haven’t had supper yet.” Only after the words left her mouth did she realize she might have hinted that she hadn’t eaten because she’d been hoping to see them.
Parker and Dale each took hold of one of her hands. They were both stroking the backs of those hands, which was making it really tough for her to keep her wits about her.
She wondered if they’d suggest going into Gatesville, which was closer than Waco. Though she didn’t want to go to another restaurant right after her shift, she’d say yes if they asked her.
“The guys and Ari are gone for the weekend. You should know that up front.” Dale looked serious when he said that. Jenny smiled then nodded.
“We’re both pretty good cooks. They told us to treat their home like our own. We’d like to have you back to their place and make supper for you.” Parker grinned. “It’ll be a late supper, but we’re used to that. We have those more often than not in the summer when we’re ranching.”
“Me, too. Sometimes, I don’t want to have supper here. Not that the food isn’t great. I just…”
“This is work, and you want to leave when your shift’s over.”
“Yeah.” She couldn’t explain why she was feeling such good vibes from both of these Montanans, but she was.
“So what do you say, sweet Jenny?” Parker lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Will you let us feed you?”
They’d been honest with her about being alone with them. She also sensed that, despite the differences between what she’d heard about the rest of their family and the Benedicts here in Texas, Parker and Dale fit in better here than there.
Everything she’d learned about them, so far, told her they could be trusted—at least to behave as gentlemen. She was being cautious, making sure she used her head when it came to these two, because the attraction between them had been instant and, as Ari had called it, a mutual bubble of hot-holy-hell.
“Thank you. I’d like that.”
Parker and Dale followed her as she navigated her little Kia along the two FM roads she needed to take to get to Ari’s. She knew her way so well she didn’t have to think about where she was going. That could be a bad thing because it left her mind open to worry about the next few hours.
Here’s an idea. Why don’t you just relax and see what happens next?
Fortunately, the trip from work to her bff’s house took only five minutes, and she had no time left for worry because, just as she was working her way around to doing just that, she arrived.
Jenny parked beside Ari’s Mustang, and the guys pulled in beside her. Parker was at her door, opening it and offering her a hand, before she’d even unfastened her seat belt.
“Thank you for trusting us.”
He still had hold of her hand. Gently, he drew her toward him. She knew all she had to do was resist, and he would stop. But she’d been wondering about what it would be like to kiss him, and to kiss Dale. There’s no time like the present.
When he drew her into his arms, she went. When Dale joined them, standing beside her, and stroked his hand down her back, she shivered.
And when Parker lifted her chin, lowered his head, and settled his lips on hers, Jenny did something she’d never done in her life.
She melted.
Parker’s moist lips teased hers, opened hers, and then his tongue swept in and showed hers how to slide, to glide, and to dance.
Arousal bloomed, new and exciting, a hungry entity that longed to feed on the passion being stirred within her. The caress of his hands on her back and her bottom, drawing her impossibly closer, increased her need. And when he slowly weaned his lips from hers, she lifted up on her toes in an attempt to prolong the kiss.
Parker’s eyes revealed his emotions. She read hunger there, yes. And curiosity. He flicked a gaze to Dale.
She felt the pressure of a finger on her chin and gave over to it, turning her head until she faced Dale Benedict. He didn’t hesitate. His gaze met hers, and then he lowered his head.
His kiss picked her up where Parker’s had left her, and oh, my, the ride was fine! His tongue swept and delved and possessed. The heat between them grew, and Jenny felt her nipples harden and her pussy soften.
It had been a few years since she’d taken a lover. Too soon, too soon. Her tiny voice of reason quieted, and she sank deeper into the rhythm of the passion Dale Benedict wove. Yes, it was too soon to take a lover or two, but just the right time to play.
He lifted his head and looked from her to his brother.
“That was amazing,” Parker said. He and Dale nodded to each other, and Jenny looked between them.
“Because…” She was almost certain she knew the answer, but she needed to hear it from them.
“First, because I’ve never felt a kiss down to my soul the way I just felt yours,” Parker said.
“Totally awesome,” Dale agreed. “And second, because we’ve never in our entire lives done what we just did—kiss the same woman. I didn’t know what I’d feel. And now I know it’s going to be good. If we do more than kiss, it’s going to be damn good.”
“I’ve never kissed two men in succession before, either,” Jenny said. “I didn’t think there could be such a difference, but now I see that there is.”
Parker grinned. “Let’s go get some supper. Then we can sit in the living room and talk for a while.”
“And maybe fool around a little?” Jenny wanted them to know she was open to that, to exploring these emotions, these sensations.
Parker nodded. “A little. We’re not going to make love with you tonight, sweet Jenny.”
“No,” she agreed. “Not tonight.”
Jenny thought it a good thing she felt eminently comfortable in her best friend’s house. There were nerves because what she’d experienced out in the driveway had, as Dale said, been totally awesome. She definitely wanted more of that.
The jury was still out on whether or not these two Benedicts would turn out to be here on an extended vacation, or if they were going to set down roots. Time would tell, and so, as she sat in Ari’s kitchen perched on one of her center block stools, sipping a glass of wine and watching the men prepare a meal, she tried to fortify her emotional ramparts.
Parker and Dale had only promised their cousins three months. It would be crazy, crazy to let herself fall for these two, all things considered. And one thing anyone who knew Jenny could assert was that if there was one thing she was not, it was crazy.
Maybe it will turn out they’d say I wasn’t crazy until a couple of smooth-talking Montanans entered my personal picture.
She tilted her head and watched as Parker went about chopping veggies while Dale sliced steak. Jenny had heard that most men could grill a mean steak and generally had some chicken dish they could also prepare.
One hopeful man who’d attempted to hook up with her about a year ago claimed, in an appropriately smoky voice, that his best meal was breakfast.
She hadn’t been tempted by either the voice or the menu.
“What’s for supper?”
“My specialty.” Dale met her gaze. His smile reached his eyes, and she could see that cooking relaxed him. “A stir-fry with steak and mild peppers.” He frowned. “If you like your food exceptionally hot, we’ll put the hot sauce on the table. I saw some in the fridge.”
Jenny shook her head. “I’m one of those rare Texans who doesn’t appreciate hot and spicy food.”
“Good to know,” Parker said. He followed that with a wink and set the bowl of veggies close to the stove. Then he started
the rice.
The men worked well together making the meal. Clearly this was something they’d done numerous times.
“Our first year of college, we left the ranch and rented an apartment close to MSU—Montana State University.” Dale looked over at her but kept an eye on the meat. “There were restaurants all over, but the two of us preferred to eat in most nights.”
“Despite our new-found freedom, we were quite serious about our studies. What we were learning was going to help us in our careers as ranchers. Anyway, we’d already learned how to cook—that was one thing Mom insisted on. It was easier, and cheaper, to just shop and cook.”
“We took turns.”
There was something about the way the guys explained themselves that piqued her curiosity.
“What happened after the first year of college?”
Dale snorted. “We were called home. Dad and our older brothers decided that we could commute to college because it was only an hour each way. That way, we could do chores in the morning and pitch in again after the school day was done.”
“So for the last three years, you went to school full time and worked full time.”
“Pretty much, yes. That was just the beginning of the bullshit. That was the year that Dad made Marcus the ranch manager and let him more or less take over.”
“We don’t call him Marcus the Terrible for nothing,” Dale said.
“It’s because he really thinks of himself as a little tsar.” Parker shrugged and then gave her a sheepish smile. “You can understand why we were leery of working with family again, when we’d finally had enough and quit a few weeks before we came here.”
Jenny didn’t consider what they’d just told her to be a complaint. They were explaining where they were coming from. Both men wore expressions that told her they were worried what she thought of them.
“I don’t blame you for either—quitting or being leery. I do know one thing. The way the guys all treat each other here is with courtesy and respect. Well”—she grinned—“discounting that little thing called cousin-speak.”
“I kind of like that myself,” Dale said.
Parker nodded. “It’s more a war of wits than anything. It’s nice to work someplace where the intellect is a faculty to be celebrated rather than denigrated.”
That was how Jenny felt about working for Angela. Her boss never treated her as if she was “just a waitress,” and she knew that attitude wouldn’t be tolerated at the roadhouse whether it came from a fellow staff member or even a guest.
Knowing the difference, appreciating the difference, was a good thing to have in common.
* * * *
Parker and his brother made it a game. Jenny wanted to help clear the table and tidy, and they were just as determined she wouldn’t. Each time she picked up a plate, a bowl, or even the cutlery, one of them would snatch it from her and give her a short, sweet kiss.
By the time the kitchen was set to rights, they all three were laughing. That’s the best mood of all to set.
He took hold of Jenny’s left hand, and Dale took her right, and together they led her into the living room. He took a moment to turn on the sound system, using the remote control. Country music played, a nice just-above-a-whisper sound in the background. They’d already turned the lights on, and while they could have adjusted them to resemble candlelight, they hadn’t.
He and Dale had discussed what they wanted to happen on this “first date.” The first goal had been to discover if they had what they were calling the “sharing gene.” It seemed altogether possible they did—and those kisses outside earlier had confirmed it.
Parker took a moment to just look at her. Her blond hair, baby fine, fell to her shoulders and surrounded a sweet, slightly rounded face with sweet slightly pouty lips and a pert nose he wanted to kiss. Her eyes, hazel in color and close set, shone with intelligence. They often twinkled but always revealed her emotions. His fingers itched to stroke through her hair, to cup her face between his palms. His mouth watered with his mental image of tasting those lips, her closed eyelids, and her cute little ears. His heart pounded with anticipation, now that he knew he and Dale did indeed have that sharing gene. This moment was the beginning. Parker inhaled deeply and brought his focus back to the moment.
The second goal was to steep themselves in Jenny’s presence. That meant a few more kisses, most certainly, and doing what they could to make her feel good. But it also meant getting to know her better.
Their brothers back in Montana might be low-hanging fruit on the Neanderthal tree, but they weren’t. How a woman’s mind worked and what had influenced her attitude in life were at least as important to them as the physical chemistry between them.
Parker released her hand, and when they sat, Dale deftly managed to get Jenny onto his lap.
She didn’t look startled, but she did seem to worry about something else. Judging by the way she kept looking at him, Parker had a pretty good idea what that was.
“If you put your feet on my lap, Jenny,” he said, “I’ll give you a foot massage.”
Her smile was a little shy, but it was real. As was the way she lifted her legs and did as Parker had asked.
He slipped her shoes and socks off and set to work. He could only imagine what it would be like for her to be on her feet all day long. He’d asked, so he knew that some of her shifts lasted twelve hours. He could work a long day with the best of them, but he sure as hell wasn’t on his feet for the entire time.
It took about five seconds for Jenny to give a low, deep moan. Her muscles lost all tension as she damned near melted into his brother. Lucky bastard. But he was the one pleasuring her at the moment, so it was all good.
“You have about two hours to stop that.” Her eyes were closed, and the expression on her face assured him she appreciated his efforts.
“Just enjoy, sweet Jenny.” Her feet, for all she was on them, felt soft to his slightly calloused hands. They were small and pretty. Her toenails sparkled a brilliant red, but her fingers bore no polish.
Her toes could belong to a princess, and her hands—short, neat nails, competent fingers, and strong hands—could be those of a kitchen maid.
Their Jenny hid her more feminine, more sensual side. Did she do that as a matter of preference? Or had she done so as a means of self-defense?
There’s just so much I want to know about her.
“The weekends must be your busiest time,” Dale said. When Jenny had melted, he’d gathered her in. Now he was running his hand slowly up and down her arm, from shoulder to wrist.
The tiny little mews that kept escaping her throat hardened Parker’s dick.
“They are. So’s Monday, especially lunchtime.”
Parker used his thumb to press on the bottom of Jenny’s right foot. Then he smoothed over that spot of pressure using both hands. He stroked her toes, all five at once, and, when he knew she wasn’t overly ticklish, worked on each one in turn. Her “mmm” made him smile.
“Monday lunchtime is busy?” Parker asked. He’d have thought that would be one day of the week that would be quiet, coming on the heels of the weekend.
“Because the restaurant in town, Lusty Appetites, is closed on Mondays.”
“Jackson mentioned the roadhouse only opened a couple of years ago,” Parker said. “What do the owners of the town restaurant think of the competition?”
Jenny sighed. She opened her eyes and smiled at Parker as he set her right foot down, tucking it in close to his leg, and picked up her left.
“I don’t think either Angela, my boss, or Kelsey Benedict, another of your cousins-by-marriage, who owns Lusty Appetites, considers each other as competitors.” Jenny closed her eyes and moaned again, and this time that moan was accompanied by the tiniest little shiver.
Parker met Dale’s grin with one of his own.
When Jenny sighed, he got that grin off his face. She opened her eyes and then continued on with her conversation. “Some Mondays, Kelsey comes in for lunch her
self. She either sits with Angela or Laci or even Patrick, our chef. I think the consensus is there’s enough business for both of them.” Then she looked at Parker. “That general lack of the need to compete—I’d have to say that’s standard operating procedure, as far as the folks in this area are concerned.”
“So there’re no flaming assholes for us to beware of?” Dale had asked that without any edge at all.
Jenny’s response was to chuckle. “Living in Lusty? Not a one that I’ve ever heard of. Passing through the roadhouse? Sometimes, yes. And there have been a couple of times, at least since I’ve been in the area, when someone who clearly had no business being in the neighborhood came and caused a stir.”
“What happened then?” Parker asked.
“The town more or less circled the wagons and saw to it justice was served. And it doesn’t seem to matter who—man or woman—was the server.”
“That sounds like a couple of stories worth hearing.”
Jenny opened her eyes, met his gaze, and grinned. “I can tell you what I know, but you should ask Ari about them. Only, maybe do so when Jackson and Cord aren’t in the vicinity.”
Jenny giggled then, and Parker felt himself fall in love with her, right then and there.
Chapter Six
Parker lifted her left foot gently then placed a kiss smack-dab on her previously tired and sore, but now totally soothed, arch.
Jenny couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so pampered. While she’d reclined on Dale’s lap, he’d run his hand up and down her left arm, his fingers giving a gentle massage, shoulder to wrist. Pure heaven.
“Thank you, Parker. That felt so good.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Wanna smooch?” Dale’s question brought a giggle from her. Looking from him to Parker, she understood that “no” would be an acceptable answer, except for one thing.
She damn sure wanted to smooch.
“Yes. How do we do this?”
“You just let me settle you here on the sofa between us, and we’ll take care of everything else.”
Love Under Two Montanans Page 6
