by Alicia White
“Hi, Sophie, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Mason McLean. Come on in.” He stood back, holding the door open, and Sophie stepped inside.
“Hi…” Her voice squeaked, and she cleared her throat. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Mason.”
“My office is just down the hall. Please follow me and we can chat for a bit.” Mason walked down the hallway, and Sophie followed him.
She looked at the back of him, letting her eyes drop down to his jean-clad ass. She felt her pulse jump and immediately looked away. She couldn’t afford to lust after him. Sophie instead focused on the home’s decor. The house was absolutely beautiful. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but the house looked brand-new. The floor was a magnificent cherry wood, the walls creamy, and family photos graced the walls. Mason was obviously very close to his family, and that really impressed her.
When they reached his office, Mason allowed her to pass him and she wasn’t quite sure where to sit. There was a large desk, a couch, and a few comfortable-looking chairs. She stood in the middle of the room and waited for him to pick a seat first. He sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit across from him. Their knees touched as she moved and jerked back, giving him plenty of space.
“Um…I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I also want to say that…uh…the thing at the store…”
“Sophie, you don’t need to say anything about that. I’ve needed help around here for quite a while. You’re doing me a huge favor by helping me out, helping us out.” Just then, there was a knock at the door, and she turned to see another gorgeous man stride into the room.
He had a shaved head, beautiful deep-blue eyes, full lips, and an adorable face. He was almost too cute to look at, and she had no doubt that the man had women throwing themselves at his feet. He had major sex appeal. He didn’t just walk into the room, he had a swagger. His eyes stayed on her and he grinned, winking. Sophie turned and looked down, unsure of how to react. Her lips felt dry, and she quickly licked them.
“Sophie, this is my brother, Alex. We live here together.”
Sophie looked up. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Alex.” She looked from Alex to Mason, looking for similarities. Their facial features were alike, but it was their eyes that were identical. Those beautiful blue eyes with little gold specks. They didn’t look real.
“Nice to see you again, Sophie. I was hoping to meet you at the hospital, but you ran away too fast.” He grinned, flashing his perfectly straight white teeth. “I hope that Mason can talk you into helping us out around here. We are in desperate need of a woman’s touch.”
“I hope I can help. I…” She didn’t know how to sell herself. She didn’t know if she should mention her work history. Her shoulders sagged, and that helpful voice that made her feel positive seemed to disappear.
* * * *
Mason watched Sophie’s demeanor change and was a tad disappointed. When she had first arrived, she looked timid and scared, but after a minute of staring at him, she seemed to regain her confidence. When Alex walked into the office, she stared at him, her lips parting and her pupils dilating. It was amazing to see her react to them both, and he mentally cheered. Now she sat in front of him, looking unsure of herself.
“Sophie.” She looked at him, and Mason knew he needed to take control of the situation. “Why don’t you tell me a little about your work history? Do you mind cooking, cleaning, or running errands?”
“I used to be an office manager so I have experience with different computer programs. I do enjoy cooking. I don’t mind cleaning, I’ve done a lot of that, and I have my own car so I can run errands.”
“Do you like working outdoors? Have you ever worked on a ranch before?” Alex asked, and Sophie looked over his head, making eye contact with his brother. It was nice to see her relaxing back into her seat instead of sitting ramrod straight.
“I used to have a garden and did yard work, but no, I’ve never worked on a ranch.” She shook her head, and he could see some disappointment on her face.
Did she really believe that working on a ranch was that important to him? She already had the job. He just wanted to talk with her, get to know her a little bit.
“Sophie, you can have the job if you want it. There are so many things to do around here that we really need the extra help with cleaning, cooking, and running errands. Alex and I would like to show you how we run the ranch. You can start immediately, if you’d like.” Her whole expression changed then.
Her eyes brightened, and she smiled. It was the most glorious thing he’d ever seen. He felt captivated by her in that moment.
“Yes, I really want the job. Thank you.” Her eyes moistened, but he knew those were happy tears. They didn’t fall on her cheeks though, as she rapidly blinked them away.
He started to stand, ready to show her around the house and McLean property. “Wait!” She shouted the word, and Mason sat back down immediately. “I…I mean my daughter, Alice, she’s in seventh grade at the middle school, and I’m hoping I can take an afternoon break to pick her up from school. I also have another favor to ask…” She exhaled loudly, and he could tell she was a little worried to ask him.
“It’s okay, Sophie. You can ask me anything,” he reassured her.
“I don’t really feel comfortable leaving her at the boarding house in town. That’s where I’m staying. Is it possible for her to come here and wait for me to finish working? She won’t be a bother, I promise, you won’t even know she’s here.”
“Of course. We have a very large family. That’s not a problem.”
“Oh…one more thing.” She cringed, and Mason couldn’t help but smile. “Next week is spring break and school is out the whole week.”
“You can bring her with you.” Mason stood this time, ready to take her on the grand tour.
“Thank you.” She jumped out of her chair and threw herself in his arms.
Mason was stunned, but quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. It only took her about three seconds to realize what she had done and pull back. He mourned the loss of her in his arms immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not every day a beautiful woman throws herself in my arms.” Mason winked, and she gave a slight grin. It wasn’t the big smile he’d enjoyed before, but at least she wasn’t sad.
“If you’re ready, I’ll take you on a tour of the house and then I’d like to show you the property.” Mason headed out of the office, Sophie followed him, and Alex picked up the rear.
He showed her around the house, watching her closely, gauging her reactions. She seemed impressed with their home and looked around at all the pictures of his family. At one point, he even saw her reach out toward the glass as if she wanted to touch his face. He wondered if she even realized that she had done that.
Alex never took his eyes off of her. His brother followed them from room to room. He brushed past her a few times, touching her gently on the shoulder or back. She shivered and bit her lip, her pulse hammering against her neck. She seemed to be affected by them both, and by the look on Alex’s face he was no longer worried about being excluded.
“Your home is so beautiful,” Sophie finally said after the tour was complete. She turned a full circle in the kitchen, and he was glad she liked it.
“Thank you. We designed and built it ourselves,” Alex boasted, obviously trying to impress her.
“With the help of our family and a few friends.” He smiled at Alex.
“Wow…you both must be real handy.”
“We try to be.”
“What would you like me to do first? Do you have a list of daily chores?” Sophie changed the subject, looking eager to get to work.
“Why don’t you let us take you on a tour of the property first?” Alex offered before turning and grabbing his coat from the rack just outside of the kitchen.
“Okay…uh…sure.”
“Let’s go.” Mason grabbed his jacket as well. He didn�
�t really like the fact that she only had a small jacket. Instead of putting his coat on, he held it open for her. She hesitated, staring at him with her big doe eyes. “I’m offering you my coat, Sophie. It’s cold outside. Come on.” He nodded and she finally came toward him and slipped her arms through the sleeves.
Turning her around, Mason zipped up the jacket. She looked much smaller and more delicate now, but also adorable. They stared at each other. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She had the most amazing brown eyes he’d ever seen. It was so strange, he’d never thought brown was a beautiful color. Now, it was his favorite.
* * * *
Sophie swallowed hard. She was in a trance, frozen in place. Mason’s hands were on her shoulders, his fingertips moving in small circles. She could feel his hot palms burning into her skin through the layers of clothing. Her muscles relaxed, and she actually felt safe. It was an odd feeling, something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Looking into his eyes, she saw genuine care and sincerity. She didn’t know him, but for some reason she wanted to trust him. It scared her.
“My family owns twelve thousand acres, we should go.” Mason’s voice was deeper than she remembered, and it did funny things to her stomach. It took her a minute to realize that he was as affected as she was.
“Okay.” She tried to smile, but instead, she licked her dry lips.
Mason and Alex led her out of their home and toward one of the matching trucks parked outside. She trailed behind them slowly. Alex jumped into the driver’s seat, and Mason opened the passenger seat door, holding it open for her. He grinned and Sophie strolled over, her heart pounding rapidly. Was she nervous to get into the truck, or was this reaction because of the men?
She didn’t want to keep them waiting, so she climbed up into the truck. It was quite high and Sophie started to slip back, her feet hitting the ground.
“Here, let me help you.” Mason grabbed her hips and Sophie froze. His hands were huge, fingers spread wide, and she imagined what he was capable of. She had always loved a man with big hands. “Just step up and I’ll give you a boost.” That got her moving, and Sophie practically flew inside the cab with Mason’s help.
Landing face first on the seat, she started laughing. She couldn’t help herself. She could just imagine what she looked like. “I really wish I was taller.” Sophie shook her head and sat up. Both Mason and Alex wore huge smiles, making her feel at ease.
“You’re perfect just the way you are. Come closer to me so that Mason has room.” Her thigh touched Alex’s, and she jerked her leg back.
Mason slammed the door, and she was immediately surrounded by their warmth. Taking a deep breath, she hoped to relax. Instead, Sophie wanted to moan. The truck smelled like a mixture between moist wood, leather, and vanilla. She took slow breaths now, letting the scent fill her head and consume her. Something about the smell completely aroused her, and Sophie slammed her thighs together. It was the men. Now that they were enclosed inside the truck she realized that they both smelled so delicious.
Alex drove around their home and continued down the road that she drove up. The land was wide open, and she was amazed at the number of cows and bulls she saw spread throughout the property. They roamed free, giant blobs of color grazing between the patches of snow. Skeleton trees that were once covered in leaves swayed in the breeze. Alex and Mason chatted animatedly about their property and family. Their voices were full of such awe and wonder. It was obvious that they loved their home.
“Our parents and brothers all have homes on the property,” Mason added as they followed the fence line.
“Really? That’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to have a big family that could be close. How many brothers do you have?” She had always wanted to get married and have a house full of children. She felt blessed to have at least Alice. It would probably always only be the two of them, but she was okay with that.
“There are five boys and one girl total in our family. Mason’s the oldest, then me, Noah, Riley, Will, and Farah.” Alex moved one hand from the wheel and delicately touched her hand.
“I was an only child. It must’ve been nice to grow up surrounded by other kids.” She tried to keep her mind on the conversation instead of his warm hand, as it gently touched hers.
“Yeah, it was great.” Mason moved his hand to her right knee then. She stared down at their tan hands, large, strong, and quite capable looking.
She heard Mason’s voice, a calming lull as he talked about his family’s history. He said something about a feud with one of the other families in town, the Baldwins. He mentioned something about cattle being stolen, the creek being poisoned, and told her to be careful. In all honesty she really did try to focus on what he was saying, but she couldn’t.
Slowly, very slowly, almost as if they could read each other’s minds, their fingers started moving. Sucking in her stomach, she stopped breathing and opened her mouth. They were making her insides tingle, and her brain turned to mush. Damn, damn, damn…that feels good.
“And finally, this is our home. We’re back where we started.” Sophie jerked her head up.
Mason opened the car door, letting in the cool air, and she mentally shook herself. Wow, these men are potent. She couldn’t even remember the tour or their family history. Her mind had been focused on their hands.
Climbing from the truck, Sophie accepted Mason’s hand and let him help her down. She followed them back into the house and automatically took off his coat. She could still smell him on her, his scent sticking to her clothing. Sophie stood in the entryway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“Can I get started? I’d like to get some work done before I need to pick up Alice from school.” Sophie didn’t want to feel uncomfortable, but she did in a way. It was their beautiful blue eyes. The way they looked at her, they didn’t just see her, they saw into her. She felt transparent.
“Of course. Let me show you where all the supplies are kept.” Alex took her back into their kitchen and opened a closet full of every cleaning product she’d ever seen. What really surprised her was that everything was so tidy and lined up by the size and shape of the bottles. Interesting.
“Well…I…uh…I’m going to get started.” Sophie shoved up her sleeves before reaching the closet and taking out a few items. She placed everything on the counter. She had no idea where to start, but time was ticking away, and she wanted to impress her new employers and not pepper them with a bunch of questions. Employers. Yes, I need to think of them like that, even if I have to remind myself daily.
“I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, Mason and I will be around.” Alex winked before leaving her alone in the kitchen.
Sophie didn’t waste time. She got busy cleaning. She decided to do the chores she did around her own home, wiping counters, sweeping and mopping, dusting, vacuuming, and then she moved into the bathrooms and bedrooms. Her goal was to stay busy and earn her keep. The house wasn’t a mess. In fact, it was close to spotless. This is going to be a fairly easy job, these guys aren’t slobs. Not like most men.
* * * *
Alex stepped out of Sophie’s way and out of the kitchen. He could barely control himself around her and needed some space. She was incredibly beautiful and seemingly innocent. The simple touch, him touching her hand, had an immediate reaction. It had been a test. If she reacted poorly or had any fear on her face, he would’ve immediately apologized. The whole time he drove, he had been paying attention to her, watching her with his peripheral vision.
Her reaction, though, made him a very happy man. She could barely breathe, her cheeks pinkened, and her teeth sank into her plump lower lip. He wanted to see her reaction when he was actually able to touch her soft skin. When he could taste her.
It was hard for him to leave her side. He wanted to stick to her like glue for the whole day. Hell, he was wishing the day wouldn’t end. He liked having her here in their home. Alex had shown her the cleaning supplies and then got out of her hair. He did
n’t want her to feel uncomfortable. They needed to take things slowly and have her get used to their touch. She was skittish but seemed as if she was comfortable. It was such a contradiction.
What had happened to her? Had a man abused her in the past? Scrubbing a hand down his face, Alex decided to go outside. He needed to clear his head, to think, and to get a little space. The cool breeze felt good against his warm skin, and he looked around their property.
He was willing to let Mason take the lead. They had already seemed to have a connection. He just wasn’t used to not being in charge. Mason was so relaxed that Alex tended to be the aggressor. The roles were now reversed. This was going to be a learning experience for them all.
Chapter 7
One Week Later
Sophie drove toward the McLean property. She was excited to be back to work. Honestly, she was happy to see Mason and Alex. She had been working for them for a whole week, Monday through Friday. She had the weekends to spend with Alice. She loved her job. Well, it wasn’t her job that she loved, it was the company. She spent a lot of her time with them. In fact, she was in between them both all day long, whether outside, inside, or running errands around town. Each time they passed in the hall, they would touch her in some way.
She loved feeling their hands brush her back, their fingertips gliding along her shoulder. The simplest of touches made her crazy and ache for more. She’d never thought she would ever want a man again, let alone two men. It had been years since she’d made love with a man, even more years since she’d had any emotions. Love. That single word brought all sorts of visions to her mind. She was already starting to care about them both.
She wasn’t completely innocent, but she didn’t have a lot of experience. Her ex-husband, Curt, was the only man she’d ever been with. Mason and Alex were both interested. Their actions made it clear. She remembered having lunch with them the other day. She had asked about the huge master bedroom. She shivered now just remembering Mason’s words. “Alex and I hope to share a woman one day, not just intimately, but forever as our wife. That bedroom will belong to her. The three of us will share it.” It astonished her. They were always so honest and up front about everything.
