Chapter 1
Ivy couldn’t sleep, she kept waking up to a heavy beating heart in the silent house, sweating through the bedsheets and the covers. It had been three days since Leon Cooper, the owner of the ranch she was working as a housekeeper at, had revealed to her that he wanted to share her with his twin brother Archer. And not just as help around the house, but share her in bed.
Leon, in his usual silent brooding style, had revealed nothing more. She had slept with them both. Leon, consistently over the past seven weeks and Archer only once. After she slept with Archer, she was prepared to leave, ashamed at herself for betraying Leon’s trust, for sleeping with his brother, but Leon had stopped her. He insisted that he shared everything with his brother, that he wanted to share her with him in fact, and that was his plan all along.
Now, it had been three days and neither brothers had made a single move. She had been sleeping alone in her bed all the nights since, still wondering when Leon might come to her. When he might explain the terms and conditions of their little arrangement. For now, she was continuing with the housework, with her gardening and trying to work on the online accounting classes she was taking part time.
But at night, when she was surrounded by the privacy of her own room; Ivy couldn’t keep herself from dreaming, yearning for Leon. For Archer. For them both. Both the brothers were equally delicious, equally good lovers. And now finally, she didn’t have to choose.
Ivy swung her legs off the bed, her feet touching the warmth of the carpeted floor. She needed to get some fresh air. The window in her room was shut for now but Ivy walked over to it, opening it wide so that she could finally fill her lungs with some much-needed oxygen.
The breeze blew into the room, blowing her thick golden curls behind her. The slip she was sleeping in had turned damp from the feverish dreams she had been having, and now as it started cooling, it sent goosebumps down her flesh. What had she gotten herself into? What had she agreed to? Both brothers? How was she going to handle them both? What if there were complications?
But her worry was quickly overridden by her excitement at having them both. The Cooper brothers were twins and an amazing example of male perfection. Both tall, muscular, with hard worked natural washboard abs. They were both cowboys, grounded and masculine, and of course, rich as Hell. Leon had bought this ranch worth millions and she was their housekeeper, the person responsible for its maintenance, the food on their table and also for feeding their sexual desires it seemed.
Ivy smiled to herself as she thought about it. She was far away from prying eyes on this ranch, in this private little world with two brothers who fulfilled all her sexual needs. Could life look any better? The only problem was that neither of them had made a move yet, and in the light of day, Ivy was too embarrassed, too shy to say anything. She even wondered now if all of that had been a joke, if Leon had changed his mind. After all, why would he want to share her with someone else? Even if that someone else was his twin.
She shut the window and eventually climbed back into bed. She was growing impatient now. How many more days would she have to wait? How long before she could have Leon again? Could have Archer again? Would it be too bold to make the first move?
She felt the coolness of her soft pillow as it grazed her cheek. She needed to come up with a plan. She had to find some way to break the ice, otherwise she wasn’t sure how long she could still stay sane in anticipation of what was to come.
When she shut her eyes, all Ivy could see was the two brothers, in their cowboy hats, riding their horses together, riding them towards her. Their smiling hardy faces, their biceps flexed, their long strong legs bouncing off the sides of their horses. She could have them both, she could have them whenever she wanted…could she?
Ivy jerked up in bed with a start again. What if it wasn’t her choice? What if part of the deal of having both the brothers was that it was entirely up to them? Was she a prisoner in this ranch? Ivy tried to remind herself of Leon’s actions. How he was always kind to her, how he had always treated her with respect. He had never forced himself on her. He left her alone all day, and only came to her bedroom at night if she agreed to it. But he hadn’t visited her in over a week now. Neither had Archer made a move. What did all of this mean?
Ivy looked at the clock on the wall. It was only four. Four more hours before she was expected to serve them breakfast. She decided she would speak to Leon then. She had to put her foot down and ask him to clarify what he had meant by all that he had said. There was no point talking to Archer, even though they were twins it was easy to see who was the more authoritative of the two brothers. Besides, this house and this ranch was Leon’s not Archer’s, which meant that everything that was done had to be done with his permission.
Ivy tried to lull herself back to sleep, as difficult as it was, she needed to rest so that she could have a fresh start to the new day. It was going to be a big day, and had the possibility of changing her life forever, if she played her cards right.
As she slept, she dreamt about them both, even in her sleep she couldn’t choose between them. They were both too good to be true.