Hacked For Love & The Dom's Songbird: A Billionaire Romance Collection by Michelle Love, Celeste Fall (14)

As he poured the ketchup on her plate, he began to feel the slightest twinge of something.

Was that guilt he felt?

Chapter 21

The smell of over-ripened fruit hit Kel’s nostrils as she entered the old grocery store on the edge of town. For most things, she’d go to the new supermarkets, but for steaks, she always went to the tried and true, Old Buck’s Pantry. Her family trusted the butcher, who’d been there forever and a day.

“Hi, Kel,” her Aunt Stella called out to her as she came around the corner with a basketful of white wrapped meat.

“Whoa,” Kel said as she looked at the basket. “Did you leave any meat for anyone else, Aunt Stella?”

The old woman laughed. “I have men to feed, and I thought some fresh breakfast sausages and steaks to go with the fried eggs they love so much would get them to stick around a bit longer. And you’re welcome for that, my dear niece.”

“And what does that mean, Aunt Stella?” Kel asked with a clueless expression.

“Your men are staying at our bed and breakfast, of course. Didn’t they tell you girls that?” Stella looked confused and put her hand on her hip as Kel shook her head. “Well, I wonder why that is.”

“Did the guys ask you things about us?” Kel asked her aunt. “Because they all took us on exceptional dates yesterday, and we all thought they were a bit on the psychic side.”

“Oh, yes!” Stella said with a grin. “They asked your uncle and me about things you girls like. So they made good impressions, then?”

“Great ones, actually,” Kel said. “But it’s kind of not that great now that I know you told them what we like.”

Stella threw her arms up as she said, “That doesn’t matter one bit. They took the time to ask questions and find things out. Now, that’s what’s important. They made the plans, and they made the effort. Not many men do that nowadays. I hope you consider yourselves lucky that they want to know that much about you so they can make you happy!”

Kel didn’t want to tell her elderly aunt why the men would go to all that trouble, so she nodded. “And how long did they say they’d be staying at your inn?”

“They didn’t. I’m not sure how long we’ll have them there. All I know is that they were going to go have lunch at Peterson’s Grill. They said they’d be out for the night. I supposed they’d made plans with you and your sisters.”

Kel shook her head. “No, they haven’t. But I expect a call soon. They can’t seem to leave us alone.”

“And how lucky you should feel about that!” Stella said. “Those men are some handsome devils, I tell you what!”

“That they are,” Kel agreed. “Thanks for the intel, Aunt Stella. I need to pick up steaks for dinner.”

Leaving her aunt’s company, Kel suddenly didn’t want to cook steaks anymore. She opted to leave the store and call her sisters. If the men were all out eating, then maybe they could show up and surprise them.

She made the call that had her sisters heading to the little café where Stella said the men were. And with any luck, they’d catch them in the middle of talking shop about their bet.

Chapter 22

Nestled in a corner booth, Kel spotted the three men who’d made a bet on her and her sisters. The waitress who greeted them was an old friend of hers. “Peggy, my sisters and I are going to do a bit of eavesdropping on those men in that booth over there. Do you mind leaving us to that?”

With a wink, Peggy nodded. “Sure thing, Kel. You just wave at me if you need anything.”

Kel, Cait, and Jess slipped around the edge of the dining room, staying out of the men’s sights. They took the booth just behind them and settled in to listen to what the scoundrels were up to.

Ethan was boasting about something, and when Kel heard the name Julia Loveless, she froze as he said, “That Julia Loveless could really show a man a good time.”

“Tell me, Ethan,” Phoenix said. “Did you ever get her special kiss?”

When all three men laughed, all three sister’s faces went red with anger. Kel and her sisters exchanged looks as they gritted their teeth to keep quiet.

Griffin added, “I never had anyone give me a rim job before. And I haven’t since her, either.”

Jess mouthed, ‘Gross!’

Phoenix chuckled. “Can you imagine asking one of our girls for something like that?”

When they all laughed a hearty laugh, the girls were livid. Kel made the sign of slitting her throat as a reference as to what she was going to do to Ethan.

Ethan said, “Kel is much too classy to do something like that. No, I think I would never even ask her to do such a thing. She’s a good girl. A very good girl.”

“Jess is too,” Griffin said. “How about Cait?”

“Oh, she’s good too,” Phoenix said. “But to tell the truth, I think if it weren’t for her sisters being involved, she’d have given in to me.”

Cait smiled and nodded, prompting Kel to punch her in the arm and mouth, “Tramp!”

Cait shrugged as Phoenix went on, “Want to know the truth?”

“Sure,” Ethan said.

“Julia was sexy, hot, damn great in the sack, but I think Cait will make me forget I ever knew Julia and her erotic ways,” Phoenix said, making Cait’s heart speed up.

“You think so?” Griffin asked. “I mean, Julia knew her way around a man’s cock, that’s for sure. Jess is young. Inexperienced. I’m not sure she’d make me forget all that Julia could do.”

“You could teach her, Griff,” Ethan joked. “Not that we’ll be around long enough for you to teach her too much.”

“Yeah, we have to get this bet over with,” Griff said, making Jess frown.

“You need to get back to work, Griff?” Phoenix asked.

When all three of the men laughed again, the women were puzzled. But they knew then that they were only going to be notches on the guy’s bedposts and nothing more than that.

They’d all been lied to.

“I’m not going to lie,” Ethan said. “I’ll miss Kel. But I’ll have at least one night of pure pleasure to remember her by.”

“The hell he will!” Kel mouthed to her sisters, who nodded in agreement.

“I’ll miss Jess too,” Griffin said.

Phoenix echoed him, “Yeah, I’m gonna miss Cait.”

The women sat and waited for the guys to say anything else, but all that came was silence followed by the sound of heavy mugs being sat down.

“We could keep in touch with them, I suppose,” Griff said.

“The explaining would be too hard,” Ethan said. “Can you imagine if one of us accidentally told our girl about the bet and she told the others? Well, it’d end up with the others being dumped. Left with broken hearts. And none of us need that mess in our lives.”

“I think Ethan’s right,” Phoenix agreed. “Cait would put my balls in a vise. I can almost feel it now.”

The men laughed again, then Ethan said, “Those ladies are marrying material.”

“I know,” Griffin agreed.

“I’m sure they’re already talking amongst themselves about how to get us all into holy matrimony with them,” Phoenix said.

“I wonder if Kel is coaching them on it,” Ethan said. “It’s not beyond her to do such a thing. You know, telling them to hold out until they get a ring on it.”

“Oh, hell!” Phoenix gasped. “What if that’s true? What if they plan on holding out until that happens? Do women really wait until the wedding night?”

“Some do,” Griffin said. “But I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. I mean, our girls don’t seem to be that religious or that manipulating.”

“How much longer are we going to give them?” Phoenix asked.

“We have nothing but time,” Ethan reminded him. “But we should put a limit on it, shouldn’t we?”

“Hey, what if we made them jealous with other chicks?” Griff asked.

Jess smacked her fist in her hand as she thought about Griff’s hands on another woman. Cait looked at her and put her finger to her lips.

“That might work,” Phoenix agreed.

“Or it might backfire, and they might shut us out for good,” Ethan said. “I do believe that if Kel saw me with another woman she’d cut me out without a second thought.”

More silence followed, then there was the sound of glasses being sat back down, letting the girls know the men were stumped by what to do to win their bet and get the girls into their beds.

So Kel decided it was time to make themselves known, but not entirely. She leaned up and whispered, “Just go along with me, sisters. I think I have an idea.”

With their nods of agreement, Kel got up, and the others followed her. She went to the waitress and got her to seat them at the same table, but this time she wanted the men to notice them. But they’d act like they didn’t see them.

It was time to make a little deal of their own.

Chapter 23

“How about three beers and some cheesesteak sandwiches, Peggy?” Kel said after the waitress had seated them.

“Sure thing, Kel,” Peggy said and noticed the men all looking around to see who was in the booth behind them. She saw the Scottish guy put his finger to his lips and the other two men nod. “I’ll be back right back with your drinks.”

Kel was all smiles as she said, “So, which one of you thinks you have your man right where you want him?”

“I know I do,” Cait said. “I think three more days of holding out and I’ll be able to tell Phoenix to take me to Vegas and marry me if he ever wants to get to the good stuff.”

“Yeah, this was a great idea, Kel. Find three men and get them to marry us so they can pay our student loans and let Dad off the hook is pure genius,” Jess said.

“I know,” Kel agreed. “And how lucky for us that we got three men interested in us all at the same time. Talk about great luck!”

The looks on the men’s faces were priceless. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“I think we’ll all be married before this month is up,” Cait said. “Have you seen the way they look at us?” Cait nudged Jess. “And Griff is smitten with you, baby sis.”

“That little make out session in the movie theater helped with that,” Jess said as she laughed.

The waitress brought their beers and thought she’d add a bit to their game as she said, “No charge today, girls. Some men at the bar are taking care of your bill today. Should I give them your phone numbers? They look like they have money.”

“No, just tell them thanks, but we’re all in committed relationships, Peggy,” Kel said.

“I really think these guys have money. You sure?” Peggy asked and saw the men in the booth behind them looking at the bar to find out what guys were paying their tab.

There were around twelve men at the bar, and not one of them hadn’t noticed the three women when they’d come in. A thing Phoenix was seeing as most of the men were looking at their women.

“We’ve found some men, Peggy,” Cait said.

“Yeah, some hot men,” Jess said. “And they have to have money and plenty of it.”

“Yeah,” Kel added. “None of them need to get to work anywhere, and all of them spent some pretty good money on us yesterday taking us on dream dates. You know, I never thought we’d find love too, but I think we just might.”

“And Griff and I will make gorgeous babies,” Jess said.

Cait smiled as she said, “I’m going to get Phoenix to buy me a little house with a white picket fence all the way around it. And we can sit on the front porch each night and hold hands while the sun goes down.”

“Sweet,” Peggy said. “And all the while you get those student loans paid off. I bet none of you thought you’d find love too when Kel came up with this great plan.”

“Not me,” Kel said. “I thought we’d find men to pay it, but I’d figured we’d have to deal with ugly, old men to do it. It’s refreshing to know that we’ve got hot men to use.”

“What about you, Kel?” Peggy asked. “You and your guy going to make babies?”

“Lots and lots of them,” Kel said. “I have the man wrapped around my little finger. He’d hop in bed with me right now if I let him. But that’s not how you trap a hubby. No, if he wants this, which he does, then he’ll put a ring on it and change my last name.”

Cait began to get worried the men would confront them, so she said, “You know what, Peggy? You better go ahead and make those sandwiches to go. We need to get back home and make our men something good to eat for dinner. Mom fed them haggis last night so whatever we cook will taste like heaven to them tonight.”

“You have dates again for tonight?” Peggy asked.

“Not yet,” Jess said. “But with a phone call, we’ll have them. The guys are falling all over themselves for us. It’s a given they’ll come if we wiggle our little fingers in their direction.”

“Sweet deal,” Peggy said. “I’ll wrap those sandwiches up for you. I’ll be right back with them.”

“I never expected to get men we’d actually like,” Kel said, then took a drink of her beer. “Lucky us, huh?”

“I’ll say,” Jess added. “I can hardly wait. Maybe we should all get married in Vegas at the same time. That’d be cool, don’t you think?”

Cait nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I know I can get Phoenix to. Do you girls think you can make your man do it too?”

The other two women laughed, making the men seethe with anger. They were being played by the women. They’d had no idea of what the women were capable of.

The men waited patiently for their women to leave before they spoke again. “So, what do we do now?” Phoenix asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ethan said. “We show them what they’ll get if they get us. And it won’t be pretty. They won’t want to marry any of us after we show them what they’ll be getting in us all.”

With smiles, the three set about making their plans.

Chapter 24

When Griff’s cell rang a few minutes later, he picked it up and held it out so the others could see it was Jess who was calling him. “Hi, baby.”

“Hi, Griff. We wanted to make you guys something for dinner tonight. Spaghetti. Wanna come over around five?”

“Let me ask the guys; we’re eating lunch right now,” Griff said. “Hey, fellas, the ladies would like to invite us for dinner this evening. It’s spaghetti.”

“Count me in,” Ethan said.

“Me too,” Phoenix said. “And tell Cait I can’t wait to see her. I’ve got something to ask her.”

“Did you hear that, baby?” Griff asked.

“I did hear that. So, we’ll see you then. Why don’t you bring wine?”

“Anything you want, baby. I can’t wait to get my hands on you,” he said with a growling sound.

“Oh, but you will,” she said with a giggle, then hung up.

“The girl is the devil,” Griff said as he put his phone away.

“Can you imagine using sex to get yourself a husband to pay your bills for you?” Ethan asked as he slammed his beer mug on the table. “The audacity!”

“So, how’re you going to make Kel not want to trap you in a marriage and still get her into bed?” Phoenix asked, because he had no idea what to do about Cait.

“I’m still thinking on that one, Phoenix,” Ethan said. “Let’s face it; we’ll have to dig deep to make them believe we’re not worthy of being their husbands. We’re all catches.”

“I just can’t believe my little Jess is this devious. She seems so sweet and innocent,” Griff said.

“Well, the heartless oldest sister who had her heart broken, who’s become a shrew, has led her sisters down a dark path. I just hope the younger two see the light before they follow in her footsteps,” Ethan said. “And what a great actress she is!”

“All three of them are,” Phoenix said as he shook his head. “So damn honest looking and talking like they’re good girls. They are not good girls!”

“No, they are not!” Griff said then finished his beer. “I think I need a nap before I see Jess again. I don’t know how I’m going to hide the fact that I know about their terrible plan.”

“Me neither,” Phoenix said then finished his beer. “Let’s go. My head hurts.”

“Aye, mine too,” Ethan agreed. “That woman has let me down so completely. And to think that I contemplated ending the bet.”

“You did?” Griff asked. “How come you didn’t say anything about that? I’ve thought about it too.”

“Me too,” Phoenix said. “Especially since yesterday.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure about it. I wanted a couple more days to go by before I said anything,” Ethan admitted. “But now I’ll never stop the bet. One of them will make one of us the winner, then we’ll dump all three of the money-grubbing whores!”

“Whores is a bit much,” Griff said. “Let’s just call them gold diggers and let that be their brand.”

“Yeah, they aren’t whores, Ethan,” Phoenix said as he got up. “But they are liars.”

“They are that,” Griff agreed. “But Jess is still naïve and pretty innocent.”

“For a woman who’s trying to get a guy to marry her to pay off her debts,” Ethan said with raised brows. “Don’t let the sirens fool you. And I think we have a better shot at getting them into bed now, anyway.”

“After we marry them, we do,” Phoenix said with a sigh.

Ethan smiled as they walked outside. “Stipulations could be made, you know. Put a cheap, fake ring on their fingers, then tell them we want to marry them but have to know if the sex will be good before we go all the way through with it.”

“Genius!” Griff said, and the three high-fived one another.

Chapter 25

Garlic and basil filled the air as the men were greeted by Cait at the front door of their home. “Smells great, honey,” Phoenix said as he pulled Cait into his arms and dropped a kiss on her lips. “You’ll make some man a great wife someday.”

She giggled and smacked him in the chest lightly. “Oh, you!” Cait took his hand and led him and the other men down the dark hallway to the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll pour you guys some of that wine you brought, and you all can take seats at the kitchen table. Our parents went out to play bingo at the church. They took Alex, so it’s only us for the evening.”

“Good,” Phoenix said as he pulled her up closer. “Then we can play house for a little while.”

Cait giggled again, finding it funny that he was talking in such a way. They’d half expected the guys to disappear on them. But they’d also had a notion they’d stick around for the bet.

Ethan pushed the galley door open, finding Kel stirring a pot of bubbling red sauce. “There’s my love!” He went straight to her and picked her up, kissing her with a homey kiss. “I missed ya.”

Griff went to where Jess was tearing up leaves of lettuce in a large bowl. “Look how domestic you are, baby!” He too gave his girl a kiss and a sweet hug.

“I can be quite the domestic goddess when I want to be,” Jess said with a smile.

Griff kissed the tip of her nose. “I bet you can be. Can I do anything to help you?”

“You can pour me a glass of wine while I make this salad.” She kissed his cheek, then whispered, “Mom and Dad are out; I plan on taking you up to my bedroom later.”

Griffin eyed her for a moment. He wanted to let the cat out of the bag so damn bad, it ate as his insides. But he pushed that down and said, “I can’t wait.”

With a sweet smile, Jess went back to making the salad as Griff went to pour her a glass of wine. He watched the women being overly sweet to his friends. He knew they thought they were so smart. But they had no idea of the bullshit that was about to be pulled on them.

With what they had planned, no woman in her right mind would want to marry any of them!

Kel handed Ethan the plates to set the table with. He met Griffin at it as he was putting down napkins and forks. Phoenix had been delegated the job of placing the food on the table as the women washed up the dishes they’d use to cook with.

Then all six took seats around the table. Kel took Ethan’s hand, and that of Cait’s who sat next to her. “I think we should start a tradition of saying grace before we eat. It’s what I want our family to do. When I have one, that is.” She gave Ethan a giant smile. “Would you do the honors, Ethan?”

He was shaking inside with fury at the woman. Playing on the Lord to gain him as a husband was low. But he smiled and pretended to be impressed with how fantastic Kel was. “Oh, love, yes, please allow me to do the honors. Everyone take hands and bow.” They all did as he said and he too lowered his head. “Oh Heavenly Father above us all, please rain down your guidance on us this evening. Watch over our pretenses and silence the fears in us.”

Kel opened her eyes and looked at him. “Ethan, this is no sermon. Bless the food and be done with it.”

“Sorry, my love,” he apologized. “Lord, up in Heaven, our almighty and one true God, please bless this food these lovely, honest, women made for us this evening. Please watch over them and lead them to the light and to your ways, Lord. Help them to understand life and truth.” Another tug on his hand had him knowing Kel was about to interrupt him again if he didn’t wrap it up. “Wrapping it up, Lord, our God, please help these women with their very souls. Amen.”

“I don’t know what that was about,” Kel said. “But thanks for saying the blessing, Ethan.”

“You’re very welcome, my love,” he said then kissed her cheek.

At least he’d asked God to help their heathen souls!

Dinner went well, and soon they were finished and retiring to separate, secluded areas of the home. Jess took Griffin up to the bedroom the three young women shared. “Here we are; my room.”

Griff looked at the three beds. “You all share one bedroom?”

“Yes, the house only has three bedrooms. Alex is a boy, so he gets his own,” Jess said then wrapped her arms around his neck. “Wanna make out?”

Griff was pretty pissed at what Jess was trying to pull, but he might just get her to do more than make out, and it might lead to him winning the bet then they’d dump the money grubbers and leave town. “Sure, we can make out, baby.”

She smiled as he kissed her and picked her up in his arms. Taking her to the nearest bed, he laid her down and covered her body with his. The kiss grew with his desire, and he was lost in it in no time at all.

Pushing her shirt up, he cupped her bra-covered breast, kneading it and salivating as he wanted to have it in his mouth. He decided he was going for it. Pushing the bra up, he uncovered the perfect mound and kissed his way down until he found the nipple hard as a rock and pulled it into his mouth.

Jess moaned and arched her body up to him, “Yes, Griff.”

He dug his fingers into her waist as he sucked and licked her tit. His cock was straining the zipper of his jeans, and he had to have a bit of relief. Taking her hand, he moved it to his cock.

It took her no time at all to unbutton and unzip his pants, setting him almost free. Her hand moved over his underwear, rubbing his aching dick. The sisters had all talked and had come up with the idea to give the men almost what they wanted. It was another teasing scheme that was sure to leave the men mad at them and hurry the end of their plan to get them into bed.

In the living room, Cait had Phoenix on the sofa. The way he was grinding on her was making it hard for her to stick to the plan of teasing him beyond belief without giving in all the way. His warm lips pressed against her ear. “I want you, Cait.”

All she could do was groan. She wanted him too, but there was the little promise she’d made her sisters. Her body undulated to his. Her breasts were mashed against his tight chest. When he grabbed her ass and gave it a squeeze, she almost lost it all.

Kel and Ethan were in the den. He was kissing his way up her neck, muttering, “You smell like heaven. You taste like sin, and I want to taste every inch of you, love.”

Kel’s body was on fire. She just kept wishing the man wasn’t a liar. She’d have given into him with a passion she’d never known before if he’d been an honest man.

He had her lying on the sofa, and there was a spring in her back that kept her alert, instead of falling into the abyss his kissing was trying to take her to. Ethan made his way down her body, kissing and touching her all over. When he got down on his knees beside the sofa and pushed her skirt up, she sucked in her breath.

Should she allow him to kiss her more intimately?

Ethan wasn’t asking; he was taking. Before she could protest, he pulled her panties to one side and had his hot mouth on her. It was his intention to fuck her. Then the bet would be done, and he could move on from the conniving female.

Kel had lost all track of any thoughts she’d been having. With his tongue stroking her clit, she was in ecstasy. Her hands fisted in his amber waves. She cried out with each deft lick he gave her. “Yes!”

Ethan was in a frenzy of lust and anger that had him being more beastly than he had been before with her. His nails pressed into the flesh of her ass as he took it to lift her up so he could kiss and eat her out more voraciously.

Kel was aware of nothing but the intensity that he was filling her with. An enormous wave began in her lower regions, swelling up and moving all the way through her body. She let out a hellacious shriek with the orgasm, “Ethan!”

The man wasted no time; he stood up and dropped his pants as he pulled her around so he could get on top of her and finish what he’d started. It was her weak cry that made him stop. “Are you weeping?” he asked her.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered as the tears flowed like rivers. “It’s just that, damn. It’s … I haven’t …”

“Are you trying to tell me that you haven’t had an orgasm since you and that guy broke up?” he asked her in disbelief.

“I’ve never had an orgasm given to me by anyone. You’re the first person to ever make me have one.” She wept openly and felt so damn odd that it made no sense to her at all.

Ethan pulled his pants back up and sat down, picking her up and cradling her in his lap. “Shh. It’s okay, love.” He had no idea what he should do. The poor thing was sex deprived.

How could he just take her then walk away?

Kel cried into his chest as he rocked with her. “I know I must seem like a freak to you.”

“No, never, Kel. Don’t think like that.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I’ve had self-induced orgasms before, but no one has ever brought one on. I thought something was wrong with me. I was wrong. It was just that I let the wrong men have sex with me.”

Ethan ran his hand through her hair and whispered, “It seems you have.” His heart was all over the place. He felt sincere feelings for the woman. But she was just after money. A thing he seemed to have forgotten about.

Hell, what she was doing was most likely an act!

“Ethan, thank you for stopping,” Kel said as she stopped crying. “You’re a real gentleman. You’re a good man.” She kissed him softly. “I’m lucky to have you.”

He leveled his eyes on hers, unsure of what he should do. So, he decided to test her a bit. “You don’t exactly have me yet, Kel. Do you really want me?”

Kel was struck dumb by his question. She didn’t know what to say. If she said yes, then he’d most likely push her to do more. But if she said, no she didn’t know what he’d do. “Ethan, someday I hope you’ll be mine.”

He brushed her hair back off her face. Her eyes were a little red and swollen from crying. Her cheeks were red from where his beard had rubbed them when they’d kissed. Ethan decided it was time to start his plan. “You should know more about my family and me if you really want that, Kel. How about this weekend I take you to meet my grandmother? She has a home in Connecticut. Would you like that?”

Kel was more than a bit shocked that he’d go that far to win the bet. But she was curious, so she agreed. “Yes, I’d love that.”

His touch on her cheek as he looked into her eyes made her shiver. “I’ve never taken a woman to meet her before. You’re the first.”

“I am?” Kel asked with surprise. “And what does that mean, Ethan?”

“It means I see more in you than I’ve seen in any other woman. And I want you to be aware of what you get when you get me. It’s not all rainbows and lollipops.” He kissed her again.

Kel had no idea what could be wrong with Ethan or his family. Not that it mattered. This was all a game to him anyway. She was sure he was lying about never taking any woman to meet his grandmother before. Anything to get her to let her guard down and let him into her pants.

When he eased the kiss, she said, “I think I can handle anything that comes with you, Ethan.”

His smile told her she could, and she had to remind herself again that the whole thing was a ploy. It wasn’t real. As much as it felt real, it just wasn’t.

The worst part was that she was telling him the truth about him being the first to make her climax. And she hated the fact that the one man she’d found who did that for her was never going to be a permanent fixture in her life.

Ethan and his friends were all frauds. All men with a mission to win a bet.

And damn the hearts they might break along the way!

Chapter 26

Light filled the bedroom as lightning lit up the night and an unexpected boom of thunder made the glass shake in the windows. “Wow, that was close,” Griffin said as he pulled his mouth off Jess’ perky breast.

She hated to admit that she didn’t want him to stop what he’d been doing to her. He was pushing all the right buttons and hitting all the right places, and the damn storm that looked like it was about to hit them wasn’t helping her one bit.

Pulling him back to look at her, Jess said, “You want to let me kiss you for a while?”

With a smile, he nodded and rolled over with her, leaving her on top of him. Pushing his shirt up, she moved her hands all over his tight chest and over the hills of his muscular abs. Then she ran her tongue through the valley that separated those abs.

With his jeans already open, she pushed the elastic of his underwear down, igniting a moan from him that made her smile. What she was about to do was the meanest thing she’d ever done. And she wasn’t particularly proud of herself for doing it.

It had her giving Griffin another shot at doing the right thing—telling her about the bet and telling her he was calling it off. She looked up at him with a nervous expression. “Griff, I’ve never done this before. You promise not to make fun of me if I do it wrong?”

“You’ve never given a blowjob before?” he asked as he leaned up on his elbows.

“No, but I really want to please you. I’d never do this if I didn’t trust you.”

Jess watched his eyes go dark. “Is that so?” It wasn’t the reaction she thought she’d get. He looked a bit pissed. “Then don’t do it, Jess. It’s that simple.”

“Are you saying that I shouldn’t trust you, Griff?” she asked, hoping against all the odds that he was about to stop the insanity.

“Me?” he asked with a high voice. “Me, you can trust. I just mean you should only do what it is you want to do. Not what anyone else tells you to do. You know what I mean?” He was giving her the chance to come clean about what she and her sisters were doing, trying to pin down some unsuspecting men to pay their bills for them.

“I guess you’re right.” She kissed his stomach with a hot kiss then dipped her tongue into his belly button.

He pulled her up by her hair and asked, “Does that mean you still want to do it?”

“Give you the first blowjob I’ve ever given?” she asked. He nodded. “Yes. I want you to be my first. I trust you that much, Griff.”

He didn’t know what the hell to say. He wanted a blowjob, for sure. But he felt like something was wrong. He shouldn’t let her do a thing like that if he wasn’t being real with her. She was kind of innocent and in the end, it might hurt her self-esteem.

When her mouth moved over his cock, he reminded himself that she too was playing a game with him. Why not get the blowjob?

Her mouth was hot as she moved it up and down his cock. He laid back and closed his eyes, letting himself get into it and trying to forget that this was the first time she’d trusted a man enough to be so vulnerable.

The way she used her tongue to run up the underside was surprising him. Then he started to think she was lying about this being her first time to do such a thing. “You’re kind of great at this, Jess.”

“Am I, really, Griff?” she pulled her head up and asked him. “Don’t say it if it’s not true.”

He raised his head to look at her. “And you shouldn’t either.”

“What does that mean?” she asked him as she was utterly confused. It was the first time she’d given a blowjob; she wasn’t lying about that.

“I’m saying that if you’ve done this before, you can just say it. You can be truthful about anything with me, Jess. That’s all I’m saying. Anything at all, you can confide in me.” He gave her another chance to come clean and waited to see if she’d take his bait.

“I’m being truthful with you about this. Is there anything you want to be truthful with me about?” She was searching his eyes for any sign he was ready to let her in on what he was really doing.

She found only a certain hardness there that hadn’t been there before. Jess was pretty sure it was because he was mad about what he’d overheard earlier that day.

“All I’m saying is you’re making the moves of a woman who’s done this a time or two,” he said.

“Well, I haven’t. Should I stop?” she asked him.

He laid his head back and wondered what the hell he was doing to himself. Sabotaging a blowjob that looked as if it might be a pretty great experience for him. “No, go for it.”

“Fuck! Don’t be so damn enthused, Griffin!”

“You’re mad now?” he asked as he lifted his head back up.

By the pink color of her cheeks, he could see she was mad. And when she got off the bed and pulled her bra back to cover her tit, he knew the little make out session was over.

Then it hit him that he still needed her. He still needed her to win the bet, and he needed to make her think he was looking at her as marriage material.

Changing his actions, he sat up and pulled her into his arms as he laid back with her. “Don’t,” she said with a muffled voice as he held her close to his chest.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he cooed. “It’s just that I had something I wanted to ask you to do with me this weekend and I’m kind of afraid to let you know more about me and those I come from.”

“Huh?” Jess asked as she pulled her head off his chest and looked at him.

“I want to take you home to Montana this weekend to meet my family. And I’m afraid of what you’ll think of them and the things we all do,” he said, looking sheepish.

“You want to introduce me to your family?” she asked, feeling kind of shocked he’d bring his family into his sinful bet.

“I do,” he said, then ran his hands through her hair. “But I’ve never taken anyone home before. I’m nervous about it. And about how you’ll like them.”

Jess was unsure what to say. “Why would you be nervous about that? You see where I come from. What do you have to be embarrassed about?”

“Just some things,” he said with a frown. “Would you like to spend this weekend with me at our ranch in Montana, baby?”

“Um, maybe I should ask Kel.” Jess chewed her lip.

Griffin took her face in his hands. “You’re plenty old enough to make this decision on your own, baby. Now tell me, what it is you want to do?”

“I’d like to see your ranch. I’ve never been up that way before.”

“So you’ll make me happy and come with me then?” he asked with a grin.

“I guess so.” Jess wasn’t sure what Kel and Cait would think about her accepting his offer. But she wanted to go for some odd reason.

Another loud blast of thunder that accompanied a flash of lightning had them holding each other tightly.

Both were a little afraid of what it was they were feeling.

Chapter 27

Phoenix looked down at Cait and couldn’t believe the young woman was resorting to such tactics to get a husband to pay off her debts. She just simply didn’t seem the type.

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him like she adored him. But did she really like him as much as she claimed to? Or was she just pretending?

He pushed back her hair and whispered, “You’re beautiful.”

Cait ran her hands through his hair. “Thank you. So are you.”

He kissed her because he couldn’t stop himself. It made him sick that he was falling so much into her trap. He’d nearly called off the bet to make things right with her. Then her secret was found out, and it made him sick.

Their bodies worked so fantastically together. He knew sex would be phenomenal with her. She was in tune with him in almost every way imaginable. As their mouths copulated the way he wanted their lower regions too, he got the impression that she might be about to let him go all the way as she moved his hand to cup her breast.

She was grinding her body up to his and moaning. He could feel the heat coming from her as he was wedged between her legs. Rain began to pelt the window panes, making things even cozier than they’d been.

Phoenix was all over Cait; their breathing was growing more frantic as they rubbed each other in all the right ways. She moved one hand between them and reached into his jeans, taking his swollen cock into her hand and stroking it.

His lips left hers as he said with a husky voice, “Cait, please.” He kissed her neck, nibbling it then biting it as she moved her hand faster. He ached to be inside her. But she wasn’t about to give him everything.

She tried to get a confession out of him. “Phoenix, tell me.”

Both of their minds were nothing but blurs as the passion dulled all other senses except that of touch. Phoenix thought she wanted to hear something other than what she really wanted, so he said, “I love you, Cait.” It just came out without him expecting it to.

He wasn’t even sure he meant it. But he went with it, anyway. Why not coddle her into thinking she was going to get what she wanted?

Him to marry her.

“Phoenix,” Cait moaned. “Don’t lie to me.” She stroked him harder, making him quiver.

“Cait, come home with me this weekend. I want to prove to you I want more with you.” He cupped the back of her neck then kissed her as she kept stroking him with her hand.

The kiss was sensual, making Cait want to give herself to the man. The waiting was killing her. But he’d gone too far with telling her the lie of loving her. She knew better than that.

Phoenix was going to resort to anything so he could to win the bet. And now her passion turned to anger. Pulling her hand out of his pants had him groaning and trying to get her to keep it up. She wrenched her mouth from his. “My parents will be home soon. We need to stop.”

“Are you fucking with me, Cait?” he growled at her. “Are you really going to take me this far and leave me hanging?”

“I have to,” she said as she pushed at him to get off her. “You guys need to get going before our parents get home. Dad’ll give you all what-for if you’re still here.”

Phoenix made a short laugh. “Your dad’s a kitten compared to your mother.”

And just like that, Cait was thoroughly pissed. “Well, be that as it may, you and your friends need to go.”

He stayed right where he was, pinning her to the sofa. “You haven’t told me if you’ll go back home with me this weekend. I want to show you where I live.”

She stared into his eyes. “Why would you even want to do that? Can’t you at least be honest with me about this one thing?”

“What one thing?” he asked in confusion. It was Cait who needed to be honest, in his opinion.

“This thing we have going on,” she said as her lips quirked up in one corner. “You know it won’t last. So why take me to your home?”

He trailed his fingertips over her cheek. “Are you psychic or something? What makes you so sure this won’t last?”

“Because it won’t. And what’s the deal with throwing out the I love you, Phoenix?”

He didn’t know why he had said it. How was he supposed to explain it to her?

“I just felt it in the heat of the moment,” he finally said.

“To get what you want,” she said as she frowned at him. “Isn’t that right?”

Suddenly it was he who was pissed. He moved off her and stood up. “I like how you act like you didn’t want it to go further than it did. Kind of an asshole sort of thing to do to us.”

“To us?” she asked as she sat up.

“You and me, that us,” he said as he zipped and buttoned his jeans. “Don’t pretend it isn’t hurting you to stop what we were about to do. I know you’re aching for it too. Just like I am. Only you’re teasing us both. When do you think you’ll stop doing that, Cait?”

“When are you going to be real with me, Phoenix?” she asked as she got up and ran her hands through her hair to tame it. Her clothes were awry, so she straightened them.

“Probably about the same time you decide to be real with me, Cait,” he said, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her body immediately pressed into his. Her mouth opened and her tongue played with his. She was warm and inviting as she ran her hands up his arms then over his back. Phoenix knew she was holding back in order to trap him. He eased his kiss then asked her again, “So, will you come home with me for the weekend?”

“Promise me you won’t pressure me into having sex the whole time and I will.” She leveled her eyes at him to let him know she was deadly serious.

“I tell you what, Caity-cat. I won’t even make one attempt to get you into bed. I have a spare bedroom that’ll be yours while you’re visiting me. But you have to do the same for me No, teasing. You know you’ve been doing that, right?”

She played dumb. “No, I didn’t realize that at all. I thought we were making out, is all. I’m not the kind of girl who sleeps around. I’m not easy.”

“No, you are not,” he said then let her go. “I’d never call you that.”

Cait watched as Phoenix walked away from her. And she had to fight herself not to blurt out everything about how they knew about their stupid bet and had come up with something just as stupid to get back at them for making her and her sisters pawns in their game.

What she didn’t know was that Phoenix was fighting himself not to tell her about the bet and what they’d overheard the girls saying too. It seemed that they were on the same wavelength but were too afraid of the others being mad at them to say what they wanted to.

Chapter 28

Though all the men went home unfulfilled sexually, they all had managed to get their women to agree to the weekend dates where they planned on scaring them off the marriage paths the men thought they were on.

Ethan hired a car to take him and Kel up to see his grandmother— a woman who wasn’t really his grandmother, but an actress he’d hired to play the part. He’d hired an entire comedy troupe to fool Kel.

Stopping to enjoy a nice lunch in New Jersey had the two getting into an in-depth discussion neither had planned on as they watched a couple with two young children as the parents tried to get the kids to act right and take their seats at the table rather than roaming around the little café.

The little girl, who seemed to be about three, wandered up to Ethan and pointed to his hair. “You have pretty hair.”

The little girl had blond ringlets that Ethen pointed to. “I think your hair is prettier than mine.”

She palmed her curls. “No, your hair’s prettier.”

“Jo Beth, come sit down and eat,” her father called out to her. Then he looked at Ethan. “Sorry, sir.”

“For what?” Ethan said with a chuckle. “I just received a great compliment from your little girl; she’s made my day.” He gave the kid a wink before her mother swooped in and picked her up.

Kel watched the little exchange as she ate her turkey on rye bread then took a sip of her root beer. “So, you like kids, huh?”

“Sure, who doesn’t?” Ethan said, then leaned forward to twirl a lock of Kel’s hair around one finger. “And you and I would make some really cute ones, love.” He leaned back in his chair, stretching out his long legs. “How many should we have?”

She laughed at him as she knew exactly what he was up to. “Oh, five or so. And I’d start trying for them as soon as I was married. I can’t wait to settle down and start up the large family I dream about having. I just need to meet Mr. Right, and then I’ll get right to that.”

He raised his thick brows as he grinned at her. “Is that right?”

She nodded and finished her sandwich. Ethan had finished before her, so she was ready to get going. “Yes. I’m done. We can get back on the road if you’re ready to. I really can’t wait to meet your grandmother.”

Ethan got up and held out his hand for her to take. “And she can’t wait to meet you. My cousin Tommy’s there too. He’s a little bit special. I hope you won’t hold that against him.”

Kel gave him a frown as he escorted her out of the little café. “Ethan! I’d never hold anything like that against anyone! Do you think I’m some kind of monster?”

“No,” he said as he opened the car door and let her get in first. He slid in beside her, putting his arm around her and kissing the side of her head. “It’s just that I’ve had more than a few comments on my family. Not all have been kind.”

Kel looked at him and wondered if he was being honest. If that was true, she felt terrible for the man. “Oh, Ethan, that makes me sad. If you have someone with a disability in your family, no one should judge you on that.”

“But some do, love.” He kissed her with a light kiss as he cupped her chin. “I think you’ll be wonderful to have around my family. Such a caring and sweet woman. Honest to the core.”

She knew why he had thrown in the last part about the honesty. It was pretty clear he wanted her to come clean about the husband wrangling that the sisters had made up. But she wanted him to come clean about the bet. So they were at an impasse that neither would budge on.

Meanwhile, Cait and Jess were at the airport with their men. Each couple was waiting on private jets to be readied, and Cait and Jess were beginning to get an idea about just how much money the men really had.

“I know you said you were a salesman for your family’s business, Griff, but just how much do you make doing that?” she asked him as he brought her a cup of coffee and a bagel.

“Here, baby. You should eat something.” He handed her the bagel, and the coffee, then took a seat next to her. “I don’t like to talk about money.”

“I can see that. But I don’t like to be clueless about how much the man I’m seeing makes a year.” She took a bite of the bagel and waited for his answer.

“My money isn’t calculated on a yearly basis. It’s just always available to me.” It hit him that she was sizing up how much he was worth so she could try to get him to marry her and pay her damn bills. But he’d be teaching her that being married to him would be far from the picnic she thought it’d be.

So what if the things he was about to show and tell her were completely false? Jess would never know about that.

At that point, none of the men cared who won the bet. Things had changed. They saw it as their manly duties to teach the women a lesson about using men for their money.

If during that time any of them did score, that was purely a bonus!

“How is it you have access to money all the time without working, Griff? Are you some kind of a millionaire?” Jess asked him.

He decided to let her in on his financial state and wanted to gauge her reaction to that news. “Millionaire?” He chuckled as he shook his head. “Billionaire is the word most people use. My family is extremely well off.”

“Shut the fu …” Jess said then stopped as he kissed her.

When he pulled his lips away from hers, he asked, “You won’t hold that against me, will you?”

“Um, no,” she said then bit into her bagel again. She wasn’t sure if she should even believe him. Men thought women fell all over themselves if they thought they had money. He was most likely just saying it to win the bet.

“Good. A lot of wealthy people have issues with building relationships due to the fact they have a hard time knowing if the person loves them for who they are or for their money.”

“That’s just shallow,” Jess said, earning a frown from Griffin who thought about how she and her sisters were looking to trick men into marrying them so their bills could be paid off.

“Yeah, it’s as shallow as it gets, Jess.”

For a moment, Jess had forgotten what she and her sisters had done and went on to say, “I could never do that. Just know this, Griff; if I tell you that I love you then it’s true. I’m not a money grubber or a liar.”

Griffin was shocked at how sincerely she could say the lie. “That’s good to know.”

But it wasn’t good to know at all.

The woman was a master of deception!

Cait and Phoenix were getting on the jet he’d chartered. As he helped her to sit in the window seat, he buckled her in, then kissed her.

She placed her hands on his cheeks and asked, “This is going to be fun, isn’t it?”

He smiled and sat down next to her. “Oh, yeah. I’m about to show you how I live.”

They held hands as the jet took off. Cait felt a twinge of guilt for going off with him on false pretenses, but her sisters had begged her not to tell their secret, even though she wanted to in the worst possible way.

“Phoenix, I’ve never been to Texas. Is it really as big as everyone says? I mean, I’ve seen the size of the state on a map but, come on, it’s not really that big, is it?”

“It feels even bigger when you drive it,” he said with a smile. “And now I want you to know a bit more about me, Caity-cat.”

She began to have hope that he was about to be honest. If he told her the truth, then she’d tell him the truth about her and ask him not to ruin it for her sisters. Cait was sure he’d do that for her.

“I’d love to know more about you, Phoenix. Like, nothing would make me any happier.” She gave his hand a quick squeeze.

“Cait, I’m a rich man.” He watched her reaction and was surprised when she barely changed her expression.

That was because she wasn’t sure if she should believe him. “Are you? And how’s that?”

“I inherited some land. And that land ended up being on top of a giant oilfield. So, you’re sitting next to an oil tycoon. Does that make you think any differently about me?” He looked a bit worried, which made Cait want to laugh.

She didn’t, though. “I don’t much care if you have millions of bucks or not.”

“Billions,” he said as he watched her carefully.

“Billions, huh?” She tapped her chin. “So what?”

“Do you really think that? I mean, can I trust you not to use me for my money?” he asked her with the hopes he’d see greed in her eyes.

“Why in the world why I use you for your money, Phoenix? I did start talking to you on the pretense that you were a mere mortal man and not a superhero billionaire.” She laughed, and so did he.

But Phoenix knew she was after a man with money. He did think she’d be on cloud nine, knowing the man she was plotting to trick into marriage was more than a little wealthy.

So her reaction was confusing, to say the least. He ventured further as he asked, “Does the smell of oil bother you?”

“I don’t recall ever smelling it.” She looked at him with a curious expression. “Why would you ask that?”

“There’s a house in the middle of that oilfield that I live in,” he said. He had a beach house too, but he was planning on tricking her into thinking he really wanted to have a family and live in the stinky oilfield house.

“I thought you had a beach house with a dog. Isn’t that where we’re going? Because I brought bathing suits and shorts with that location in mind.”

“I wanted to take you somewhere special to me. The place I want to make my real home. I want to live in the middle of the place that made me who I am today.”

“Well, if you’re all into that place then, by all means, take me to see what you want to do with your life, Phoenix.” She laid her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes.

The guilt was beginning to pile up inside of her. The man was either being real with her, or he was a fantastic liar. Either way, she was getting tired of the charade. And she had to wonder if he was too.

“Cait, by the end of this weekend I hope we find ourselves a lot closer. I have to be honest with you. I’ve never been this interested in anyone. If you have the same vision I do, then I don’t want to wait,” he said, making her open her eyes to look at him.

“Phoenix, you should be very careful what you say to me. I may seem tough, but I’m just human. If you cut me, I do bleed.” She eyed him warily.

Cait knew that if he gave her a phony marriage proposal, she’d lose the feelings she’d come to have for the incredible man. She still had hope that he’d see fit to tell her the truth and things could begin to go in the right direction for them.

He could be her Prince Charming. But he’d have to end the bet to do it.

Chapter 29

Arriving at Ethan’s grandmother’s house had Kel feeling a bit nervous about getting that close to the man who was trying desperately to dupe her into a roll in the hay. She knew introducing her to his grandmother and some other family members was going too far, but she wasn’t ready to call him out on the bet just yet, curious to see how far the man would go.

The estate he took her to was enormous. As they drove up a winding drive, a few deer with their fawns frolicked alongside them for part of the way. “How cute they are, Ethan. Are they pets?”

He had no idea. He’d rented the place for the weekend and had actors waiting for their arrival. But he could improvise, so he said, “My grandmother has a way with wild animals. While those deer are not pets, they’re her friends.”

“A Dr. Doolittle?” Kel asked with a grin on her face. She was certain Ethan was kidding with her.

“I guess you could call her that,” he said, then wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait for you to meet my Granny, Kel. I think you two will hit it off. She’s a real spitfire.”

“And why’s she in America?” Kel asked. “Since you’re from Scotland?”

“Oh, she’s American. You see, she’s my step-grandmother. My blood grandmother died at only 47. Grandfather married a few years later.”

“Oh? Is he here too?” Kel asked as she looked at the fancy entrance of the home. A red rose-covered arch formed the entrance that was filled with more red rose bushes. While it all looked inviting, Kel knew it was full of prickly thorns and one shouldn’t stray from the narrow pathway that led to the green painted wooden door.

“He’s dead too. Six years ago. That’s why Granny moved here.” Ethan got out of the car and held out his hand for Kel to take. “Don’t mention him, Kel. It makes her sad.”

The door swung open just as Kel got out of the car and an old woman shouted, “There he is! My big boy!”

Kel marveled at how old the woman looked.

She was ancient!

The old lady strode right up to Ethan with an odd hobbled gait and kissed Ethan smack on the lips. His eyes went wide as did Kel’s as the old woman even tried to slip him the tongue, a situation which he expertly handled, pulling her to one side as he introduced Kel, “Granny, this is my girl, Kel.”

Without so much as a glance, as the old woman’s eyes were glued to Ethan, she said, “Great. Hi, Kel. Come on inside, Ethan; your cousins are visiting me this weekend. I bet you’ve missed Herbert and Crenshaw.”

Kel laughed, as their names sounded like the title of a law firm. And she earned Ethan’s granny’s attention for that. A scowl moved over her wrinkly face, prompting Ethan to take her hand and lead her away from Kel. “I have missed the boys from my youth very much.”

“Crenshaw’s a girl, sweetheart,” Granny corrected him.

Ethan was stuck as to what to say. He should’ve known the sex of his own cousins, after all. But when the other two met them at the door, he found it easy to fix his little mistake. They both looked like men. Odd men. One wore a helmet like a bicycle racer would, in electric blue. He had on a tight little unitard in the same color. The other wore blue jean overalls and had a stick of some kind he was chewing on. The ragged cut of his hair, the shapeless clothing, and the fact that they both had manly features made it impossible to figure out which one was the female out of the two.

Looking at Kel over his shoulder, he whispered, “See why I called them both boys, now?”

She nodded and tried not to laugh at the weird-looking duo. “’Sup, Ethan?” the unitard-wearing man called out as they walked into the house.

“Not much.” Ethan looked at the old woman, who was clinging to him, for some help getting which guy that one was.

“Oh, Herbert, do you have to use such language?” she asked the helmet-wearing man playing the part of Ethan’s cousin.

“Sorry, Granny,” Herbert said then set his eyes on Kel. “Howdy, pretty lady.”

Kel smiled. “Hi, Herbert.” She extended her hand to the other she then realized was the woman named Crenshaw. “Hello, Crenshaw. How are you?”

Holding onto the straps that held up her overalls, she didn’t bother to shake Kel’s hand. Instead she turned around with a huff. “She ain’t so great.”

Ethan looked at Kel with a frown. “Don’t listen to her. You’re fantastic, love.”

Granny patted Ethan on his arm. “Never mind her. She’s had a crush on Mr. Tall and Handsome here since they were kids.”

“Not your blood cousins, huh, Ethan?” Kel asked, as they had no accents at all.

“Oh, yes, they are. My uncle moved here before they were born. He married a woman from the hills of Tennessee,” Ethan lied.

Kel was a little taken aback but shrugged it off as she leaned in to whisper, “I suppose their mother’s blood line was a bit muddled with incest.”

“Well, to be truthful, that runs on both sides.” Ethan stifled a grin as he followed the cousins to a large room with more red roses, filling vases around the room.

The expression that covered Kel’s face nearly made Ethan laugh, but he managed to hold it in. He’d told the little acting troupe to lay it on thick, and they were off to a remarkable start.

When Herbert shouted at the top of his lungs, “Shit fire and save the matches!” Kel froze as she watched the man’s arms fly into the air as if he was praising God or something.

Ethan leaned in close to whisper, “He has Tourette’s Syndrome. Please don’t be offended by anything he does or says. He can’t help it. Things just burst out of him.”

“Oh,” she whispered back as she watched Herbert walk in a circle three times then sit on the sofa. “And the circling behavior? What’s that called?”

Ethan had no idea, so he made something up. “Poor guy thinks he’s a puppy sometimes.”

“That’s awful. How’d that happen? Did he have an accident and damage his brain? Is that why he wears a helmet?” she asked.

“No, he wears a helmet because he thinks it looks cool, Kel. You should compliment him on it,” he told her as he held back the urge to laugh. “And the Tourette’s is genetic. We have 12 people in the family who have it.”

“So anyone could get it then?” she asked him as her head swam.

“Yes. One in my family never knows if any of their children will end up with it. The luck of the draw, I suppose.” He took a seat as the woman playing his grandmother took hers after a lengthy time of trying to ease her crooked body into the chair.

Kel couldn’t help but notice the hump that was already beginning to form on Crenshaw’s back. “Is the hump thing something a lot of your family has too?”

“Mostly only the women,” Ethan said as he sat back and pulled her close to him.

“Well, I think if it’s caught early enough, doctors can do something about that.” Kel looked around the room at the many roses and wondered why in the world one would have so many of the same flower around the inside and outside of the house.

“I don’t know. Crenshaw wore a brace for most of her younger years. It didn’t seem to help her any,” Ethan said as he watched frown lines form in the middle of Kel’s forehead.

He was happy with her reaction to the mess of a family he’d created. When his fake granny let a whirlwind of gas blow her up off her chair a bit, Kel gasped as the old woman said, “Soap!”

The others echoed her, leaving Kel stupefied. Granny decided to explain, “I have terrible insides, honey. If I apologized every time gas escaped me, then I’d never stop. So we came up with one word. Soap.”

“Soap,” Kel said. “How um, uh, clever. Yeah, that’s the word I was looking for, clever.”

“She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she, love?” Ethan cooed in her ear.

Kel didn’t think the old woman was sweet at all, but she nodded. “Sure is.”

Ethen pushed it a bit further as he asked, “Think you could get used to this?”

Kel stared at him without blinking and wondered why he’d ask such a thing. Was he really going to go so far as to give her what he thought she wanted, a marriage proposal?

Chapter 30

No one was around as the car stopped in front of the ranch house in Montana where Griffin lived. Jess loved it. There were cows and horses in the pastures that were on each side of the road they went up. A mountain was the backdrop behind the sprawling home.

“Griff, this is gorgeous,” she said as they got out of the car and went inside. “And no one’s here at all, you said?”

“They’re gone for the weekend. I’m sorry you’re going to miss seeing them. But they had work to do. It’ll just be the staff and us.” He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close after he closed the door behind them. “Think you can handle yourself appropriately?”

His breath was hot on her face. Their lips were a fraction of an inch apart. “Maybe.”

“Too bad,” he whispered. He planned on trying hard to get her to give into him, while making her think life with him meant some pretty disgusting things. “I should show you around.”

“You should,” she said with a sigh. It was hard for her to hold him off when he was up on her that way. She really wanted him, but it was the idea of the bet that stopped her.

He took her hand, leading her through the large and dimly lit house. “Through here is the way to get to the back of the house where the milking barn is. That’s where the money is made.”

“Milking?” she asked.

“Yeah, milking,” he said with an evil grin. “I’ll show you. There’s a video out there. It helps the bulls get randy.”

“Randy?” she asked, as she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

“Horny,” he said.

She laughed. “And why would they need to be horny, Griff?”

“Because we have to get them to give us their sperm. That’s what we sell.”

She stopped and looked at him as if he was insane. “No, you don’t. Come on; stop messing with me.”

“I’m not messing with you,” he said as he pulled her along. “And everyone in the family has to know how to do it. No one gets out of the dirty work.”

“You can’t mean that you take the bull by the …” Jess cupped one hand to show what she meant. “Do you?”

“I do mean that. There’s a chute that holds them still for that. And once you start fondling them, they calm right down and actually seem to enjoy it. As you can imagine, the females of the family manage to get them to give more sperm with their tender touch than the men do.” He laughed, and Jess gagged.

“You’re messing with me. I know you are. There has to be a machine that does that,” Jess said as she shook her head. “People don’t do that for real.”

“There are other ways to get it, but our way works the best. We get a lot more than other producers do. And all because we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty.” Out a door they went, and into a fenced area that had a large barn at the back if it. “I’ll let you watch the video first, then you can try it.”

“No way in hell, Griff!”

“Baby, come on. You’re into animals anyway.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. “Not into them in that way! That’s bestiality, Griff. It’s sick!”

“It’s not considered that, and it’s not sick. It’s profitable.” Pulling her along with him, he continued to take her to the barn.

“How about I watch you jerk the cow off?” she asked as they got to the barn where she could hear the cattle mooing.

“We don’t jerk off the cows, Jess.”

“Bulls. Whatever. You know what I’m saying. Let me watch you do it.”

He eyed her as he opened the large door, letting a burst of livestock odor pour out. Griff wasn’t about to put his hands on any bull’s cock, but he was about to watch Jess do it. “Inside, baby. You see, I’m itching to see if you can do this. It’s a thing each family member has to do, and I wanna see if you have what it takes to be a Houser.”

Jess eyed him and was unsure if he was being serious or not. He’d overheard them talking about the phony marriage scam. Was he into it, or was he going to try to use his own fake marriage proposal to win the bet he had with his friends?

“I’m not about to put my hands on a bull’s anything, Griff. Furthermore, I’m not interested in being a Houser.” She leveled her eyes on him and put her hands on her hips.

“You sure, baby?” he asked as he gathered her up in his strong arms. He’d heard her and her sisters loud and clear. He knew she wanted to get married.

When he moved his mouth past hers and went straight to her neck to kiss and nibble it, she couldn’t help wilting in his arms. He did know how to work her body; that was true. “Griff,” she moaned as she ran her hands over his tightly muscled back.

The bulls that were in the pens began to get louder as they mooed. Griff whispered in her ear, “We’re making them get all hot and bothered, baby. That’s a good thing. It’ll make your job easier.”

Pressing her up against the wall, he kissed her long and hard. He was going to work her up into a frenzy and win the bet while he planted the seed of doubt in her head about making him her husband.

Jess was finding it harder and harder to keep her wits about her when Griffin kissed her and handled her in a way that made her insides turn to butter. His mouth was hot and demanding as he kissed her. His strong hands gripped her waist, pulling her up. She wrapped her legs around him and felt the swell of his cock as he pushed it against her.

They were completely alone, save for the bulls, and she was losing the battle. Moving her hands through his thick hair, she moaned as he rubbed himself against her. Over and over, his throbbing cock moved, making her lightheaded and all thoughts ceased, except the one. The one that told her to let the damn bet go and find out what Griff could do for her.

Raking her nails along his back, she gasped when he bit her lower lip then nibbled his way down her neck. “Griff …”

“Shhh,” he said as he kept going. “Just let things happen, baby.”

Her brain was swimming in a sea of lust. Her body was on fire, and Griff was the only man who could douse those flames. She knew, without a doubt, that he’d be the best she’d ever had. And she’d held off for as long as she could.

When his fingers moved down her throat, all the way to the top button of her shirt, she let him unbutton it. Each button got him that much closer to the prize. Stopping to cup one breast, he groaned with how good it felt in his hand.

Griff had to admit that things with Jess were going great. If he could have gone back in time, the one thing he’d have done was make sure he hadn’t overheard the girls’ conversation about roping them into marriage to pay their bills.

And with that thought, he lost the feelings he’d had. He let her breast go and stopped kissing her neck that was so sweet and tempting. Griff reminded himself that the woman who was holding him was a money grubbing liar.

“So, you ready to get handsy with one of the bulls? I’ll let you pick him out.”

“Griff, no,” Jess whined. She was wondering what the hell had happened. They’d just been making out hardcore, and she’d been about to give into him.

“Yes, Jess,” he said as he stepped back, moving her legs off him.

“Griff, what’s wrong?” she asked as she knew something had to have gone through his head that had him stopping. Then she knew he’d been thinking about the marriage thing and it’d shut him down.

All she wanted to do was end the charade. Tell him she knew about the bet and how they’d gotten back at them for it. But Griff seemed set on trying to make her whack off a bull as he dragged her along with him to the first pen. “Come on. You have to do this. If you want me, then you’ll have to do this.”

Stopping short, Jess made a drastic decision. She was going to tell him the truth. Tired of keeping so much bottled up was taking its toll on her. “We need to talk.”

Griff turned around and eyed her warily. Somewhere, deep inside, he knew she was about to confess, and he knew he should too. “About what, Jess?”

A door on the side of the barn flew open and in came a tall man with a gun aimed right at them. “What the hell are you two doing in here?”

“Who the hell are you?” Griffin asked as he quickly moved Jess behind him.

“Never mind that,” the stranger shouted. “Get on the ground and put your hands behind your heads.”

Griffin had no idea who the man was or what the hell he thought he was doing. Jess looked at him with wide eyes as she said, “You don’t live here, do you?”

Chapter 31

Bouncing in the pickup truck Phoenix had rented at the airport, Cait looked out the window at the desolate area he was taking her to. “So, this is the land that’s made you so rich?”

“It sure is,” he said with pride in his deep voice.

“It’s not much to look at,” Cait commented on the drab gray trees that were short with thin leaves on them. The tan color of the dirt made everything blend in. Nothing stood out. “Does it get any better?”

“Hell, yes, it does,” Phoenix said as he went around a corner and the pavement ended, white caliche rocks began, and the ride became even bumpier.

“Are we going off-roading now, Phoenix?” Cait asked as she grabbed the bar above the passenger side window. “Now I know why this was installed.”

Phoenix laughed as he shook his head. “This isn’t off-roading, Caity-cat. This is one of the many roads the oil company put down when they were drilling the wells.”

“This is not a road!” she said as she hung on for dear life to the bar and pressed her feet against the floorboard in a vain attempt to steady herself. “This is worse than driving on the dirt, Phoenix!”

Rounding another curve, he pulled to a stop in front of a giant see-saw like structure. “This is the Nelson number one. The first oil well they drilled on this property. It makes roughly 40 barrels of oil a day for me.”

“I can see why you like the land for that purpose, but for any other purpose, it’s more than fairly undesirable. You sure you want to make a home for yourself here?” she asked him as she looked around, desperately trying to find anything of beauty at all to make her understand what he saw in the place.

Phoenix was happy with her dislike of the scenery. He was set on showing her that if she was looking for a husband, he wasn’t going to be the man for her. But if she wanted to play, he was game for that.

“This is where it all started, Cait. I want to make a home for myself and a family right here, where it all began,” he said, then pulled away from the pump and headed down the bumpy road again.

Cait clung to the bar as she thought about why in the world he or anyone else would want to live in the middle of nowhere with only a bunch of machinery as their neighbors. And when he pulled up at a small, white house with the paint peeling, exposing old, gray boards underneath, she was thoroughly confused by the man. “What’s this?” she asked.

“This is the house the property came with. I stayed here a lot when I was first given the property. I want to make this place into a home. Come on, Cait. Let me show you around,” he said, then jumped out of the truck.

When he opened the door for her, the most awful smell hit her like a brick. “Oh, Lord! What’s that smell?”

“That’s the smell of money, Cait,” he told her as he helped her out of the tall truck.

“It’s more like rotten eggs and tar.” Cait looked around to try to find out exactly where the odor was coming from and couldn’t pinpoint it at all. “It seems to be coming from everywhere.”

“Well, that’s because it is,” he told her as he led her into the ramshackle dump of a house. “That’s the gases that come up with the oil. He pointed to a row of tan painted huge tanks that were not too far away. “That’s where the oil is pumped to. So, that’s why the smell is so strong here. You get used to it. You’ll see. Now, let’s go inside so I can show you the house and get your take on it.”

Cait pinched her nose shut as she went with him. She was pretty positive she’d never get used to that stench. And when he opened the door, she was met by three scurrying mice and let out a scream. “Rats!”

“Nah, those aren’t rats,” he said as he pulled her inside. “Rats are a lot bigger. Those are just mice. Once we move in here, they’ll move out.”

“We?” she asked as she looked at him, her fingers still holding her nose closed, making her sound stuffed up. “Phoenix, what the hell are you talking about?”

“You and me, of course. That’d be the next logical step, wouldn’t it? Moving in together?” he asked her as he watched her eyes get big.

“We’re not anywhere near that place yet,” she said.

And he had to wonder, if they weren’t near that place, then why was she talking to her sisters about marrying him?

Taking her into his arms, he pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. “Maybe soon you’ll be closer to wanting us to be a thing. A real thing. A lasting thing.”

“Not here,” she said as she looked at the empty house. “And to be perfectly honest, this place needs to be torn down. Bulldoze it. And don’t start over anywhere near here. I’m pretty sure breathing in this air is not good for us.”

Phoenix was pretty sure it wasn’t either, but he said, “You really can’t see yourself living here, Caity-cat?” He rocked her back and forth as he looked into her eyes.

“I really can’t. We should go see that beach house you have.” She let her nose go and gave him a smile and then a kiss to see if she could get him to take her away from the horrible place. “I know I’ll feel a lot better with the salty air blowing around, instead of this.”

“You don’t even wanna spend one night here?” he asked. “Just to see what it’d be like?”

She shook her head. “No, and you shouldn’t either. This isn’t a place to build a home and raise a family. This place looks like rattlesnake heaven. A terrible place to raise kids.”

Cait wasn’t wrong about the snakes. Phoenix knew that each year the oil field workers killed five to ten of the poisonous creatures on his place, alone. Her instincts were right.

Everything about the girl was right, except the conniving part of her, Phoenix thought. “I tell you what. You and I are going to the little town that’s just a piece down the road and have some dinner, then maybe get a room in town for the night. I really do want you to get to know this place. This is where my future will be. Maybe I could buy a house in town. Maybe that’d be more your style.”

“You keep talking like I’m about to move down here with you. I’m not,” she told him. “I’m still in school, and that’s my top priority.”

With her words, he let her out of his hold. “About school. I suppose you’ve gotten into a real financial pickle with all those student loans. I’d like to help you out with them.” Phoenix eyed her to see if she’d accept his help and let the marriage thing go.

He wanted them to stop the playing against the other thing they’d been secretly doing. Phoenix wanted things to be real between them. A thing they were far from at that moment.

Cait was wondering what he was up to. She placed her hand on her hip and shifted her weight. “I don’t need your help, thank you very much.”

Moving around her like a cat stalking its prey, he said, “I think you do. I think you need my help very much. You have to admit, it’d help your father out tremendously if I settled your debts. Don’t you want that for him?”

She gulped as Phoenix circled her then stopped in front of her, taking her by the chin, making her look into his eyes. Cait was on the verge of telling him the truth. The only thing keeping her from blurting it all out was the fact that he was hanging on to his secret too.

“My father wouldn’t want me accepting that kind of money from a man.”

“But a husband, he surely would,” Phoenix said then smiled.

“What are you getting at, Phoenix?” she asked him, as she knew he didn’t want to marry her. And she didn’t want to marry him. It was all too soon, and there were lies in their way.

A loud popping sound made them both jump and Phoenix ran outside to see what was making the noise. Cait followed, and the two found one of the tanks had a small lid that was blowing up as each pop sounded. “I need to make a phone call,” Phoenix said. “We should get out of here.”

Hurrying to the truck, Cait climbed in on her own so they could get out of there faster. Phoenix got in the driver’s side and pulled out his phone as he pulled away from the area. “Why do you think it’s doing that, Phoenix?”

“I have no idea.” He gave her a look that told her more than he’d been telling her.

“You’ve never stayed out here, have you?” she asked him with a frown. “You’re trying to make me think this is what you want, but it’s not, is it?”

“Um, uh.” He had no idea what to tell her. He drove away from the smell and the noise that he knew damn good and well he never wanted to live around. And suddenly he felt he had to open up and be honest with the young woman. “Let me make this call to the oil company and then you and I are going to have a long talk.”

Cait nodded and leaned her head against the headrest. It seemed they were finally going to get to the truth. Or so she hoped.

Chapter 32

After a long day of visiting with Ethan’s fake family, although Kel was unaware of that fact, she was tired and ready for bed. Ethan walked her down a long hallway where many pictures lined the walls. “And who’s this?” she asked about a lovely young woman in a black and white photo, framed in gold.

“Um,” he mumbled, as he had no idea who any of the people were in any of the photos. The fact was, he was growing tired of the charade. Kel had been the epitome of class as she handled the shenanigans the acting troupe put her through. “Not sure about that one, love.”

Kel stopped and turned to face him. “How’s that, Ethan? I have to tell you that I feel like something’s not quite right here.”

He gulped and felt a weight on his back the likes of which he’d never known before. Taking her hand, he led her into one of the bedrooms. “I think I can finally be honest with you, Kel, seeing as I have you too far away for you to grow furious enough with me that you’d run out and hide away from me.”

She sat on the bed, watching him as he began to pace with a slightly nervous expression on his handsome face. “Be honest. I never run from honesty, Ethan.”

He laughed with an oddly loud and abrupt sound. “Oh, I think you’ll be pretty mad at me, my love.”

“I’ll hold my temper.” Kel got up and put her arms around him. “You can be honest with me.”

He stroked her soft cheek and looked into her eyes. “I think I can, but I’m still afraid you’ll end this.”

“And why would I end something this nice?” she asked him, then leaned her head to rest on his broad chest. “Just tell me. You really can tell me anything.”

Taking her hands, he held her away from him. “Take a seat.”

She did as he’d said to and sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, spill it, Ethan.”

“My friends and I overheard you and your sisters talking about something that has us all doing some kind of crazy things to you girls.” He began to pace again, putting his hands behind his back as he weighed what he wanted to say.

Kel held her temper, but the fact was that she was getting irate that this was the thing he wanted to be honest about and not the bet he and his friends had. “You and your friends are doing crazy things to me and my sisters, Ethan. Please go on. And what did you hear us talking about?”

Ethan stopped and leveled his eyes on Kel. She looked so small and innocent as she sat on the bed, waiting for his explanation. “Marriage, Kel. Marriage and how you three plan to get us all to marry you and pay your damn bills.” His face was turning red as he grew angry.

Kel’s face began to turn red too. “Anything else you’d like to be honest about, Ethan?”

“These people aren’t my family. I hired them to play the role. I wanted you to think I came from looneys and stop trying to get me to marry you. I actually come from good stock. No Americans are in the mix at all. And no mental illness, either. I’m not proud of what I did. And I wanted you to know that. I want us to be honest with one another. Would you like to confess now?”

Heat filled her as she stood up. “Me? You’re not nearly finished with your confession!”

Ethan grabbed her wrists, as he feared she might try to hit him. “Look, I told you about the fake family and why I did it. There’s no more. I’d like for you to admit that you planned on tricking me into marrying you.”

“I admit it,” Kel spat at him. “Before I ask for your forgiveness for such a thing though, I want more of that honesty you spoke about. I want to know it all, Ethan Southern. Every last bit of it!”

“Well, Griffin is going to make Jess think she’ll have to jack off bulls to be his wife. Phoenix is making Cait think that she’ll have to live in the middle of a stinking oilfield if she wants him to marry her. We all came up with ideas that make us seem less attractive as husbands.” He sat her back down. “There you have it.”

“I’m going to let you have it if you don’t come clean, Ethan. You have mere seconds. I’m about to count to three, and if I get to the last number and the whole truth hasn’t begun to pour from those lips then you will feel my wrath. You and your friends!” The look on her face made him think she knew about the bet.

But how could she? Unless one of his friends had told one of her sisters. That would be the only way, in his opinion. “Who told who what, love?”

“One!” Kel shouted at him.

“Damn it! Kel, you have to tell me what you know,” he shouted back at her.

“Two!” she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes were growing shimmery with what he was sure were angry tears. And when a woman cried those kinds of tears, anything could happen. Thr—”

“Stop!” he shouted as he held up his hands in surrender. “Stop counting. We had a bet.”

Kel couldn’t stop the tears as they crept out of her eyes. He’d finally been honest. “About?”

“About getting laid. Who’d get laid first.” Ethan got on his knees in front of her and took her hands in his, pulling them up to his cheeks where he rubbed them to his face. “We picked the women for each other. You were chosen for me. Kel, I swear it to ya, I’ve never met a woman more perfect for me.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Ethan, finally. We’ve known since the first night. That’s why we led you all on then left you. The bartender is our cousin; he overheard you and told us. Damn, that feels awesome to get off my chest. The marriage thing we were talking about was to get even with you all.”

Ethan nodded. “That sounds more reasonable than thinking you three strong women wanted what you were talking about.”

“I’m going to call my sisters and tell them to come clean. I can’t imagine the torture their men are putting them through. And you call your friends and let them know the bet’s off.” Kel pulled her hands away from Ethan, but he came along with them and kissed her with a passion he’d never felt before.

The woman was his equal in all ways. And the bet was behind them. The truth had been exposed, and he was about to make sure she knew how he really felt about her.

Chapter 33

Jess cringed as the tall man with the gun walked over to them as they laid on their stomachs on the floor, hands behind their head. He was still pointing it at Griffin, who said, “I’m Griffin Houser. And who the hell are you?”

“Oh, shit!” the man whispered. “Sorry, sir. Here, let me help you up!”

“Don’t bother,” Griffin growled as he got up and helped Jess up too. “And you are?”

“The new head of security. Donald Noland.” He extended his hand for a shake, and Griffin just looked at it.

“I don’ think so,” Griff said as he glared at the man. “My fucking pictures are all over the house. Don’t try to tell me you had no idea who I was.”

“No, sir, really,” Donald said. “This is my first night to work. I was hired on to secure the outside, the animals. The inside is still your security guy you’ve had for years. Mr. Stout is the one who hired me to take care of the outside. I haven’t even met your family yet.”

Griffin’s cell phone rang, and he took it out of his pocket. “It’s Ethan.”

When Jess’ cell rang too, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was Kel. “I hope nothing’s happened!”

Griff gave Donald a nod. “Go on about your business. We’re going inside, anyway.” He led Jess out of the barn and back toward the house as he answered his phone. “Griffin here, Ethan.”

“The jig is up. Time to tell Jess about the bet,” Ethan told him.

Jess was listening to Kel as she told her, “I got it out of Ethan about the bet. It’s off. Tell Griff about the fake marriage scam.”

“Wow,” Jess said as she followed Griff into the house. “You’re remarkable.”

“I know. See you on Monday when we come back. We’re going to stay the weekend in this mansion he rented and send his fake family home. You get to have some real fun now that the lying is over. Love you, sis.”

“Love you too,” Jess said, then ended the call. She found Griffin putting away his phone. Then he turned to look at her.

“You knew about the bet all along, Jess?” he asked her, afraid to pull her into his arms the way he yearned to.

“I did,” she said and took a step closer to him. “And we made up the phony marriage thing to see if you guys would run. But you didn’t.”

Ethan looked at her with a sheepish grin. “We all kind of adore you girls. And we all took you on these horrendous dates to make you think none of us were great marriage material.”

“So, the bull-jacking thing is bullshit?” she asked him as she took another step closer.

“It’s a load of it. We do have machines that take care of that task. Can you ever forgive me for almost making you touch a bull cock?” he asked, as he wasn’t sure she’d forgive him or not.

Jess closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and gazing at him in a new light. An honest light. “If I’d had to touch one then I can’t say for sure. Since I didn’t have to, the answer is yes. I forgive you, Griff. And can I ask you to be honest about how you feel about me?”

His hands tangled in her long blonde hair as he whispered, “I’m crazy about you, Jess. That’s the truth. And how do you feel about me?”

“Oh, I think you’re just about the best thing since sliced bread, Griff.”

He kissed her then. Their first honest kiss. Neither had expected the fire that ripped through them as their tongues danced and their bodies stretched, trying to feel every part of the other’s.

Griff pulled his mouth away and said, “In the spirit of being honest … What are the chances you and I can go up to my bedroom and spend this entire weekend making sweet love to one another?”

Jess winked at him. “I’d say there is a one hundred percent chance of that happening.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Griff picked his girl up and carried her away with him. It hadn’t been that long in reality, but it had seemed like forever since they’d met. And things were finally going to be real between them. Griffin was set on making Jess see how he really felt about her.

Chapter 34

Pulling the truck to a stop just outside the gate that secured Phoenix’s oilfield, he looked at Cait as he blurted, “We had a bet. Whichever one of us got laid first would win. It was stupid; and this whole lying to you thing is stupid; and I just want to end it. I know about how you and your sisters want to trick us into marrying you. That’s why I brought you out here. I don’t want to live out here at all. But I don’t know if you and I will work out, either. The fact that you’re a scheming little witch is a thing I can’t take.”

“Whoa!” Cait gasped. “Okay, first of all. You used me in a bet. Second of all, you lied first. That’s why we came up with our lie about getting you guys to marry us. We knew about your bet, and we came up with something to run you all off. Only it didn’t run any of you off.”

Phoenix blinked at her a few times. “You knew about the bet? Since when?”

“Since the beginning of it. Our cousin overheard you guys and told us about it early on. So, we fooled you all into thinking you were going to get lucky.”

“Then you ditched us.” Phoenix nodded as he recalled it all. “You little sneaks.”

“Um, hey, you guys started it,” Cait reminded him. “So, do you want to take me home now or what? Are we done?”

“Is that what you want?” he asked her as he found his heart pounding.

“Is that what you want?” she asked him as she watched his face go blank. Cait had no idea what he wanted, but she knew she wanted to see where things would go with the man.

When he shook his head, she smiled. Phoenix got out of the truck and went around to her side. Opening the door, he pulled her out of the truck and held her tight. “Cait, I think I might love you.”

“That’s nice to hear. I think I might just love you too, Phoenix. Now, how about we go to your beach house and spend this weekend in a more appropriate way? You know, playing fetch with your dog.”

He laughed and hoisted her up, then kissed her hard. When he released her lips, he said, “How about I let the neighbor continue to take care of him so I can play some sex games with you, my little Caity-cat?”

“I say, okay. Take me to your lair; make me your woman.”

Phoenix hoisted her back into the truck and groaned as he ran his fingertip over the top of her breast. “I’m going to rip those clothes off you and not allow you to get dressed at all for the next two days.”

“Promise?” she asked with a grin. “Climb up in this truck and take me home, baby.”

Phoenix closed the door and felt the weight of their lies had lifted completely. He was going to finally get to have Cait the way he’d wanted to since he met her. And the best part of it was that they’d gotten the lies out of the way. And who knew where things would lead with all the baggage gone?

Just as he got back in the truck, both of their cells rang. Cait pulled hers out of her purse as Phoenix picked his up out of the middle console. “It’s Ethan,” he said.

“Kel’s calling me.” Cait answered her phone, “Hey.”

“Hey, you need to tell Phoenix the truth,” Kel said.

“Just did. You have ESP or something?” she said with a laugh.

Phoenix laughed when he heard Ethan say, “The bet’s off.”

“I just told Cait about the whole thing. And she let me in on their secret too.” Phoenix blew a kiss to Cait. “And things are great between us now. I’m taking her to my real home. And I may just keep her there forever.”

“Good luck with that, my friend,” Ethan said. “You two have fun. Bye.”

They both ended their calls as Cait gazed at the handsome man she had finally admitted to loving. “This is nice, isn’t it?” she asked.

“What, being honest?” he asked as he reached over and took her hand, holding it between them as he drove away.

“Yes, being honest. Honest about everything. I think this is going to be a great weekend.” She gave his hand a squeeze.

“I know it is,” he said, then sped up. “Now to get you to my bed!”

She giggled and knew things would be going very well for them very soon.

Chapter 35

Candles lit up the bedroom as Jess came out of the attached bathroom and into Griffin’s bedroom. He’d stripped and was lying naked on his bed. Jess took in her breath sharply. She had a towel wrapped around her and let it fall to the floor.

Griffin moaned as he took her all in. “My God, you’re gorgeous, Jess.”

“You are too,” she purred as she made her way to him. The carpet tickled her feet as she walked across the floor. “The candles make you glow, Griff.”

“I think it’s you who’s doing that,” he cooed as he got off the bed and went to her, taking her into his arms and loving how right she felt in them. Their skin was all that was between them, finally.

Their lips met, and they both knew something was happening that had never happened for either of them before. A bond of sorts had been formed. Something neither had ever had before.

Griffin eased backward with Jess as he took her to his bed. He felt compelled to tell her, “You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought home.”

Jess stared into the dark pools of his eyes. “I’ll be the first to make love with you in your bed?”

“You will,” he told her as he pushed back her hair. “I want you to know that I think you’re special and this isn’t where things will end for us. I see this is just the beginning.”

Running her hand across his back, she said, “That’s good to hear. I want things to keep going as well.”

Picking her up in his arms, Griffin kissed her again. He wanted her to feel every last feeling he could send to her. He wanted her to know he felt more for her than he’d ever felt for anyone before. And he wanted to use his body to show her that, instead of words.

Easing her onto his bed, he placed her head gently on the fluffy pillow. For the longest time, he looked into her eyes, trying to convey his feelings. She stroked his cheek as she returned his loving gaze.

Griffin took her hand, delivering a kiss to her palm. He licked it, then ran his tongue up her arm. Giving her small bites along her neck, he heard her moan, and her body arched up.

He took her hands, holding them down over her head as he kissed and nipped her neck. Griff let them go as he moved down her body, kissing every inch as he went. Spreading her legs, he kissed her pearl, and she moaned with the sensation, “Yes.”

“You taste like sin, Jess. It should be illegal to taste this damn good.” He took the swollen bud between his lips and rolled it between them, making her moan and his cock grow.

It was a sweet agony he was putting her through. Jess wanted to feel his large cock inside of her. But his intimate kiss was more than exciting. His lips moved on her sex with a determination, but also with ease. He put her in a relaxed state as he gently kissed her. Her body was rolling with small waves as the pleasurable sensations flowed through her.

When he licked her warm folds a few times, he ventured down to her vagina and forced his tongue inside of her. She squealed with pleasure. In and out he went until she came with a shout and dug her nails into his shoulders. He licked her until she was a quivering mess. Then he pulled his hot mouth off her and looked at her as he said, “I’m about to ruin you for other men.”

Jess held out her arms and moaned, “Go on and ruin me, Griff. Settle that fat cock into my aching pussy. I’m yours.”

Moving up her body, he pinned her to the bed, forcing her legs even wider. “You ready for this, baby?”

“More than ready. Give it to me.” She gritted her teeth, readying to feel the heat she was confident she’d feel as he stretched her to fit his erection.

The tip slid in, and she felt the pain already. More moved in as she hissed with the fire it created inside her. “You can take it,” he whispered in her ear. “Just breathe, baby. You can handle it all.”

“It’s so big, Griff,” she moaned. “I can’t wait to see how full you make me feel.”

“Yes, baby, that’s the right way to think about it.” He pushed in harder and pulled back without going all the way in. Over and over, he teased her that way until she arched up to him, making him go all the way into her tight walls.

“Griff!” she shrieked as her breathing went ragged. “Oh, God! Oh, baby. Oh, yeah! Do it, baby. Shit, you feel good.”

The groan he made, shook them both as he began thrusting as he held her shoulders to the mattress. She moaned with every one of them. He knew she wasn’t faking. Her face glowed as she let him handle her the way he’d dreamt of from the first time he saw her.

“Your tight pussy was made for my cock, Jess,” he told her as he watched her expression as she held her eyes shut. She couldn’t hide the ecstasy she was feeling. The way he made her feel was unlike anything she knew existed. “I fucking love the way you feel!”

She moaned, “You fuck like a pro, Griff. I feel like you’re making me yours.”

He growled at her, “Because I am. No other man will ever be able to satisfy you the way I can.”

Her eyes flew open. “Then I guess you’ll just have to keep your bed open for me.”

“I’ll keep more than that open for you. I’ve never felt like this.” He strained his body to force his cock into her as deep as he could go. “You’re bottomless. I can go all the way in. Not a thing I’ve been able to do before.”

Her lips quirked up to one side. “Seems I was made to handle that massive cock you got going on. So fuck me, Griffin Houser. Fuck me hard and long and as much as you want to. Because I fucking love the way you feel inside of me. I love the way your muscles ripple when you move. I love the way you smell, and the light sheen of sweat that covers your body, making ours slide smoothly together.”

Griffin found the words coming out of his mouth as he thrust harder and felt the climax beginning deep in his core, “This is insane! It feels so damn right!”

Her heart was pounding as he slammed into her. She felt his dick jerk inside of her, and it made explosions go off in her. An orgasm of unheard of proportions went off inside of her, making her scream out, “I love you, Griffin!”

His body flushed his hot juices into hers as he groaned, “I love you, Jess. I can’t ever let you go.”

He fell on top of her in a heap. Their breathing filled the room, and their bodies were spent. No more lies, no more secrets, only truths of how they felt were left on the table. And both felt more relief than either knew was possible.

Chapter 36

Silver lumens moved through the waves as the moon’s light penetrated the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Phoenix held Cait in his arms as they stood on his balcony and gazed at the breathtaking view nature seemed to have made just for them that night. His lips pressed against her neck, then he whispered, “Are you ready to go to bed?”

Cait turned in his arms and kissed him. He’d been more than patient with her as she made him show her all around his massive beach house. Lastly, they’d visited his bedroom and she’d had had to go out on that balcony to catch a whiff of the salty air, reminding her of home. When she saw the way the moon had converged with the ocean, she had to take a moment to look at the majesty of it all.

But when she turned to look at Phoenix, she knew he too was a work of art by nature. Tall, almost elegant, if a man could be called that, Phoenix was more than she’d ever dreamt of. He was masculine to a T and more gorgeous than any man she’d ever seen.

And he loved her!

Her heart raced as she began to think about what they were about to do. She’d wanted the man since she first laid eyes on him. She was sure he’d wanted her too. With the lies behind them, nothing stood between them but their clothes.

In the cool night’s breeze, he pulled her dress up over her head, leaving her in a white bra and panty set. She’d ditched her flats when they’d come into the house. There was such a grand feel to what she referred to as a mansion; she wouldn’t dare keep shoes on and mess up any of the expensive looking floors.

Phoenix stepped back, taking Cait in as the moon’s light bathed her in gray shadows. The hollows of her cheeks pulled in the blackness, and the high ridges of them glowed like mother of pearl. She was stunning, and she loved him.

When she gestured for him to take his shirt off, he did so as Cait marveled at how his body was muscled. Taut lines ran through his stomach, separating each muscle. His arms looked like those of a monster, they were so well defined and hugely muscled.

Cait’s mouth began to water as he dropped his jeans, revealing a lack of underwear and getting right to the good part. His enormous erection nearly called out to her to take it into her mouth.

Without any hesitation, Cait went to him, kissing his mouth, then moving down until she was on her knees, worshipping at the altar that was her man. He took her by the shoulders as she took his cock into her hands. Soft strokes started the process of sizing up what she would attempt to take all in.

She looked up at him. “You’re massive, Phoenix.”

“You don’t have to do this,” he told her.

With a slight laugh, she said, “Oh, but I so want to.” She kissed just the tip of the perfect part of the man. His grip on her shoulders tightened as she kissed all the way down the long shaft.

Phoenix watched how the moonlight caught certain strands of her auburn hair that were golden. They shimmered as she ran her lips back up the length of him then took him into her mouth. He wanted to watch, but his eyes closed involuntarily as he groaned with how awesome it felt.

Her mouth was hot and pliable as she sheathed her teeth with her lips. Long and slow strokes made him ache for her to speed up. Cait ran her hands around him, grabbing his ass; she held him still then sped up, deep throating him and loving the noises he was making. Over and over, she ran her mouth up and down his shaft until he was holding her shoulders so tight, they were becoming numb, and he shouted, “Fuck, you’re fantastic!” Then she drank down what shot out.

Typically, his legs would’ve gone weak with the ejaculation, but he was pumped and still highly aroused. Picking Cait, up, he held her like a baby, carrying her into his bedroom. Their breaths mixed as they panted and looked at one another.

When he laid her down on his bed, he stripped away her bra and panties, then looked at her beautiful body as she was spread out on his bed. He couldn’t believe he’d found someone so right for him. Cait was gorgeous, willing, and wanting, while maintaining her independent way of thinking and acting. She was the complete package. He’d never known anyone like her.

He moved his body over hers, hovering for a moment before he eased his hard cock into her hot, wet opening. Cait sighed as she felt the emptiness inside of her fill with the man. He was inside of her in more ways than one. Phoenix was in her heart as much as he was in her body.

Holding his face between her palms, she pulled him to kiss her. Their tongues mingled as he moved his body over hers, his tight stomach rippling with every movement. She’d been positive she and he would have something unlike anyone she’d ever been with, and she’d been right.

The way their bodies moved with one another was like an erotic dance. He ebbed, and she flowed. Every touch brought out sensations neither had felt before. It was magical and other worldly how they made each other feel.

Softly, he eased their kiss. Then Phoenix kissed a path over her shoulder before he bit it gently and held her as he moved faster, harder, more fevered as his body needed more. His inner core wanted Cait to know she was his and only his. He plunged into her, dominating her in a way that silently let her know no other would ever be allowed to touch her in such a way again.

Using not one word, Phoenix conveyed his need for her while showing her he’d not be allowing any other man to have what she knew he was already considering his.

Cait was all right with that. She didn’t want to have to worry about another getting to the man she considered hers. She allowed him to take her with a hard conviction. She could’ve stopped him if she’d wanted, but she wanted him to know that she was allowing this to happen. She wanted it to happen.

His cock was branding her with his hard thrusts. His eyes bored into hers as if daring her to tell him a thing. Most would’ve been intimidated and shouted for him to stop. Cait wasn’t afraid, she was mesmerized by the sheer power he exuded. The man was positively animal, with a river of humanity running through his ancient soul. Phoenix was wild at heart and soft spoken on the outside. Only Cait would get to see this raw part of the man.

And she was gloriously happy about that fact. She arched up to him in complete surrender as she whispered, “I am yours, Phoenix.”

No smile curled his lips as his eyes pierced her soul and his words came out like the tongue of a serpent, “You are mine, and I will kill for you.”

Cait thought most women would hate to hear such a thing, but she loved it. And she soothed the beast he’d become as she said, “And I’d die for you, my sweet man.” She ran her hands over his flushed cheeks.

With her words, Phoenix’s eyes went soft in an instant. He felt the love in her voice. She wasn’t lying to him. Cait loved him, and she loved the intense way he could be at times. He’d never felt such an urge to dominate a female. But he wasn’t lying when he said he’d kill for her, and he felt the truth in her words as well.

With a soft kiss to her forehead, he whispered, “I’d die for you too, Caity-cat.”

His moves turned to loving and easy strokes. He caressed her cheek with one hand as he held his weight off her with the other. She pulled at him to let his weight fall on her body. Cait yearned to feel all of him.

She was strong; Phoenix was sure of that. She was strong enough to take him, and she was strong enough to make him into the man he knew he could be. The life he’d known would be far behind him, of that he was sure.

Cait had taken him into her heart and soul, a place he wanted to reside in forever.

Chapter 37

The smell of roses wafted past Kel’s nose when she opened the yellow draperies that hung in the bedroom she chose for the night, exposing an open window. A lovely, candlelit dinner of steaks and steak frites had filled the evening at a local restaurant. Then Ethan had had the driver bring them home and had asked Kel if she’d like to spend the night with him.

Kel had told him no. She didn’t want to feel forced to have sex with the man. No matter how honest they’d finally been with one another, the fact still stood that Ethan knew how to lie better than most. And that made her afraid of the man.

Not to mention the fact that she felt so much for him. The fact that his touch filled her with frantic butterflies that were electrically charged. The fact that his kiss filled her in such a way that the planet seemed to disappear. Ethan was a man she should fear. Her heart was too fragile for a man like he was.

After changing into a pink satin nightie that went to just above her knees, Kel brushed her hair and teeth, then climbed into the large and soft bed. The face of her cell phone lit up, and she picked it up off the nightstand. There was a text from Ethan. –

May I come in and give you a good night kiss, love?

Kel hesitated before answering him. His kisses were magical. One good night kiss might not suffice. Her fingers lingered over the screen’s keyboard. Hovering over the letter n, she thought about how nice he’d been that night at dinner. How romantic he could be when he put his mind to it.

Even hiring actors to play some crazy relatives was filled with forethought. Her fiancé hadn’t given much thought to anything he’d ever done for her. Presents were the usual and expected things. Flowers on Valentine’s Day; a piece of not-so-expensive jewelry would come on Christmas and her birthday. No trips of any kind were ever planned by her ex.

Kel had a man within her grasp who could put significant thought into things that concerned her. Sure, everything up to that point had been to win a bet, but Ethan had it in himself to think deeply about her and make plans that were out of this world.

A soft knock came to the door. “Kel, can I please come in? Just for a second.”

She put her phone down. Ethan wasn’t going to wait for her answer. “It’s not locked, Ethan.”

The door opened and in came the tall, well-built Scot. His auburn hair was a mess of waves that flowed to his broad shoulders. It looked as if he’d run his hands through his hair numerous times. Kel saw the worry on his handsome face as he got closer, coming into the light the small bedside lamp gave off.

“Kel, I can feel a disturbance in the Force, love,” he said with a weak grin.

Kel laughed a bit, but he was right about a disturbance. Things were real after all the lies had been confessed by them both. And real was scary to her. She pulled herself up to a sitting position, then patted the bed for him to take a seat. “Ethan, I think I should be truthful with you.”

Taking the seat, he said, “Please do, my love.”

His words were a thing that worried her, so she told him, “Ethan, you’ve called me love since you met me. Am I to believe you, or is that just a thing you call all women?”

Ethen inched his fingers over the pale blue blanket that enhanced the color of Kel’s dark blue eyes. Eyes that he noticed were a bit squinted as she watched him, looking for signs of truths and lies. He took her hand and held it to his whiskered cheek. “Kel, I’m not going to tell you what I think you want to hear. It’s true, I’ve called many a woman, love. And I used that to reel you in, or to try to anyway. But as time has gone on—and I know it’s not been much—I’ve grown to mean it when I call you my love. Is that so hard to believe?”

She nodded. “It’s very hard to believe.” She curled her fingers into his beard, loving the way it was so soft. With a sigh, she whispered, “My heart hurts, Ethan.”

He pulled her hand to his plump lips and kissed the tips of her fingers. “Perhaps it hurts because it’s holding your words within it. The heaviness is most likely what’s making it ache. You should probably just spit those words out and allow them to fall where they may.”

“What’s the plan, Ethan?” she asked. “I need to know if you have a plan.”

“What’s your plan, Kel?” he shot back at her. “You see, you’re the wildcard, in my opinion. Your fear of love is a thing that, quite frankly, frightens me.”

“It frightens me too,” she confessed.

His lips moved softly over the top of her hand. Then he ran them up her arm until he was close to her face. “Kel, my plan is to be with you wherever and however it works out. And I want you to know that I do love you. I can’t think a thought that doesn’t have you in it.”

Kel stared at him, wanting to be as honest with him as he was being with her but that fear was so intense, it kept her heart from doing what it wanted to. “So, you’ll move to Ashby? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I don’t see why I couldn’t. And I don’t see why you couldn’t move in with me.” He looked deep into her eyes as he went on, “Kel, I want you around all the time that I can have ya around. I want to see ya each mornin’ when I wake up and kiss your lips each night before I fall asleep. Do you want that with me?”

“You’re talking about something that’s far ahead in the future, Ethan. We have to get to know one another much better. I knew my fiancé for …”

His lips pressed against hers to stop her from saying any more. He pulled them away, only a bit as he whispered, “I am not him. Don’t make me pay for his debts, love. I’m not saying we need to rush to marry, but I am saying I want you in my bed. I want you there every night.”

The thought made her body flush with heat.

He wanted her in his bed!

She’d never shared a bed with her ex. They’d never taken the step of moving in together. And that was her doing. She’d refused to move in with him when he’d asked her to. She’d been worried about what people might say.

With Ethan’s body so close to hers, her hands moved on their own, running over his shoulders that were covered in a loose fitting, soft T-shirt. His pajama bottoms were soft too, she found, as her hands flowed down his sides to land on his thighs. Large thighs that told her he could dominate her in bed.

Ethan was a beast of a man. Easily twice her size. But his heart was softer than any she’d ever known. She felt the honesty in his words, and her heart sped up, shooting the words out of her mouth, “I’d like that, Ethan.” Averting her eyes, she let the rest come out, “And I do love you. You consume my thoughts.”

“At last,” he said, then pulled her chin to make her look at him. “Say it again, love. This time I want to see your eyes when you do.”

“I love you, Ethan Southern,” she said as a tear ran away and he kissed it away.

“No tears are necessary, my love. The past is gone. Your future is before you, and I’m smackdab in the middle of it. What do you say to this becoming our first night together? One of many.” He waited patiently for her answer as he secretly prayed she’d say yes. His body ached for her. If she said no, he’d get little to no sleep as he would surely toss and turn in his bed, knowing she was within his reach but refusing to allow him her company.

Kel knew she was taking a risk. She knew things could all go south for them. But somewhere, deep inside, she knew she’d be a damn fool not to give the man a chance. Raising her arms up over her head in surrender, she said, “Pull my nightgown off and see what you’ll be getting when you get me in your bed every night.”

Ethan stared at her, as he was kind of in shock and unsure if she was being sarcastic or not. “Kel, are you saying that we can spend the night together in this bed and that you want to make love?”

“Do you want that?” she asked as she waited with her arms still in the air.

“More than anything,” he told her. “But only if you do.”

Tired of waiting for him to undress her, Kel took the nightie off, leaving her in only pink silk panties. She watched his eyes grow in size as he took her nearly naked body in. “Ethan, I’m all in. I want you to make love to me and stay with me in this bed. I want to wake up to your handsome face. Show me what life will be like if I live it with you.”

“You will not be sorry, my love,” Ethan said, then stood up and removed his clothing as she watched him.

Kel had been fairly sure the man was well endowed but still gasped when the underwear dropped and what swung between his legs was massive in all ways. “Ethan!”

Tossing back the blankets, he pulled her down in the bed and took her panties off. “Don’t worry. I can be very gentle. Now let’s get rid of these so I can get to my prize.”

Kel giggled at his words, then the giggle turned into a moan as his lips pressed against her clit. The memory of the orgasm he had given her came flooding back, and her body took over. “Ethan …” she moaned, then ran her hands through his thick mane as she gave into the feelings that she’d been keeping at bay.

Ethan caressed her smooth, creamy thighs as he kissed her into a heated frenzy of lust and desire for him. His tongue flicked at her pearl like a serpent, teasing it until she was writhing with the climax that was building in her.

His cock was fully engorged as she shrieked his name with her orgasm. Ethan wasted no time fooling around; he quickly moved to get on top of her and thrust his cock into her wet and hot tunnel. She gasped as he spread her open.

Clutching his biceps, Kel looked into Ethan’s eyes, hers wide and a bit pained. “Oh!”

He waited a moment to let her body stretch to fit his. “You’ll be fine, love. You’re already accommodating me as we speak.”

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Go slowly at first, Ethan. The burn is pretty intense.”

With slow movements, he eased his cock up, then back down. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Seems I have me a massive man in all ways.” A light laugh came from her, and she gave his arms a squeeze as he kept the slow strokes going.

Little by little, the burning sensation went away, and she felt full with him inside of her. Closing her eyes, she let her body feel every bit of him. The way his muscles moved as he moved his body over hers was intoxicating. When his lips met with her neck, she sighed and let it all go.

He moved like a giant between her legs. Long strokes had her breathing rapidly. The way her breaths came in short bursts let Ethan know she was good to go. The hard part was over and done with, and there would be smooth sailing from then on.

Kel’s body was tight around his cock, making it want to release, but Ethan was dead set on holding onto his release for her to have hers. Placing his lips to her ear, he whispered, “You feel like heaven, love. You’re tight and toned and pure bliss.”

She ran a foot up the back of his leg as she opened up wider for him. He groaned as his cock moved into her deeper. “You fill me completely up, Ethan. This feels so right.”

Up and down he went as he cooed, “You feel so right.”

A wave of heat moved through her body as he kissed her neck and moved faster and harder until she was clawing his back, screaming his name, and falling into a deep abyss she hoped she’d never come back out of.

Ethan’s dick felt the wash of wet heat that came from her body as she gave him what he’d craved since the first time he’d met her. His cock exploded into her, mixing with the juices he’d made her release. It was official. They’d made love, consummating a real relationship. One that he never saw coming but was damn glad had.

Chapter 38

Small waves lapped at the shoreline as Cait threw a Frisbee into the ocean. “Get it, Toby!” she shouted as Phoenix’s black lab took off to retrieve it.

Cait laughed as Phoenix came up behind her, picking her up and twirling her around. “He loves you too, Caity-cat!”

Her bare feet touched the sand as he let her down and turned her in his arms to face him. His lips met hers as he just couldn’t seem to get enough of the young woman who’d stolen his heart entirely.

When his only companion for the last few years, his dog Toby, had instantly fallen in love with Cait, he’d known he had someone special. And he was aware that she had to leave the next morning to get back to school and her real life. Phoenix was missing her already.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with just as much desire as she had the night before. They both let out long sighs when the dog dropped the Frisbee at their feet and yapped up at them to pay attention to him.

Cait reached down and ran her hand over his head as they ended their kiss. “Toby, do you want me to throw your toy again?”

A couple of quick barks let her know that was exactly what he wanted. Phoenix bent over, picking up the flying disc and handed it to her. “Let it fly.”

Cait tossed it out into the water as she said, “Man, I’m gonna miss him.”

“He’s going to miss you too,” Phoenix said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “We both will.”

“Like we talked about,” she reminded him. “You set up the ride, and I’ll come see you every weekend that I can get off.”

Phoenix wasn’t happy with their arrangement. It wasn’t going to be enough for him, and he knew it without a doubt. “You should think about transferring to a college here. You could stay with me and …”

She reached back and ran her hand over his cheek. “That’s sweet of you. But I want to stay where I’m at. MIT is the perfect college for me, since I’m majoring in food engineering. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“I can,” he said then turned her around to face him. “You can understand that I want you around, right?”

“I do,” she said then kissed him again. The fact was she wanted him around too, but had no idea how their worlds could be combined.

The day went by with them playing in the surf with his dog and lying on the sandy beach, exchanging kisses and hugs. Everything felt sweet and extraordinary. Neither wanted it to stop, but both knew the weekend would end and reality would set in.

When the sun set, finding the couple still on the beach, Phoenix let his thoughts be known. “Cait, I’ve been thinking. That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing today. And I believe that you and I can make this work. I mean really make it all work.”

“I think we can too,” she agreed. “We’ll figure things out. I’m sure.”

Leaning over her, he rolled her onto her back, making her giggle as he moved his body over hers and the dog began to bark at him. “Toby, be quiet! I want your new mom to hear this loud and clear.”

Cait ran her hands over his clean-shaven face. “Hear what?”

His eyes were pools of dark chocolate, conveying more to her than his words ever could. She saw the love in them. She felt loved in his arms. And she knew he wanted nothing separating them. But she didn’t know how that could be changed. She had school, end of story.

“Come with me tonight to Las Vegas. Marry me tonight, Cait.” He didn’t blink as he waited for her answer.

“Tonight? Get on a plane and go to Vegas and marry you tonight?” she asked to be sure she’d heard him right.

He nodded and waited as Toby watched her too. Both of them wanted to keep her in their daily lives. Both were waiting to see if she’d accept that role.

Cait’s head swam with what he wanted. Only a day ago, he’d been set on making her not see him as husband material and there he was asking her to marry him right away. But there still was the distance thing to think about.

“Phoenix, getting married won’t stop the fact I have to finish school. And there are no companies here for me to work for,” she told him.

“We’ll work that out as we go. And I want you to finish school. But mostly, I want to change your last name.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips. “I want to make you mine in all ways, Caity-cat. Will you marry me?”

Her heart was racing, and she was unsure if it was because it wanted her to say yes or was trying to tell her things were moving way too fast. But then her mouth opened and the word came out, “Yes.”

Phoenix found himself laughing as he got up and pulled her up with him. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to his house, Toby following along, yapping up a storm. It was as if the dog understood that Cait was going to be a part of his family too.

As he took her to the house, he said, “We’ll go to Vegas and make it legal tonight. Tomorrow we’ll take another private jet back to Ashby and start looking for us a home. In the meantime, we’ll stay at the bed and breakfast. And you’ll quit the job at the pub, because my money will be your money.”

Cait stopped breathing as that reality settled into her brain. “Phoenix, I’ll be rich like you?”

“You will be rich like me, Caity-cat.” He kissed her again. “But let me tell you something, I’ve never felt wealthier than I do right now, knowing you want to be a part of me forever. It’s worth more than all the money in the world.”

Things didn’t feel real to either of them, but they forged ahead anyway. The euphoria kept them moving on. It would either be a love affair to end all others or a tragedy worthy of writing about. Whatever their future was, both were excited about and willing to take the risks that came with it.

Chapter 39

“What do you mean, stay here, Griff?” Jess asked as she rolled over in his bed and looked at him.

Griffin pushed her hair back off her face as he told her once more, “I want you to stay here, Jess. Live here with me. I can honestly say that this place has always been my home, but it’s never felt more like home until I brought you here.”

“How could I stay here?” she asked. “I have school and work, Griff.”

“You can change schools. We have lots of colleges here where you can continue with your animal biology degree. And as far as work goes, we could give you an internship with Montana Matrix which will give you tons of experience working with animals. You’d get a better education here, anyway.” He ran his hand over her cheek that was pink where his beard had rubbed it. “So say you’ll stay with me, baby.”

“What would your family think, Griff?” she asked as she looked into the hazel of his eyes and saw pure happiness in them.

“This place is monstrous. Mom, Dad, and my younger brother are the only ones who live here. And I know they’ll all love you. And you want to know the best part?”

She laughed at how enthusiastic he was. “What’s the best part?”

“The best part,” he said as he pulled her close to him, “is that I get to have you in my bed each night and work with you each day too. It’s been forever since I was interested enough to put actual work into the company. But with you by my side, I think I’ve found interest in it again.”

“I’ll have to talk to Dad,” Jess said. “Those student loans are …”

He kissed her to shut her up, making her quiver as she felt his cock thump against her. When he ended the kiss, he said, “As part of the internship, we’ll pay off those loans, and we’ll pay for the rest of your college, Jess. There’s absolutely nothing to lose by accepting both of my offers. The first, being my girl and moving in here with me. The second, taking the job. We pay our interns. We aren’t like other companies who pay little to nothing.”

“Money, a good man, and an education?” she asked. “Did I die and go to heaven?”

“Nope, just Montana,” he answered with a chuckle. “So can I take that as a yes, baby?”

“I’d be an idiot to turn all this down, wouldn’t I?” she asked him as she moved her body as close to his as she could get it.

“You would,” he answered as he eased her onto her back, covering her with his body.

“I’m no idiot,” she whispered. “Internship or not, I’d be a fool to turn down the offer of being your girl, Griff.”

With a smile, he kissed her, sealing their deal. She’d be staying; he’d have his first real relationship. He’d thought he’d be more afraid to make such a commitment. But with Jess, it was as easy as riding a bike.

His only worry was how her family would take the news that he’d taken the baby girl of the family away with him.

Chapter 40

Ethan and Kel pulled up in front of her family’s home right at dinner time. A cab was dropping Phoenix and Cait off and behind that was a town car that was about to drop off Jess and Griffin. All were back home as promised when they left. All had big news to tell.

It was Kel who spotted the rings on Phoenix and Cait’s fingers. She grabbed her sister’s hand as they met at the front door. “What’s this mean?” Kel asked.

Phoenix smiled as he said, “I think you know what it means, Kel. We’ve just come back from Vegas.”

“No!” Kel shouted, and then the front door opened.

Their father stood at it, wearing nothing but a pair of gray-striped underwear and a white T-shirt. “Home so soon?” he asked as he backed up so they all could go inside.

Kel walked in first and kissed her father’s cheek. “Are we interrupting something, Dad?”

“No, why do you ask that?” he asked as he made his way to his recliner.

All his daughters and all their men had made it inside and found their mother coming down the dark hallway. “I have a pot roast and potatoes almost ready. How were your weekend dates?” She stopped short as she looked at Cait. “What’ve ya done?”

Cait smiled and held up her left hand. “Phoenix and I got married last night.”

Mrs. Flannigan felt faint with her daughter’s news and landed on her bottom on the staircase. “You’ve what?”

Mr. Flannigan turned down the television and asked, “What’d you do to your mother?”

“Tell your father, Cait!” her mother shouted.

“Dad,” Cait said as she and Phoenix walked up to him.

Phoenix put his arm around her shoulders. “Mr. Flannigan, your daughter and I got married last night in Vegas.”

Mr. Flannigan sat still and blinked with the news. “Married?”

“Married, Dad,” Cait said.

“But you share a bedroom with your sisters. What’re they supposed to do now?” he asked, as he seemed more than a bit confused.

“Um, we have news too, Dad,” Kel called out.

“Not you too, Kel,” her mother whined. “You’re the level-headed one of the bunch.”

“No, we didn’t get married,” Kel told her mother. “But we are going to move in together. As a matter of fact, Ethan and I are going to be staying at the O’Toole’s Bed and Breakfast while he looks for us a house here in town.”

“Then I suppose you and your husband can sleep in the bedroom and we’ll put Jess on the sofa until you two find your own home,” their father said.

“No, we aren’t staying here, either,” Cait said.

Phoenix added, “We’ll be at the O’Toole’s as well while we’re looking for a suitable home.”

Jess looked up at Griff, then whispered, “Should I tell them about us?”

He nodded. “Might as well get all this out in the open, baby.”

“Mom, Dad,” Jess said, taking their attention. “Griff and I would like to spend the night here. Will that be okay?”

“I don’t like it!” her mother shouted. “Not one bit!”

“Now you’ve gone and made your mother mad,” their father groaned.

Mrs. Flannigan began her sermon, “My youngest wants to bring a man to sleep with her in the bedroom she’s shared with her sisters since she was born. My middle daughter has eloped with a man she barely knows, and who we know next to nothin’ about. And my oldest and most trusted child is moving in with a man, to live in sin. At least Cait’s married to her man. What have I done to deserve this punishment, Lord?” She looked up and raised her hands as if asking for help.

“This isn’t about you, Mom,” Kel hissed. “Can’t you tell any one of us congratulations?”

Jess stood still and quiet, but Griff thought their news should be out in the open so the parents could deal with it all. Much like one rips a bandage off to deal with the pain all at once. “Um, just to let everyone know what’s going on here with us,” he said as he pulled Jess closer to him, wrapping his arm around her, tightly. “Jess is going to change schools and come live with me in Montana. She’s going to take an internship with Montana Matrix, my family’s company.”

“No!” her mother shouted and got up. “She’s a baby! She can’t go!” She walked straight up to Griffin, shaking her finger. “You cannot have her!”

Jess was red with embarrassment. “Stop, Mom! Damn!”

With the curse word hanging in the air, Mrs. Flannigan went red in the face and walked silently to her husband’s side. “Fix this.”

Her husband looked up at her and shrugged. “They’re grown. What would you have me do?”

Kel went to her mother and pulled her in for a hug. “Mom, this is all great news. Your daughters have all found good men. Great men, actually. And what’s more is they’re all financially stable. You don’t have to worry about any of us.”

Ethan came to Kel’s side, adding, “We’re more than financially stable, Mr. and Mrs. Flannigan. All three of us are billionaires. And the debt of their student loans will no longer be a burden to you.”

Phoenix pulled Cait along with him as he stepped forward. “Along with that taken off your plate, we’d like to buy you a new home for your thirtieth wedding anniversary that Cait told me was coming up this year.”

Griffin saw an opportunity to win some brownie points and pulled Jess to step up with him as he said, “And Jess and I want to give you both new cars for that prestigious thirtieth anniversary. Not many make it that long. It’s a great achievement and deserves great gifts.”

Jess gave him a smile that told him she approved of his gifts. And all thought things were going well as Mr. Flannigan began to laugh. “Really? No more student loan debt? A new house and cars? Really?”

Mrs. Flannigan pulled away from Kel and left the room in tears. Silent tears, the likes of which none of her family had ever seen. “My God, we’ve killed her,” Kel whispered. Then she ran after her mother, who’d gone up the stairs to her bedroom.

Kel tapped at the closed door and got no answer. So she went in anyway. She wasn’t going to let a rift grow in their family merely because all the sisters had managed to find love at the same time.

She found her mother lying face down on the bed. Placing her hand on her mother’s shoulder, she said, “Mom, I know this is a lot to take in all at one time. We’re all leaving the home you made for us. A great home that we’re all thankful for having come from. We’re thankful for you and Dad and all you’ve done for us.”

“Then why are you doing this?” her mother mumbled as her face was buried in the mattress.

“Because we’ve all found love, Mom. Why else?” Kel kissed her mother on top of the head. “I’ve never felt happier. Doesn’t that count for something?”

She rolled over to face her daughter as she asked, “Don’t you recall what happened the last time you put your faith in a man, Kel? It ended with devastation. Live at home, let the man get himself a place, and you two can date and see what happens. What will people say to two of my daughters living in sin? One here and one so far away?”

“I waited before, and I lost my man, Mom. I don’t want to lose Ethan, and I don’t want to wait to start our life together,” Kel told her.

“Then tell him to marry you,” her mother snapped. “Let him know that you’re not a piece of trash. Make him marry you if he wants the goods. Why buy the cow …”

“When you can get the milk for free,” Kel finished the term her mother used often. “You see, Mom, times have changed. I don’t want to make Ethan marry me. If we decide to marry down the road, then that’s our decision to make. I don’t want to marry a man just because you think society dictates that.”

“So I am to hang my head in shame when I see anyone?” her mother asked. “Is that what you want me to do?”

“I can’t not live my life the way I want to just so you feel like you can hold your head up. That’s your thing to work out, not ours. Not many see living together as shameful anymore, Mom. For a lot of years now, it’s been considered something that was okay to do. Even smart, for some couples.”

Her mother sat up, suddenly and took both of her hands. “Promise me that you’ll get married before you have children. I think I can accept this if you promise me that!”

Kel stood there staring at her mother. And it hit her just how much she and her sisters had done as their mother had said to. All three of them had wanted to live in the dorms when they started college. All were told they couldn’t. It was dangerous.

Kel recalled a time when Cait had wanted to take a job close to her college in an upscale restaurant that used cutting-edge equipment and products to make their meals. Being as that was Cait’s passion, she had wanted to get some insight into what people would eat and not eat. But she was told that would take away from their restaurant, and it would be selfish to do such a thing.

So Kel looked into her mother’s eyes and, for the first time ever, she let her know she was done following her orders as she said, “Mom, I love you. I really do. And I know you mean the best for us with the things you say and want from us. But we’re not without brains. We’re not without morals. And we are not going to be told what to do with our lives any longer.”

“So you won’t promise me this one thing?” her mother whined. “One little thing! Get married before you have kids!” Her voice grew louder. “One little thing!”

Kel wasn’t going to be bullied into another thing by her mother. “I will not make you a promise that I don’t intend to keep. I have no idea how things will work between Ethan and I. I can promise you that we will make the best decisions we know how to. Now, can we put this drama to rest and go eat dinner as a family? Or will you pout in your room like a spoiled child?”

“I am no spoiled child!” her mother said as she found herself incensed.

“Then prove it,” Kel said as she stepped back and began walking to the door. “Tell your daughters that you’re proud of them and that they’re still your children, no matter what. And try telling our men thank you for all they’re doing for you and Dad. I’ll see you at the table if you decide to take hold of your temper.” Kel left the room and her mother staring after her.

Chapter 41

Jess and Cait had set the table and placed the steaming pot roast and potatoes in the middle. Kel grabbed a bottle of wine off the counter as she came through the kitchen, noticing her father had changed into pants and a button-down. “I see you decided to get dressed, Dad.” She filled a glass with red wine and handed it to him. “This isn’t a bad thing, you know.”

He nodded and took the glass from her hand. “I do. But your mother will be …”

“What will I be?” Mrs. Flannigan asked as she came into the room. Her head was held high and her shoulders were squared.

“Um, nothing, my sweet,” he cleverly remarked. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I am. Much better.” She held out her arms to her oldest child. Kel moved into them, giving her mother a hug. “Thanks to a little lecture from my oldest and most respected child, I am doing much better.” She let Kel go, but held her hand. “You’re right about me acting like a spoiled brat. I suppose I thought I’d get to keep you all here with me forever. That was a foolish thought. And most of you will be around town. I should be thankful.”

“And you can go up to see, Jess,” Kel told her. “It’ll be like a vacation.”

Her mother huffed as she tried hard to accept the fact that her baby girl would be leaving them for extended periods of time to live in the wilderness. That’s how she thought of Montana: wild territory with wolves and bears, and she had no idea why anyone would even want to live there.

But she was trying hard to put that out of her mind. She took her husband’s hand and whispered as they followed Kel into the dining room, “Soon it’ll just be us. Our son will be grown up and gone before we know it.”

“That’s a little scary, huh?” he asked, then reached around to pinch her on the bottom.

She yelped and smacked him on his arm as she blushed and thought that being alone with her husband after all those years might not be so bad after all.

Mrs. Flannigan ran her hand over each man’s back as she walked around the round table. “I’m sorry for my outburst. The news took me by surprise. That said,” she said as she took the seat her husband had pulled out for her, “I expect you three to do right by my girls. They’re good girls, with level heads, and all three of them are smarter than your average woman.”

Griff gave Jess’s hand a squeeze as he whispered, “That you are.”

Jess smiled at him as her cheeks went pink. “Oh, Griff.”

He kissed her cheek, drawing her mother’s attention. “So, this Montana Matrix, tell me what the company’s about, Griffin.”

“Well, it’s pretty exciting, cutting edge kind of stuff. We were a cattle company, you know, all about the meat and little else,” Griffin told her. “A few years ago, my father stumbled onto something even more profitable. It seemed we had some great bloodlines that other ranchers all over the world were willing to pay high dollar for. So we got into the breeding business and found that was a huge pain in the rump roast.”

“Ha, rump roast,” Ethan laughed. “You’re a funny fella, Griffin.” Mrs. Flannigan had to give Ethan a smile as he passed her a plate he’d already filled for her. “Here ya go, Mrs. Flannigan.”

“Thank you, Ethan. You have lovely manners,” she remarked as she picked up her fork. “So you went out of the breeding business then, Griffin?

“No, we went tech with it, extracting our prize-winning bulls’ sperm and shipping it wherever anyone wanted it. And it turned out that many want it. Jess can gain a wealth of education from working for our company,” Griffin said, then kissed Jess’ cheek again. “And I really love this girl, Mrs. Flannigan.”

“You both glow,” Mrs. Flannigan said, then looked around the table where only their son was absent as he had a baseball game he was attending that night. “You all are glowing. You men must be magical. All of my daughters look happier than I recall seeing them look before.”

Cait ran her hand across Phoenix’s cheek, the light reflected off her diamond wedding band. “I am happier than I’ve ever been.”

Phoenix left a little kiss on her lips. “Me too, Mrs. Nelson.”

Kel giggled as she watched her younger sister look at her husband. “I can’t believe you two did that without telling a soul,” Kel commented.

“They’re pretty sneaky,” Ethan said. “Not a peep out of either of them.”

Phoenix looked at Mr. Flannigan and said, “Sir, I’d have waited to ask for your permission, but I was champing at the bit to get a ring on Cait’s finger and make it all official. I’ve never known something was so right until I met your daughter.”

“Aww,” Jess said as she laid her head on Griff’s shoulder. “That’s so sweet.”

Cait smiled at Phoenix as she said, “It is, isn’t it?” Then she shook her head as if clearing it. “Oh, and he has a dog too! We’re going to get him from his neighbor’s whenever we find a house of our own. Isn’t that exciting?”

“A dog?” Mrs. Flannigan asked. “What in the world do you need with a dog?” She’d never allowed her children to have pets of any kind. She didn’t see the use in it.

“Oh, he’s the sweetest thing,” Cait said. “Mom, I dare you not to fall in love with him once we bring him to our home.” Giggles erupted out of her. “Our home! That sounds so weird!”

Phoenix just laughed and pulled her in for a hug, leaving a kiss on top of her head. “It doesn’t sound weird at all. It sounds right.”

Griffin and Ethan exchanged glances. Both of them felt a little cheated that Phoenix had made such a huge step, leaving them out of what he was doing. They both felt a bit badly about merely moving in with the women instead of making the grand commitment Phoenix had.

Griffin took Jess’s hand under the table and whispered, “You’re not upset that we’re not married, are you?”

“God, no!” Jess blurted out, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Care to elaborate, Jess?” Kel asked, then took a bite of the roast. “Mmm, great roast, Mom.”

“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Flannigan said. “So, what was that about, Jess?”

“Um, uh,” her cheeks grew red as she mumbled.

Griffin saved her as he took the attention away from her. “I asked her if she was upset about us not getting married. Because we could.”

“Us too!” Ethan quickly added. “I’d marry Kel in a heartbeat. I would!”

Mrs. Flannigan put down her fork as Kel watched her mother with increasing worry. “Ethan, Griffin, I want you both to know that I am trusting you to make good decisions where my daughters are concerned. That said, I don’t think it’s wise to rush into something as important as a marriage just because someone else did it. I hope all goes well for Phoenix and Cait; I really and truly do. But I think each of you will know when the right time for you to make things permanent occurs. Don’t rush or hold back. That’s my advice.”

“And sage advice it is,” Ethan agreed, then took Kel’s face between his palms. “But I want everyone at this table to know that I love this woman with all my heart.”

Kel blushed and smiled. Shyly, she said, “Oh, Ethan, stop.”

“Never,” Ethen said with a laugh. “I’ll never stop proclaiming my love for you.”

His words had everyone laughing, and the mood had changed drastically from when they first let out the big news. It seemed they could expect quick heat from Mrs. Flannigan, but she was fairly quick to cool too. Things would work out; all of them had faith in that.

Chapter 42

The barking of a dog filled the room as Phoenix strode into the living room of the mansion he had bought in Ashby. “Shh, Toby, be quiet,” he told the dog as it came running to him.” He beamed as he looked at Griffin and Ethan. They’d gotten up when he entered the room and were looking nervously at him. “She did it, guys. We have a daughter.”

The men cheered and raised their glasses of beer as they toasted the news. “Congratulations, man,” Griffin called out as they all gathered in a group hug.

Kel came out of the room where Cait had delivered their child. She was carrying a bundle of pink in her arms. Jess followed close behind her, cooing at the baby, “You’re so adorable, Rosaline.”

“Meet your uncles, Miss Rosaline,” Kel said as she went to the huddle of men. “This big brute here is your Uncle Ethan. He and I will be giving you a cousin in about six months.”

Ethan kissed the baby on the forehead. “Hey there, little beauty. We’re having a boy to pester you. Sorry about that.”

Griff laughed as he pulled Jess into his arms. “You ready to share our news yet, baby?”

Jess batted at his chest. She knew he was eager to let their cat out of the bag, and he’d been more than patient with her when she asked him to wait on telling everyone their news. “I suppose so.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a wedding ring. Griff did too, and they placed them on each other.

Ethan and Phoenix both chuckled as Ethan said, “It takes more than exchanging some wedding bands, guys. Take it from me. Our wedding cost us a small fortune.”

Kel nodded. “But it was worth it. Right, honey?”

“Worth every cent, my love,” Ethan agreed.

“Well, we didn’t want a big wedding,” Griffin told him. “We had a small ceremony at our ranch. Only the immediate family was there, and Jess’ favorite horse.” They all laughed.

Kel cocked one brow as she looked at her sister. “How long have you two been married?”

“Only a week. I didn’t want to take away from Cait and Phoenix and their big day with little Rosaline here.” Jess let the baby hold her finger and couldn’t quit smiling at her very first niece.

“That was sweet of you,” Phoenix said. “And Cait will be happy to know Griffin finally made an honest woman out of you, Jess.” Phoenix kissed her cheek then shook Griffin’s hand. “Welcome to the fam, bro.”

Ethan clapped Griffin on the back. “Yeah, welcome to the brothers-in-law club. What was once a group of rogue bachelors is now a pack of settled down husbands, and now we’re all going to be fathers.” He patted Jess’s round tummy.

Griffin placed his hand on his wife’s stomach. “One more month and little Darla will come out and meet all of us.”

“But at a hospital in Montana. None of this birth at home, midwife thing for me. Cait’s brave,” Jess said.

Kel nodded in agreement. “That she is. But I think I like the idea better than a hospital. I believe we might be having our baby at home too. What do you think, Ethan?”

“Oh, you’re letting me have an opinion?” he asked with surprise.

Kel scowled at him. “As if I don’t confer with you on every important topic.”

“Well, you picked out some wallpaper for my son’s room that is questionable,” he reminded her.

“How so?” Jess asked. “Is it a bit girly?”

“No, it’s a bit demonic. Reds and blacks,” Ethan told her.

“I want him to be strong like his father is.” Kel made her argument.

“I want him to be sweet like his mother is,” Ethan said, then reached for the baby. “Let me have her. I need to get used to this.”

Phoenix and Griffin laughed as he took the baby and held her to his chest. The man was monstrous; the baby looked minuscule against the backdrop that was her uncle.

All had married; all were moving into parenthood; and all were happier than they’d known was possible. Everything was great except for the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Flannigan had yet to show up for the birth of the baby and that was a thing Kel was beginning to grow worried about.

Chapter 43

The sound of the Maserati pulling into the circular drive of the Flannigan’s newly built mansion on the outskirts of Ashby had Mrs. Flannigan peering out her second-floor bedroom window. She watched as her husband Josh got out of the new car he had been given by their daughters and their men. He’d changed so much in the last year, she barely recognized the fit man who was wearing a two-thousand-dollar suit.

The suit was no gift; he’d purchased that on his own. With the student debt out of his hair and time to spend doing some much-needed things with his wife, the man was living the dream. He’d joined a gym at the prompting of Ethan and Phoenix. He was in the best shape of his life. And the visits to the salon had his hair and skin looking exemplary. His wife had started calling him her James Bond.

Mrs. Flannigan had made a major transformation as well. Her auburn hair had been returned to what it once was, only a bit better, if you asked her husband of thirty years. She’d gone to a nutritionist when Cait became pregnant and wanted to go to one to find out how to eat optimally for the baby. When she’d accompanied her daughter to the visit, she found herself intrigued by what the nutritionist had to tell them.

With a new way of eating and a new attitude on life in general, the couple, who’d been a bit too involved with their children and not nearly enough with one another, suddenly found themselves full of energy. They found things that interested them they had never thought about before.

Beth watched her husband as he glided up to the front door. A smile moved across her face involuntarily. The couple had found a lot out about themselves as money moved more freely when the business boomed.

Phoenix and Ethan had joined their partnership, making it into a full-fledged company that had allowed them to open three more bars in the last year and five more were scheduled to open in the coming year. There would soon be Flannigan’s Pub and Grill restaurants up and down the Eastern coast. And one in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Phoenix still had his beach house. Money was pouring in, and things felt right.

Scott had been accepted at MIT, and they had allowed him to move into the dorms, a first for the parents of four. They’d begun to see themselves as a couple rather than merely as parents. A couple who absolutely adored one another.

Beth had forgotten how smitten she’d been with Josh when they met in Dublin, Ireland, at a street fair. With the kids gone and time on their hands, they’d rekindled the flame that had begun when they were young, and things seemed to heat up all over their new mansion.

Josh found his wife waiting in their bedroom, a place where they now spent a lot of their time. “I see you were looking out the window and saw me come in, yet your clothes are still on. What gives, toots?” he said with a crooked smile.

“I was waiting to see if you were in the mood, Big Daddy,” she said as she got up out of the lounge chair that was strategically placed by the window that overlooked the entrance.

Taking his jacket off, Josh laid it over the back of a chair and made his way to his wife, who was wearing a robe and nothing more, just as he’d instructed her to when he’d run to the bank to do a bit of business before the day got started.

He kicked off his shoes and expertly pulled his black socks off, using his feet to do the chore. Then he slowly unbuttoned the white dress shirt he’d worn under the suit jacket. That was Beth’s favorite part. Watching him unveil the fantastic body he’d built.

“Slower,” she cooed at him as she took his fine physique in. “Damn it, Josh! You keep getting better and better with age. Like a fine wine.”

“It’s not the age that’s doin’ it, love. It’s the workouts. But I’m glad you like it.” He tossed the shirt away and took off his slacks. In one fell swoop, he moved across the room to get to her. His boxers and the robe were all that was left between them.

The telephone rang, and Beth looked at it. Josh’s hand caught her face and pulled it to look at him. “Whoever that is will wait. You’re mine right now. Now turn around and let me take that robe off you. I want you on your hands and knees on that bed.”

Beth couldn’t help but smile as she turned around and he pulled the robe off her. The phone kept ringing, and they kept ignoring it. Inch by inch, Josh kissed his wife. First her shoulder, then all the way down her back, then he picked her up and placed her on the bed.

She looked over her shoulder at him and whispered, “Take me, Master.”

A swift slap met her ass, and a growl came from Josh as he dropped his boxers and took his hard dick into his hand. “You ready, Slave?”

Beth’s body was already hot and ready. “For you, I’m always ready. Show me who I belong to.”

Another slap on her ass heated it and she was dripping wet with need for her husband. He toyed with her for a moment, playing with her clit as he ran his hand around her. She moaned, and he slapped her ass again. “Bad girl.”

“I’ve been very bad. I think I need you to punish me, Big Daddy.” She said with a saucy tone to her voice.

“And what kinds of bad things has my slave done to be punished for?” he asked her as he gripped her waist and pulled her back so the head of his cock was at the edge of her vagina, making her ache to have it inside of her.

“I’ve lusted after another man, Master,” came her response.

He slammed into her. “This is the only cock you get, Slave. Who have you lusted over?” He smacked her ass and gave her another hard thrust, making her breathe out with a loud gasp.

“This morning the weatherman was talking about rains in New York and winds in Delaware. And he kept brushing his cock when he clicked the thing in his hand. It made me want to know what his cock would feel like inside of me,” she said, to provoke his jealousy.

Josh rammed into her as he held her waist tight in his hands. “Mine is the only cock you will ever feel.”

His was the only one she’d ever had. She was a virgin when she married the man she’d been with for over thirty years. Beth wondered if the ten years that had gone by with them having no sex at all had actually helped them to have the sex life they’d found again. The truth was, she didn’t care what had made them find one another again; she was just damn glad they had.

“Only you, Master. Only you!” she squealed as he banged into her with a force she marveled at.

“Damn right, only me!” Josh kept it going, then reached around her to play with her clit as the climax was beginning in him. “You get ready to cum on my command, Slave. I want your pussy to cum all over my cock.”

“Yes, sir,” she moaned as she moved her body back even more to give him complete access to her personal pleasure button. “Oh, baby, fuck me. Fuck me hard. Teach me not to lust after other men.”

Her words about lusting after other men had him seeing red and his cock seemed to grow more just to prove to her she didn’t need to lust after anyone. He could be more than enough for her.

Suddenly, he wanted to see her face when she gave him what he wanted. He pulled out and tossed her onto her back, then moved quickly to mount her. She gasped again as he slammed into her. “You are mine. No one else can have you.”

She gripped his strong arms and looked him in the eye as she whispered, “I am yours. Only yours.”

With a sigh, Josh ground his cock into her, making her moan with the sensation. “You like that, huh? You like that fat cock all up in you.”

“I do,” she moaned back.

He ground it into her again, going deep and loving the way she was taking the punishment he was putting out. “Am I better than the weatherman, Slave?”

“Way better,” she said as she groaned and arched up to him. “Big Daddy, my body is racked with need. Please let me cum.”

“Not yet,” he told her, then kissed her with a hot kiss that melted anything that was left cool in his body. His heart banged in his chest as he took her with a furious pace.

The phone began to ring again, and it took his mind off the impending action. “Damn that phone,” she said as she held her hands over her ears.

He kissed her again, trying his best to make them both forget the damn ringing phone. Moving faster and harder, he felt his cock jerk, then pulled his mouth off hers as he shouted, “Cum for me, Slave!”

“Yes!” she screamed as she let her body go. He’d trained it so well to orgasm only on his command.

Beth was proud to say that he could call her on the telephone and talk dirty to her then tell her to cum and she’d have an orgasm. He’d trained her very well, and she was happy he had.

Their bodies shook with the intensity of the climax. Both were out of breath as he collapsed onto her. She loved the way his weight pinned her to the bed. The helpless feeling elated her. Beth could feel her juices spurting and making an incredible wetness that saturated them both.

Running her hand through his hair, she muttered, “Time for a shower, Master. Your slave has to clean you all up.”

He raised his head and kissed her. “And your master needs to clean you all up. To the shower, Slave.”

Getting off his wife, he picked her up and carried her to the shower. For so many years they’d held so tightly to their children who had grown up. So many years had passed with them looking past one another to see what others were doing.

Josh would never let his wife look past him again. He’d move heaven and earth for the woman he had thought was long gone. He had thought the man he once was had vanished too. He’d been wrong. They both had.

The real them had been there all along, lingering beneath the surface, hiding behind problems like money and work and kids. But they were still there. It took a bit of digging to find themselves again, but they’d done it.

Everything would be all right. Both were sure of that.

Beth stroked her husband’s cheek as he carried her to the shower. The phone rang again. “Should I go answer that before we take a shower?” Beth asked him.

“No, this is you and me time,” Josh told her. “Not a soul can get in our way when it’s our time. Not anymore. You’re my world, baby. I never want either of us to forget that ever again. It was you and I who came together, finding love in the first place.”

“I remember how into each other we were,” she said as she thought back to when they were young. “We were only nineteen when we got married, and you took me to your bed. My Lord, you were a handsome man.”

“And you were and still are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. I was over the moon that I’d gotten you to marry me. And I hold myself responsible for letting us go for a while there. I won’t ever let that happen again.”

The phone rang and rang as they showered each other with water, soap, and love. When they found themselves satiated, they emerged from their shower feeling refreshed and revived while also feeling satisfied.

Beth went to the phone as it rang once more and she answered the call without checking to see who was calling. “Beth Flannigan here.”

“Um, yeah, I know who you are, Mom,” Kel said. “Where are you guys? I talked to Dad over an hour ago. He was going home to get you and bring you over here. Cait went into labor, and she’s had the baby, Mom. You guys missed it.”

“You told your dad she was having the baby?” Beth asked.

“Yes. He said he would grab you and get you over here. But you missed the birth,” Kel told her.

Beth smiled as she looked at her husband. “Is the baby okay?”

“She is. Will you be coming soon to see her?” Kel asked.

“We will be there soon, dear. Bye,” Beth said, then ended the call as she made her way to her husband.

“Now, don’t be mad, baby,” Josh cautioned her.

“I’m not,” she said, surprising him. “I think you’re the smartest man in the world. You knew I’d be wringing my hands and worrying over our daughter. And you kept me occupied until that part was over, didn’t you?”

“Wow. I didn’t think you’d take my little plan so well, Beth. Yes, that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you about the call and that our first grandchild was on its way. I knew you’d get upset and worried. And I’m damn glad to see you’re not mad at me for my devious behavior.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, then rested her head against his. “Baby, you are my other half. My smarter and stronger, other half. And I’d be lost without you.”

Josh was more than relieved that his wife was taking it so well. Things had changed, and they’d been afraid of it all in the beginning. Like most changes, things usually get better with time. And his marriage and family were no exceptions.

Josh silently thanked the man upstairs for all he and his family had been given. He knew it was time for him to be thankful for the happy times his family had been blessed with.

And they all loved happily ever after.

The End.