Byron's Bite

Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 6

Byron’s Bite Longhorn-shifter Byron Lenox sleeps most of his days away in order to work the night shift on the ranch he owns with his six brothers. But when he meets his mate, he’s astonished at how much Scarlett Rose’s presence tests his sexual self-control. However, after a tough couple of weeks, Byron feels unworthy of the young, innocent girl. Scarlett Rose grows more anxious by the day. With all the drama and danger being caused by her evil, bridezilla step-mother, her nerves have been a wreck. Byron has agreed to spend quality time with her, and it’s just the opportunity she’d been waiting for to blow off some steam. He has her heart, but how can she convince him to take her body?

NOTE! You are purchasing Siren's newest serialized imprint, the LoveXtreme Forever Series. This is Book 6 of 9 in the Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns collection. These books are not stand alone. Each is a continuation of the previous book and must be read in the numbered order. Each book may end on a cliffhanger but usually with a happy-for-now for the heroine and one or more men. The final book contains a happily forever after for the heroine and all her men. Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Shape-shifter, Western/Cowboys Length: 21,597 words

BYRON’S BITE Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 6

Lola Newmar

LOVEXTREME FOREVER

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: LoveXtreme Forever

BYRON’S BITE Copyright © 2011 by Lola Newmar E-book ISBN: 1-61034-741-2 First E-book Publication: August 2011 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Byron’s Bite by Lola Newmar from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Lola Newmar’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Newmar’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION This story goes out to all the women and girls who wait patiently for their true love. You can’t hurry love.

BYRON’S BITE Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 6 LOLA NEWMAR Copyright © 2011

Chapter One The hypnotic spell of sparkling blue eyes—smiling, ecstatic blue eyes—kept Byron Lenox’s fatigued focus on the brunette beauty bouncing around the room. Even as a single tear slid down a blushing cheek, Scarlett Rose managed to look like the most elegant, poised woman he’d ever met. The red in her cheeks seemed to glow, like a light was placed against that beautiful, creamy, soft cheek now damp with her happiness. He knew he was likely hallucinating, which he didn’t find surprising considering the potent concoction of lack of sleep and heady lust hammering every bone in his body. He continued to stare at her as he felt the sharp points of his short horns nudge against his temples. It was an automatic response to breath slowly in order to calm his emotions and hormones. Growing up, he'd learned it was the best way to cool himself down. The healthy glow she radiated grew warmer and redder. Byron moaned low, the raging erection thumping against his thigh heavily, his stubborn hard-on reflecting his ruthless struggle against sleep. “—but don’t you think so, Byron?” Taking a sharp intake of breath, he sat up straighter in the dining chair as he nodded. He had no idea what he’d just agreed to, but

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Scarlett looked pleased. “Seriously, Byron? You’d really allow her to come with us to Stan’s?” Devlin—the “nice” half of his younger twin brothers— asked, his face an image of puzzlement. Stan, or “Stan the Man” on the streets, lived in a studio apartment in a ratty, isolated town just north fifteen miles of Knotty. Stan was their go-to guy for anything technical or electronic. Stan could fix tractors, hot-wire cars, and most importantly, he could hack into just about any computer system given in challenge. The other six Lenox men planned to pay him a visit to see if he could possibly hack into Scarlett’s father’s security camera system. They needed solid evidence that Charlie’s not-so-blushing, soon-to-be bride, Alisa, was a lying, cheating, dangerous bitch. According to Scarlett’s last vision, the security cameras in Charlie’s study were a close-guarded secret that only he and his daughter knew about. It had been clear through a couple of visions that Scarlett had somehow caught or walked in on a sexual encounter between Alisa and Charlie’s male nurse, Todd, just prior to being pushed from the cliff across from the Lenox ranch. The cameras would have caught them in the act, as well. All they needed now was to get a copy of that day’s recordings to present to Charlie as evidence. During Scarlett’s latest visit to Dallas, Devlin had accompanied her to talk to her father about everything she’d learned of Alisa. Unfortunately, Alisa had already told the elderly, wheelchair-bound man about the seven men she just so happened to know were all fucking his daughter at once while he had thought Scarlett had been in the Hamptons with a new client. Charlie had given poor Scarlett an ultimatum—either him or her mates. After she’d refused to choose, her father had security “escort” her and Devlin out of the building. Devlin had told him it had taken all the will he possessed to not shift and trample one security officer who put his hands on their woman. But his fiery mate refused to give up on justice and remained

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confident in her ability to unravel the mystery behind the Russian, blonde criminal that constantly hid in the shadows, prepared to pounce her into the next world. Their prayers had been answered after the seven of them made love to her that morning, their combined seed causing her to visualize Alisa and Todd being recorded by the hidden cameras as the mousy little man railed the plastic bimbo on Charlie’s desk. In order to stay under the radar of the law enforcements, Stan the Man lived in a shoebox of an apartment in the back alley behind a rundown convenience store some twenty or so minutes away. Remembering this, Byron shook his head diligently. “Wait, no. No way. It’s sk—” “Sketchy. Yes, I know. Y’all keep saying that.” Scarlett slumped down in another dining chair across from Byron. The last word faded into a whisper, and she pushed out her pink lips in a heart-shaped pout. Byron fought to keep still in his seat, despite the need to readjust the growing erection in his boxer briefs. He cleared his throat. “You can stay here with me while they go off and take care of that.” Just saying the words out loud excited him, and he couldn’t have been more eager to get his mate alone. And completely naked. She’d beg him to finally push his cock inside her tight pussy, but he would insist on a personal show of his liking. For this, he’d give her directions. First, she’d lightly tug her nipples as she writhed on his sheets, keeping half-mast eye contact with him as she touched herself. He’d tell her to slowly move down, watching her delicate fingers drag lightly across her flat belly and down to her mound. She’d then beckon him as she used her fingers of the other hand to spread her— “Am I really being held captive here? Again?” Scarlett continued to stare off at an invisible target on the hardwood floors of the dining room.

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The boredom and spite in her tone made him wince inside. He didn’t like her comparing her time spent alone with him with imprisonment. “You already know about the plan we’d developed in hopes of you being able to get to know us better on a one-on-one basis,” the eldest, Leo, explained. He seemed a little nervous, rubbing a hand across his shaved head twice as he blathered that single sentence. “Now is your chance with Byron.” She seemed to ponder something for a brief moment. Then unexpectedly, a naughty, mischievous smile formed across her billowy, ripe lips. Whatever she’d realized had done a good job snapping her out of that bitchy attitude. **** How could she have possibly forgotten? Even if it was for just a moment. Reminding herself that she’d never actually had intercourse with Byron Lenox, she suddenly changed her tune. She cleared her throat before continuing in a calm voice, attempting to come across as cool and not too eager. “You’re right. The Dallas trip did a number on my blood pressure, and I’m sure Byron would be happy to find a few ways to help me…de-stress.” Byron stared across at her from his seat, scooted a few feet back from the edge of the oak wood kitchen table. Despite the sensitive man inside him that she’d come to know, his eyes always held darkness and intimidation. His thick eyebrows added to the mysterious quality of his dark, almond-shaped eyes. They made him look irritated even when he said he wasn’t. She stared back to gauge his mood. The corner of his mouth perked up, his smirk flirty and thoughtful. She prayed as hard as she silently could that he would finally allow the barriers he held up to crumble for her. He’d been so closed off

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since they’d met that he’d yet to make love to her. She’d barely waited two weeks, but it felt like two decades. Even when having access to six other deliciously masculine, hard bodies to feed her insatiable hunger for longhorn shape-shifter cock. “Before you boys leave, I’d like to finish our brunch.” She stood and walked over to the kitchen. She pulled out a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator along with the carton of orange juice that sat beside it. As she poured everyone a cocktail, Rhett turned the stereo on in the front room to the country oldies station on the radio. “Stand by Your Man” by Tammy Wynette drifted through the house. “Everyone has to have at least one mimosa while we celebrate our collaring engagement.” And celebrate they did, especially Scarlett herself. She still couldn’t believe they’d given her the pearl collar, a symbol of their undying commitment and love for her. Leo agreed to be the designated driver and could just have a couple of the cocktails, but the rest of the men joined her happily. They danced and drank and ate as many pancakes as they could muster the strength for. It wasn’t long before she found herself drunk, lying belly down on the extra-long couch in the front room, her eyes closed as she hummed along to “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley. She smiled when she felt a large, warm hand gently rake through her bobbed hair. She kept her eyes closed as she enjoyed the touch of whichever gentle giant sat beside her on the couch. Her consciousness faded in and out, eventually fading into dark silence just as Devlin whispered, “We’ll be right back for you, kitten.”

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Chapter Two Levi Lenox stepped in his closet and grabbed the first clean white T-shirt he saw. He hurried to put it on as he heard an impatient knock. Apparently never one to be out of character, his brother, Devlin, didn’t wait for an invite before swinging the bedroom door open. “She’ll only be in the shower for a few more minutes. Get your ass out here right now before she comes out.” His brother spoke low. “All right, I’m ready.” Levi followed him to the dining room table where five of his other brothers sat waiting. Byron was the only one still in his pajamas for this impromptu emergency meeting. He looked like he was ready for his bed time after conducting a full night of ranch duties. “It’s nice of you to join us, Levi,” Leo said sarcastically from the head of the table. “I was just setting some stuff up for later on this afternoon,” he said as he took his seat in the middle of his identical triplet brothers, Sonny and Rhett. “I think this idea we’ve come up with is going to make everything even better for Scarlett.” “Yes,” Sonny agreed, his blue eyes smiling and his blond waves shaking slightly as he nodded his head. “By her taking a day to get to know us with a little one-on-one time, we’ve been helping with her confidence concerning this relationship she’s been suddenly thrust into.” “Exactly.” Leo stood up from his chair then leaned forward with his palms resting on the table. His face was all business, but Levi could detect a hint of worry in his chiseled features. With someone plotting to kill their newly claimed mate, he’d be made of stone not to

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be worried. But all seven of them were willing to run head-on into a bullet in order to keep their beautiful Scarlett Rose safe. “Now I already talked to Byron about this before I called you all in, but it’s very important we all work as a team on this. “Now, sexually, that little girl can fuck like an angel. She’s proven she can handle making love to us all together. But this isn’t about that. After sex, any kind of sex, most women crave security and stability from their partners. We haven’t had very much time with her, but we all have to make the effort to open up to her. She won’t trust any of us unless we show her what makes us vulnerable. Now, everyone at this table has secrets that they are keeping from Scarlett. But from now on, there will be no more secrets. That woman is our mate, and she deserves to really see us for who we are. We all know how destructive secrets and miscommunication can be to a relationship, so let’s not fuck this up, boys.” The thought of revealing his inner secrets had given Levi an anxiety migraine when he’d first heard of the plan, but he knew Leo was right. They had to keep their mate happy. She had given them the precious gift of her virginity after giving her trust to them just hours upon meeting. Scarlett deserved everything they could fight to give her. It was because of that he’d decided to confront his anger and abandonment issues, and Scarlett had encouraged and supported him every step of the way on his journey of discovery. The growing process was something he and Scarlett could share together, maturing by the day to become better people for each other and the Lenox name. “Byron, what time does Scarlett plan to call her father today about meeting with him?” Leo asked. “Once she gets out of the shower, I’ll be helping her.” Leo nodded then turned to Sonny. “Sonny, you’ll be the next to spend alone time with Scarlett.” “Fuck yes!” “You could make someone passing kidney stones crack a smile,

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and with how stressed she is right now, it may do her good to be around a free spirit. Your job tomorrow will be taking her mind off of everything in Dallas. Today is Byron’s day. And Byron, I expect progress to be made while we’re away.” He stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles flexing with every movement. “As for the rest of us, take today to get out of the house as much as you can. Run errands, go grab a beer, whatever. If you have to be here on the ranch, let’s please all do our best to keep a low profile.” Leo’s eyes jumped from brother to brother, his stance authoritative and maybe just a tad intimidating, Levi had to admit. “Does everyone understand?” “Yes,” they all answered to their big brother.

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Chapter Three The image of Scarlett lying underneath him, her smooth legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust, floated through Byron’s mind as he poked at the fireplace he knelt in front of. He knew she’d be hot and tight based on the times he’d finger-fucked her as she sucked his cock masterfully. He’d take his time with her at first, making sure she was wet and ready for the long cock that would call out to her pussy. “Byron?” His superior shifter senses caused him to feel even the slightest change in the air from across the room. Her soft voice had tickled the hairs on the back of his neck, making him smile a little before he turned to her. She leaned lazily against the door frame, her arms crossed against her full chest, the thin, white sleep shirt she wore hugging the curves and valley of her perky cleavage like liquid. He beckoned her over to sit at his side, and she sat cross-legged on the soft rug beside him. “You look lost in thought over something that’s bothering you.” Her big, blue eyes held concern as they took their time looking him over, as if anxiously awaiting his reaction to her worried observation. Knowing she cared for him so much warmed his heart. The last person to have made him feel so cared for had been his late mother. Though his mother’s love had ended up being conditional, he could still remember the comfort it had gave him as a young boy. “Something like that.” He stared at her as she turned and gazed into the fire. Her dark hair was just a bit messy, making him think even more about

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consummating the bond with his mate. Her delicate features were classically flawless, her pale skin glowing in the light of the flames. The silhouette of her full lips enticed him. Even her little upturned nose was cute as hell. He soon found himself hoping their future children would inherit as much of Scarlett’s beauty as possible. “I want you to make love to me tonight, Byron.” “What?” he asked although she’d been perfectly clear. He just had to hear that statement come from those lips again. She turned to him, maintaining eye contact as she calmly repeated, “I want you to make love to me tonight, Byron.” She grabbed his right hand and sweetly kissed his palm. “I want you to fuck me until I scream for you to stop.” A low growl vibrated through his heaving chest, the image of him fucking her over and over burned in his brain. His body responded strongly to her words and the knowledge they had the entire house all to themselves for the evening. She’d be able to scream as loud as she wanted, and not a damn person would be around to hear it. Scarlett sat up on her knees and peeled the loose, man’s undershirt from her curvy little body and over her head. Her perfect, pink nipples beaded against the air, making his mouth water for a taste of her warm, sweet flesh. “Please, Byron. Tell me what I have to do to get you to make love to me.” She bit her lower lip suggestively as her sparkling doe eyes blinked innocently up at him. “I’ll do anything to have you inside me.” Damn, was she something else. He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head in disbelief of how much this small woman turned him on like nothing before. His cock twitched, desperate for attention. Without a second to waste, he unzipped his jeans and fished out his hard cock, instantly relieving the ache there. His balls tightened in ecstasy when he heard Scarlett softly exhale. She clearly liked what she saw, and he loved the little sounds she made when she expressed her sexual approval. He squeezed his

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cock roughly, starving for Scarlett’s touch instead of his own. He’d been left to his own devices for far too many nights for the last thirtytwo years. When he opened his eyes, he instantly smiled wide, almost forgetting to touch himself as he feasted his eyes on the sight before him. Scarlett’s knees were now spread apart, her cunt glistening with her desire as she stroked her slit rhythmically. She leaned back on her other hand, her mouth agape as she moaned with bliss. Her amazing tits swayed as she masturbated in front of him, two fingers swirling around her swollen clit before disappearing into her pussy. She looked like a dream as she lounged in the light of the flames, her skin reflecting the golden heat in the crackling fireplace. “Is this working at all, baby?” she asked, her voice husky with what sounded like tortured desire. He looked down at his cock just as a droplet of pre-cum dripped from the opening. “It’s doing something all right.” He reached out to touch her but then was shocked when she pulled away from him. She stopped masturbating and sat up straight. Then she looked him in the eyes, which he’d guess were no doubt wide with both horror and disbelief that she’d suddenly stop what she was just doing. Leaning forward, she asked, “Then why won’t you make love to me? I do these shows for you all the time, and you still won’t have full intercourse with me. You can’t expect to make any relationship work without devoted communication, much less an unconventional relationship that we all have going on. You need to talk to me, Byron. Please. For us.” Byron sighed and stared at her. He wasn’t sure what to say, but she waited there patiently for his answer. “I think I need to earn it first. You’ve been harmed in my presence, and that fact eats me alive. It’s all I think about lately. I don’t want to be consumed with guilt while I make love to you for the very first time. I just need to come to terms with it first.” When Scarlett had gotten poisoned after she’d been left in his

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care, Byron felt a small part of his self-worth dwindle away a little. He felt unworthy, something his four fathers would often taunt him with in their drunken stupors. “I don’t know how many times I have to reassure you it wasn’t your fault. You came to my rescue just as soon as you could.” Her small, cool hand touched his arm lovingly. Looking into her eyes, he knew she was being genuine. “It’s humiliating, as a man. I’m ashamed of myself.” He realized his hands were fisted tightly, sexual frustration screaming out through every pore with Scarlett’s smell right under his nose. “Then pretend to be someone else,” she suggested with perk. He looked up at her hopeful face. “Like role playing?” Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “What’s role playing?” One of the best things about having such an innocent mate was all the things they could teach her. She’d been a sweet virgin when they’d first met her. It brought out the primitive side of him to teach her any kind of lesson. “Role playing is when we pretend to be someone else, often acting a scene out. Some people like to pretend they’re strangers, pizza boys, cheerleaders, nurses—it’s all up to your own fantasies.” “Sounds fun.” She smiled wide and wiggled her eyebrows. “We should try it.” He had to admit to himself that the idea was in fact very intriguing. “What would you want to pretend to be?” “Bank robbers! French bank robbers!” Byron laughed. It was a rarity for him to let loose enough to laugh, but it sure felt good with Scarlett. “Most women want a walk in Paris. Only my little rebel would want a warrant in Paris.” She shrugged. “I would think all that adrenaline and danger would make us really horny.” “You may have a point there.” Scarlett jumped to her feet, still stark naked and as luscious as ever. “The sheriff is going to show up any minute now, Monsieur

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Bank Robbing Partner!” she exclaimed dramatically in an animated French accent. “Ooh la la, I think we should make love one last time before they lock us away.” Byron laughed as he stood to his feet. “You’re really good at that.” He cleared his throat before breaking into character. “Oui oui, Madame Bank Robbing Partner, it looks like our days are numbered. Now turn around and spread ’em!” They both laughed at how silly the whole thing was. Byron could hardly remember the last time he laughed like this, if ever. His role in the family had always been the serious big brother, the one hardly ever around in the first place because of his night shifts on the ranch. When his other brothers were running around playing in the sun, he was fast asleep in his bed, recharging for the next day just to do it all over again. It was common for his unusual schedule to cause him to often go days at a time with hardly any human interaction. Once he was a big enough boy to work at thirteen, he sought comfort in his chores and the family’s livestock. The redundancy of the routine of his “day” was safe. But the same could not be said for his home environment. When his mother began with her disappearances, the tension in the house mounted. His fathers struggled to get along with her, desperate to make her happy when they had time to get away from the business they’d often planned on starting. Ever since Byron could remember, his fathers wanted to invest in a lot of all-naturally raised beef cattle. They talked about opening a small shop that would sell organic and homemade goods. They wanted to open a store that would be a kind of tourist attraction for people driving through on the way to Dallas. Among the things they had planned to sell were fresh Texas pecans, which they grew in the backyard. His papas had spent years, season after season, perfecting the nutrients and potency of their own soil fertilizer, and they grew their own award-winning jalapeños, tomatoes, watermelons, and fresh

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herbs. They had also been in talks with other farmers and gardeners in Knotty considering partnering with the Lenox family business plan. The other farmers would be able to sell whatever homemade goods they could, provided the meat was free of any added hormones, preservatives, artificial coloring or flavor—the list of possibilities in choices of food additives went on. But once their mother had abandoned them, their fathers had decided to give up on their dreams of the organic store. What no one knew, not even his own brothers, was that Byron had spent the last year studying those business plans and had been working on taking it off the ground. Scarlett had mentioned a lovely young lady named Jane who worked at Whipped Cream in the city. She’d seemed very fond of Jane, and Byron thought it would be great if he could eventually hire Scarlett’s friend to work the front of the house in the store. It would give Scarlett another woman to talk to and bond with. There was no doubt Scarlett loved all seven of them, but he would guess that it wouldn’t be easy for a twenty-one-year-old city girl to go without having a friend. It would also take Jane out of the club scene. He knew Whipped Cream as a fun place, but it was hardly a place a beautiful woman would want to spend her entire life. Jane and Scarlett would be closer. Maybe Jane would fall in love on her own just as Scarlett had.

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Chapter Four Byron quickly pulled out his grandfather’s vintage handkerchief from his back pocket then wiped the sweat from his feverishly hot face. He leaned back against the door to his bedroom with his eyes closed, waiting impatiently for the fire in his tight balls to dissipate, if only just a little. His bedroom was located down the hall, which was mostly dark except for the small tea light candle burning in front of a large vase of Texas yellow roses on the small table. The house was eerily quiet, he suddenly noticed. But it was always quiet, he reminded himself. Yet somehow, he really felt alone at that moment. More alone than he’d ever remembered feeling—except when he thought about his mother leaving the family. He’d never forget how she never looked back, not even a small twist of her neck to show some kind of hesitation. Anything to let them all know she’d go through some sort of pain without them just as they had went through watching her walk away. But he couldn’t kid himself like young Sonny could. He’d been a seventeen-year-old on the day she’d walked out, more than old enough to have a sharp memory of that godforsaken day. His fathers hadn’t run after her, though, and Byron often wondered why this was. Even with the hesitations he was going through with Scarlett Rose, he was certain he would have run after her if she was walking away from his life forever. His fathers had all just retreated to their rooms. And then mother walked away. He remembered having to call Leo for help with the younger brothers when their parents didn’t return after a couple of hours. Leo

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had showed up quickly and helped Byron with all the little ones. It was this way for another few months before the incidents that would change the lives of him and his brothers. Byron walked down the dark hallway, the light of the candle quickly fading as he strode along. When he got to the kitchen, his shape-shifter eyesight shifted through and was quickly able to spot a stool next to the kitchen bar. He grabbed it and walked back to his bedroom door to set up shop and keep watch over his mate, who lay on the giant bed behind the door. He set the stool on the wall next to the bedroom door and sat. He moaned as he focused on relaxing all his muscles and bones, imagining all of life’s daily and ongoing stresses melting from his being and oozing down the stool he sat on. His body welcomed the rest, and he felt his limbs grow heavy with insistence he sleep instead of keeping watch. His eyeballs were dry as a desert, and it had become an awful struggle to keep his lids from shutting tight for the next several hours. The sandman’s seduction quickly took over, its power far greater than what Byron had the energy to ward off. Just half an hour, he told himself. “Byron.” The soft whisper of his name pulled him out of his sleep quickly, causing him to kick the wall hard in front of him with his bare feet. He screamed out in pain and grabbed his bloody toes. “Oh, no!” Scarlett rushed to the kitchen and switched the lights on. In a matter of seconds, she was right back at his side with a towel. “Pressure.” He nodded his understanding as he took the cloth from her, and she walked into the hallway restroom then right back out with cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, and Band-Aids. She rushed to drop to his feet with all her little nursing supplies. She then carefully and painlessly worked on doctoring his badly stubbed big toe and second toe. It looked like his big toe’s nail was hanging half off. Scarlett did extremely well taking care of him, not stopping her care until she

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seemed perfectly satisfied with the way his intricately bandaged and thoroughly cleaned toes looked. His stomach tightened with adolescent-like excitement when she smiled up at him then leaned in and kissed the very top of his big toe, very lightly sucking on the tip of the toe before giving it one last peck. “Does it feel better?” “I’d never know I was even bleeding if it weren’t for the bloody cotton ball evidence scattered around you. Good thing you aren’t trying to hide evidence.” She looked down and around her then laughed. “I guess I’d make a pretty sloppy criminal.” He couldn’t help but stare at her, her blue eyes glittering with laughter as they seemed to dance in the dim fluorescent light. What amazed him the most was the way Scarlett had learned to live in the moment. He figured it was the only way she could keep her sanity within a chaotic and challenging life such as hers, which had only seemed to have gotten much more complicated since Devlin had found her at the bottom of the cliff across from the Lenox ranch. He and his brothers made a conscious decision every day and all day since to make her as happy as they could. They were far from perfect, and when he was really honest with himself, Scarlett may have been close, but she still had her own issues to sort out. After living her life pretty much alone for the last twentyone years of her existence, her daddy issues burned deep. Her father’s rejection of Scarlett’s new ménage-à-forever lifestyle in Dallas yesterday had obviously hurt his mate to the core, but she’d proven herself to be strong by dusting off after a good cry then wiping away the tears and getting to work. She wasn’t at all the kind of woman to sulk around in depression. Scarlett was a doer, and she obviously thrived in productivity. Suddenly, her hand covered his crotch, making his gut twist again in anticipation for a spontaneous blow job. He heard her gasp every so softly as her fingers brushed over the hard bulge between his thighs.

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“You’re so ready for me,” he just barely heard her whisper from the seat beside him. “So hard.” She leaned up against him as she knelt, her flat belly pressing against his aching crotch and her voluptuous breasts pressing against his chest. “Let me get it wet, baby,” she whispered in his ear then licked the lobe, making him shiver with pleasure. He watched her back up, on her knees, just far enough for him to be able to see her entire body. She spread her legs apart then lifted the hem of her pajama top until she could rest it on the round top parts of her full tits. With the other hand, she pulled aside the black lace thong from her pussy. He leaned in for a closer look at the glistening, pink beauty, getting a strong whiff of her pussy juice. He groaned out loud as she softly strummed her hot pink clit with her tiny fingers. He tried to take mental notes on how fast, slow, hard, or soft he should be, studying how much pressure and teasing she gave her pussy. “I want your cock in here.” Two fingers disappeared into her glistening, tight cunt then reappeared, shiny and wet with her cream. She continued to finger-fuck herself as he watched in awe, mesmerized by how pretty and delicious her cunt was. It didn’t take long for Byron’s growing, hardening cock to ache for room to breathe. “Oh wow,” she whispered softly as he pulled it out of his zipper. “I need to ride and bounce on your cock right now.” His initial reaction to her words was to groan at the beautiful vision she described. But then the meaning of her request registered, and the flood of his anxiety was like getting sprayed by a cold water hose. Scarlett reached out, but he caught her hand just before she made contact with his ready cock. “We’re not doing that right now.” “Byron, that’s enough of all this.” She nodded down at his erection. “Why do you make me beg for it?” The shy look on her face showed a slight trace of her insecurities, and a pang of guilt stabbed into him. He hated how she thought it had

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something to do with her, something wrong with her, when in fact he only wanted their first time to be as perfect as possible. It wouldn’t be if he was left feeling unworthy afterward. “I’m going to bed.” Scarlett jumped to her feet then pushed the bedroom door open as a stunned Byron watched her confidently wiggle her sexy ass out of the hallway. He waited for the sounds of her throwing or breaking stuff, whatever it took for her to express her anger. He couldn’t help but smile when she didn’t immediately return to scream and throw a fit. It was yet another sign of how much Scarlett had matured since she’d stumbled upon the Lenox ranch, unknowingly costing him his oncestrong will and control as a man. Byron hoped that one day he would be able to explain to Scarlett why he’d been such a distant, cold asshole when they’d first met in the kitchen two weeks ago. The other brothers had given her a brief history of his fears and reservations and hesitations. But the real reasons why he’d always dreaded destiny forcing him to love a stranger ran deeper than just having a hard childhood and life. Byron was born a couple of years after Leo, and he could remember the happier times. He even remembered being a happy baby. But as they grew older, Mother’s sex and alcohol addictions caused their fathers to fight more and more, with each other as well as her. Byron was then forced at a young age to work the night shifts on the ranch since his fathers were usually passed out drunk by then. As the years passed, his human interaction significantly decreased. And because of that, he’d always secretly prayed to have human children.

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Chapter Five Scarlett rose from the couch and ran outside in tears. She felt all the men coming behind her, so she turned around to face them, stopping them in their tracks before they’d managed to come down the porch steps. “I’m not leaving, okay!” she screamed as the tears flowed down her face. “I just need time, please!” She turned and ran behind the house. She leaned her forehead against a giant pecan tree as she sobbed. Everything just seemed like so much. And she couldn’t ignore the part of her that seemed to be going crazy from being so completely out of control. She guessed she must have been used to having control in her real life, before the fall. Suddenly, she felt a light breath on her neck as a strong arm slowly wrapped around her waist. He did it tenderly but almost in a way as if he were afraid to touch her. “I said go away. Please, just let me be,” she begged as she continued to cry against the tree. “I know how you feel,” the deep, sexy voice whispered against her ear. Scarlett gasped and stiffened. “Byron?” He softly brushed a lock of her hair behind her right ear then trailed his fingers slowly down the side of her neck, sending shivers of heat down her spine and out to her toes. “You feel helpless, cheated that destiny has decided who you would be before you were even given a chance to object.” He nuzzled his nose in her neck and inhaled. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips, and she felt her core tighten in response to such a foreign touch. “I never thought”—he licked a small spot underneath her ear as she

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groaned—“that I could love something so much and at the same time hate them for what they are to force me to become.” He blew on the wet spot, and her body shivered with pleasure. “You love me?” she asked in her heady state. “And I hate you.” He nibbled her earlobe, and her body arched back into his as if it had a mind of its own. “I was perfectly fine before you came along. But now that I’ve smelled you, tasted you, I won’t be able to live without you until the day I die.” He slowly trailed his fingertips up either side of her waist, stopping when they reached the plump sides of her tits. “I’m not used to being out of control, Scarlett. Never again will I be able to exist without your love, but you”—he dug his enormous hard-on into her ass as he groaned low—“you’ll be able to walk away whenever the fuck you want should you no longer want us. And for that, I hate you.” Scarlett whimpered as his fingertips moved around to lightly circle her rock-hard nipples through the thin material of the western shirt. Her pussy was throbbing so fast she was embarrassed at the thought of coming right then before he’d even touched her below the waist. “Mmm, have you ever let a man do this to you, darlin’?” “No,” she said breathlessly. And she now knew it was a fact. His hands were suddenly between her legs, and his fingers began to lightly massage her mound through her cotton panties. “How ’bout this?” Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to maintain some sort of control over the waves of intense pleasure that were coursing through her entire body. She felt her panties grow wet with her juices, and she squeezed her legs together to hide the embarrassing giveaway. But then Byron wrapped a strong arm around her chest, lifted her slightly off the ground, and shoved his other hand between her thighs before placing her back on the dewy grass with her legs spread wide open. She thought to fight back, but when his fingers began to inch their way into the seam of her panties, she collapsed into his embrace as she became putty in his hands.

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“Don’t fight it, Scarlett. It’s even better than you’d ever fantasized. Let me be the first man to touch your sweet, tight pussy.” All she could do was nod, and the moment she did, she felt his thick, experienced fingers rub over her wet slit before they slowly spread her pussy lips apart. Scarlett reached back and grasped Byron’s messy, shaggy hair as her breathing hitched. “Oh, my God.” “No, baby. This has nothing to do with Him.” He circled her entrance with his fingertip, and she began to moan over and over in response. “This is all me that’s making you feel like this.” “Oh, Byron, yes. Only you.” She heard his beast snarl, making her gasp in fear. She instinctively reached down to pry his hand from her as fear began to replace the lust, but then he plunged into her virgin pussy with one massive finger. She cried out loudly from how full she easily became. The ecstasy of his touch consumed her vision as she humped her hips against his warm hand. She heard him rustling with his jeans, the sound of his zipper lowering causing her excitement to peak. She heard him moan in pleasure as the smacking sound of skin let her know he was jerking off while he finger-fucked her. As much as she tried to stop it, she felt her orgasm come crashing in within only seconds of his single finger being inside her. She screamed out as it began then convulsed with a harsh jerk when, to her surprise, he entered a second finger just as her climax peaked, prolonging it until it was almost a torture-pain. She struggled to return to her normal breathing pattern as Byron continued to gently suck on her neck. He cried out her name as she felt hot, thick liquid shower her ass and upper thighs. **** Scarlett’s thighs squeezed together to relieve the hungry ache in

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her wet pussy as she dreamed about the first time she’d been touched by Byron. Her fingers crept under the hem of her panties, headed right for her cunt. Then she heard the floor creak. Footsteps. When she turned around, Byron was in the bathroom located next to the bed, pouring bubble bath into the running water in the tub. “I’ll be right back with breakfast.” He slapped her bare ass then walked out of the bathroom. Life couldn’t get any better, she thought as she slipped into the warm, fragrant bathwater and settled in. Then she laughed to herself. Logically, it could if she regained her memory and got rid of her evil, murderous stepmother. But while in Knotty, she couldn’t help but to feel as if she were a thousand miles away from all her big-city troubles. She soaked and washed for a few minutes then got out and dried off. Blushing when she found the economy-sized body lotion under the sink, she felt her body grow hotter as she imagined him alone with that bottle of lotion, the intense pleasure apparent in his face as he’d tug his long cock with a giant hand. She slathered it on then wrapped herself in her robe. Chilled waves of goose bumps spread across her skin and felt divine against the cool air blowing through the vents around the large house. She never would have thought Byron would have been the one to show such a paternal, nurturing, caring side to him. When she’d first laid eyes on him, she’d been intimidated and nervous, not even quite sure if he even liked her being there. She’d even gotten the nagging feeling that he felt she was in the way, nothing much more than a nuisance. He’d pushed her away, obviously much too fearful to get anywhere near close to her at first. Over the last couple of weeks, she had sensed his will was weakening a little more each day. Although, she couldn’t say it hadn’t been entirely her fault, either. She’d tried everything she could think of to break his control. She would walk around in nothing but a man’s undershirt and skimpy white panties. She’d dance seductively while

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they played the country radio—something they’d all often do on a daily basis—all the while keeping eye contact with him with as much seduction as she could muster. She’d even do the “bend and snap,” something she’d learned from the cable television. She’d caught him sneaking a peek at her bent-over ass as she pretended to pick up the invisible object she’d “dropped.” But after checking her out for a moment, he would always turn away, often going into another room. But Scarlett was not at all the kind of young woman who would give up so easily. She’d continued to ruthlessly flirt and tease him every chance she’d get. When she mated with the cowboys, Byron had always avoided having intercourse with her and often sat to the side to touch himself as his eyes devoured her stuffed body. Once he was warmed up, he’d finally allow her to tea-bag his balls then slide his cock down her throat. But he’d always push her away before it could go further than just oral sex. Of course, when there was a man as beautiful as Byron around, oral sex was not nearly satisfying enough to suppress the itch to have his cock buried in her pussy. Now that they proposed to collar her, she expected things would likely have to change. They’d have to consummate their marriage, and Scarlett wanted that big cock of his in her cunt by that wedding night.

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Chapter Six Jameson listened carefully as the teller in front of him counted out a cool eighteen thousand dollars in cash. His grandmother, Charlize, had been quick to wire the money over after hearing about their fortunate discovery of their generation’s strawberry girl, the only young woman in the world able to produce human offspring with a shifter mate. His grandmother had sent him and his brothers on a global hunt for the last decade to search for the strawberry girl. Grandmother Charlize had made it perfectly clear that the only way they would ever see a cent of the money their grandfather had left was if they provided her with human grandchildren. He nodded politely before stuffing the wad of cash in his brown leather jacket, adding a little pep to his step as he walked out of the credit union. “Is it enough for the week?” his younger brother, Johnny, asked from his parked red Harley right outside the door of the Western Union. “Oh, we should have plenty of fun,” Jameson replied with a wink Then he straddled his own motorcycle and started the engine. Johnny fist-pumped the air victoriously before starting his engine. “Fuck yeah. It’s about damn time.” They rode down the street for several minutes before coming to a stop at a light. “I never heard Grandmother sound that happy before,” Johnny said with an amused shake of his head. “Ever. Hell, even when Grandpa was alive, she’d never quite seemed…well…” “Happy,” Jameson finished for him. “Grandma was never quite

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right after going through a lot of stuff in her past. I can’t tell you how many times she’s told me that being a shifter had put her through hell.” “But what happened exactly?” Jameson had asked Grandmother Charlize that very question numerous times, but she’d only tell him it broke her heart much too painfully to discuss certain matters in her past. Just then, the light turned green. Jameson shrugged in response as they took off again. **** Charlize Darque stared at the reflection in the mirror of her living room. The fatigued, wrinkled face of an elderly lady stared back, and she hardly recognized her. How cruelly time passes, much, much too quickly to be fair. At such an old age, all there was to do now was to focus on the future of her family and on the legacy her beloved mate had left behind. She loved her husband dearly, more than life itself, but there was no healing the scars left behind by her first love. She’d been warned by many shifter females that “starter relationships” were a dangerous game of Russian roulette. On one hand, they gave experience and maturity through the times spent with the boyfriend, but a female was a female. Much too often, female shifters would especially become attached to these “starter boyfriends,” and it was a difficult transition for many of them to accept what fate has planned instead. There were very few moments that she could recall between the time first love left her and the time her true love found her that she could recall smiling or laughing. She’d been only sixteen when her human walked out on her. She could still remember how slowly a single tear fell down his cheek when he explained they could never have a future together. He’d said he loved her but needed a human child to take over his own legacy. She’d known he was logically

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correct, yet she couldn’t take her heart back from him. There had always been something alluring about the young teenaged boy since she’d first laid eyes on him when she walked into the candy store he worked at. Infatuation consumed them both, and she found herself visiting him everyday. They’d talk about books and comics for hours as they feasted on all the free salt water taffy they could eat. Throughout the day, they’d anxiously wait for the brief moments when the candy shop had no customers so that they could steal a magical kiss over the counter. He had only been a couple of years older, but a girl of that age finds the age difference much more significant. She remembered how mature she had thought he was for having a job and finishing high school at the same time. The teenagers were madly in love, and they were inseparable that entire summer. But September came, and the magic of the summer air left with its arrival. After he broke up with her, Charlize spent the next two years consumed in the pain, cursing her shifter makeup for scaring away the addictive young man. When she was eighteen, as a graduation present from her parents, she’d vacationed in Monaco for the New Year’s holiday. There she ran into her destined mate and husband at a local farmer’s market. Jerry’s arrival eased her aching heart and immediately gave her hope for a bright, happy future, and that’s exactly what she’d gotten in the life they’d shared. Unfortunately, though, even after gaining a beautiful, established family of her very own, the ache in her heart over her human love had never completely disappeared. Over the decades, she’d often find herself thinking of him when she heard certain doo-wop songs or when she came across salt water taffy at the grocery. Just the very thought of her own granddaughters and grandsons forfeiting a potential true love for a predetermined plan caused her great pain. It was all up to her grandsons to break the spell and find the woman who could break their shifter curse. Only then could she pass into the after world in peace.

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Chapter Seven Byron slept in the next morning, so Scarlett used the alone time to straighten up the house. The men were so neat, though, that she barely had to do much. Bored to tears without her men, she walked to the front room to see if there was anything interesting on television. Ring! Ring! The obnoxiously loud phone spooked her, and she vowed to later insist on a phone made after the turn of the century. With her evil stepmother out to kill her, her nerves were just much too on edge. She couldn’t help but feel like a burden when a sleepy Byron strode into the living room to answer the call. Because of the danger she was in, they’d all agreed she wasn’t to answer the phone or door anymore until the horrible ordeal was all sorted out. “You want to speak to Scarlett?” Byron sounded as surprised as she felt as he asked the person on the other line. “Oh, Jane! How are you? “Yeah, it has been a while. Just been busy as I’m sure you’ve heard. “Of course it’s okay with me. You’re always welcome. “Sure, hold on.” Byron handed Scarlett the phone. His sleepy eyes looked down at her, and he winked before returning to his room. “Jane?” “Scarlett! How are you?” “I'm great, thanks. The boys drive me crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.”

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“I can’t say anybody would blame you,” she replied with a giggle. “I was just telling Byron that I’m here in Knotty today. Whip Cream only serves the freshest fruits available, and you just don’t know heaven until you've had a peach from this town. If you’re not busy, I'd love to stop by and say hello.” “Yes, of course!” Scarlett was so excited to finally be able to make a friend outside of the ranch. “I can't stay long, though. I'm due for work tonight, and I still need to shower and get ready.” “You can do all that here. I insist.” It only took a few minutes for Jane to arrive. They talked over a mimosa before she showed her guest where the shower was. Scarlett knelt patiently in the middle of her bedroom floor as she waited for the beautiful woman in the shower to step out and claim her gift. She knelt on a thick layer of raw rice, concentrating on keeping her position statue-still. She’d recently learned the importance of control in these situations. She heard the water shut off followed by the metal sliding of the curtain rings scraping against the curtain rod. Her heart skipped with anticipation. The bedroom door opened, and Jane walked in wearing only a small white towel wrapped around her tiny waist. Her petite, slim frame hovered above her, every exposed patch of skin glistening with the moisture of his shower. “Surprise!” Jane’s eyes widened, and a large grin spread across her pretty face. “Aww, bestie! You shouldn’t have!” Jane clapped her hands excitedly. “Do you like them?” Scarlett indicated the custom-made knee pads she’d spent all weekend making especially for Jane’s BDSM party the upcoming weekend. The theme was going to be Horny Devils and Fallen Angels. She’d made them from silver leather and

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sewed on almost a thousand Swarovski crystals by hand. Her fingertips were still raw from the extensive work, but seeing that large smile on her dear best friend’s face was more than worth it. “See, they even withstand the rice you told me your master demands you kneel on.” “Gimme, gimme, gimme!” she cried impatiently as she wiggled her fingers to her. Scarlett giggled and handed them over. She immediately strapped them on and viewed her reflection in the fulllength mirror. She felt her eyes tear up as she realized it had been Jane who brought her out of her shell and provided her the love of a true friend she had so desperately needed. “I’m thrilled you love them.” “Are you kidding? They’re bananas! Damn, girl, I can’t believe you did this for me.” Scarlett walked up behind her and stared at her through the reflection. “You should never expect anything less from me, Jane. You’re my family, and you deserve it.” Jane turned and embraced her tightly. Scarlett closed her eyes against her soft chest, the familiar scent of baby-lotion-slicked skin comforting her. “Look at you, Miss Thang,” Jane said as she stepped back to look her up and down. “Please tell me you made matching ones for me.” She indicated the heather-gray, cashmere hot pants she wore. “Oh, I just made these last night. What do you think?” She did a little turn and received a firm smack on the ass before she completed it. “Ooh, white girl got back! Someone’s been putting their StairMaster to good use.” “Thanks, but it’s the shorts. They’re cashmere,” Scarlett said proudly. Jane laughed. “Well, excuse me.” “How else would I be able to wear cashmere in the Texas heat without looking like a crackhead?”

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Chapter Eight As Scarlett stepped through the heavy metal doors of Hester’s, her jaw fell open in shock. Despite it being a Friday night, there were no other customers in the fancy steakhouse. “What’s going on? Where are all the other guests?” She felt Leo’s hand on the small of her back as he urged her toward the smiling hostess waiting at her stand in the corner of the restaurant. “We told the owner you had a long week, and everyone in this town just happens to have a little southern hospitality when it comes to a hardworking, independent woman.” Scarlett looked up at him, her gorgeous aquamarines narrowing at him playfully. “Flattery gets you everywhere, my dear man.” Leo laughed, clasping his hands together in amusement at her little joke. It was different. No one made him laugh, especially beautiful women. Most of the ones he met could barely form a genuine thought, much less break past his wall by making a wisecrack. “Good evening, Mr. and Mr. Lenox.” The hostess turned and made a respectful nod to Scarlett. “Mrs. Lenox, right this way, please. We have your table ready and waiting.” Scarlett returned Byron’s smile when he turned back to stand by her side. She looped her arm through his when he offered it and allowed the men to lead her to the back of the building. In the back was a room set apart by a thick, red, velvet curtain, much like those in the fancy theaters. When the hostess pulled the long gold tassel on the side, the curtain parted elegantly. Scarlett quickly put a hand over her mouth in

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reflex at the astounding image before her eyes. There in front of her was a single, long, curved deep-seated booth with luxurious pillows all about it. On the table in front of it was a short, perfectly round dome of blood-red tea roses. Candles were lit in every empty space in the room. Scarlett looked at the men, both smiling at her proudly. For a moment, she couldn’t find the words to express the incredible amazement she was feeling right then and there. She could only shake her head in disbelief. “Y’all did this for me? I can’t believe you’d do this.” Before the men could answer, a waiter stepped through a small door on the side of the room. The bright light that followed him had Scarlett guessing it must have been the kitchen he had gone through. “Good evening, lady and gentlemen. We have an elegant five-course menu planned out for you. I hope you enjoy.” He gestured toward the booth for them to take a seat. Scarlett slid in first as either man slid on each side of her. She didn’t protest when they both scooted in close and each rested a hand on her knees. “A bottle of your finest white wine, please, while we wait for the meal to arrive,” Byron ordered politely. “Byron!” Scarlett hissed between clenched teeth. “That is going to be way too expensive. None of us are made out of money.” Byron shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment then casually shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t worry about the money. It would have been rude to deny them, my dear.” Moments later, the waiter returned with a large bottle. “Here, sir, we have a Maya, Dalla Valle, Napa 2001,” he said as he held out the bottle for them to see. “How about a SoCo with lime instead?” she asked as casually as she could. “Scarlett, it’s not a problem, really,” urged Leo, who then turned back to the waiter. “It looks wonderful, sir.” Scarlett scrambled her brain, trying to think of a way to stop them from ordering such a

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luxurious bottle for little ol’ her. “Thank you—” “I prefer the SoCo,” she blurted out, interrupting him. “In fact, I insist.” The waiter glanced at both men, who didn’t argue. “When a lady insists, I always respect her wishes,” the waiter said with a subtle bow of his head. “In that case, I’ll have a Bombay extra dirty, please,” Leo requested. “Campari and soda,” stated Byron, his eyes seeming to be transfixed on Scarlett’s face in admiration, making her blush under his blatant stare. “What?” she asked shyly, looking away. She was still trying to get used to all the attention she received from her men. “You,” Byron replied with a soft smile. “You really are an amazing woman, Scarlett Lenox.” Scarlett giggled nervously. “Why? Just because I refused a thousand dollar bottle of wine? I think anyone would have said no to that.” “Eight hundred,” Leo corrected, which had Scarlett turning her head to his side. He turned his head to gaze deep in her eyes, his sapphire blue eyes boring into hers, making a trickle of goose bumps trail down her body. “And you’re wrong, my dear. Anyone else would have shamelessly accepted it with no regard to anyone else.” He reached for her then pulled back in hesitation. She watched him take in a sharp inhale of breath before finally brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “But not you, Scarlett. You can pretend to be that tough workaholic from Dallas, but you don’t fool me.” Scarlett gasped as he slowly brought his face closer to hers. Right before they came nose to nose, Leo paused and lowered his eyes to her lips. She held her breath as he grazed his thumb across her jaw line and over her bottom lip. As he leaned closer, she breathed in the fresh scent of his skin, reminding her of a beautiful spring day. Her eyes fluttered closed, her lashes softly tickling the tops of her cheeks

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as she waited for that moment. Their moment. His warm lips gently pressed against hers, and then she felt his hand softly wrap around the back of her neck, drawing her in closer to him. She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to caress hers. He tasted sweeter than she even remembered. When she heard a low growl from deep in his chest, she couldn’t help but to clench the front of his shirt in her tight fists. She jumped with pleasure when she felt two soft lips press against the back of her left shoulder. Byron began a small trail, leading up to the ultra sensitive nape of her neck, making her shudder with delight. “I’ve been a lot of places and met a lot of women, and I swear you have to be the most exquisite creature I have ever seen. You’re absolutely breathtaking, Scarlett.” Scarlett couldn’t help but flush slightly from his words. As gorgeous as these men were, that was beyond hard to believe. “You don’t mean it,” she said between heavy breaths. She jumped again when she felt Byron nip the side of her neck with his teeth. “I hate being accused of things I am not, especially a liar. Any man with eyes can see you’re the image of womanly perfection.”

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Chapter Nine Johnny and Jameson arrived at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. They purposely wore Wranglers, tight white T-shirts, and cowboy boots to blend into the Texas crowd as best they could. “Now remember, Johnny, we are not to reveal our identities to anyone.” “I will not tell a soul.” “Excuse me, son.” Jameson turned toward the deep, raspy smoker’s voice and saw an old cowboy, about mid-seventies, was referring to Johnny. “Are those Michael Anthony boots you got yourself there?” “Why yes, they are. Crocodile. I ordered them just last week, in fact.” “Jesus Christ, boy. Those usually take months to order. Not to mention they must run at least twelve grand!” Jameson felt his eyes widen in disbelief, and he roughly grabbed his brother’s arm to pull him away from the old stranger. “He won them in a sweepstakes. Now if you’ll excuse us, dear gentleman.” Jameson dragged his brother away, not caring his fingers might have been digging a little too deep into his brother’s forearm. “Twelve grand on fucking cowboy boots, Johnny? And is that gold I see etched into the leather?” Jameson scolded between clenched teeth, trying his best to keep his voice low and controlled. “What? Too much?” Johnny asked in an innocent voice. Jameson narrowed his gaze on Johnny’s confused expression. “Twelve grand is more than what some of these people make in a year, you dimwit.” He nudged his brother to keep walking down the

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airport floor. “Now take them off before I hang you upside down and pull them off.” “Really, Jameson, your threats are such a bore.” Jameson snapped his head to face him, shooting him his best attempt at a look that could kill. Johnny sighed heavily in response. “The rest of my shoes are in my luggage. I’ll be walking around in socks.” “Then walk around in the damn socks,” Jameson snapped. “We’re in the South. You’ll blend in more, anyway.” What the fuck was his brother thinking? Jameson had enough sense to order a modest pair from Cavender’s. Of course, Johnny was always making decisions without informing others, always assuming his ideas were the best. Johnny shook his head and shrugged as he leaned down to peal the beautifully handcrafted boots off his feet. He shoved them in front of a passing young teenage boy wearing a black Stetson. “Here you go, big bro. I won’t be needing them anymore.” The men continued making their way toward the front exit. “Holy shit! Thank you, mister!” the boy called out from behind him. They walked through the automatic glass doors of the airport entrance. A long white Hummer limo waited directly in front of the doors at the curb, and there stood old friends and twins, Cameron and Chris Cavender, at the back of the limo, assisting the driver in putting the single large bag of the brothers’ luggage the Darques had packed in the automobile. Jameson held back a smile. He remembered that even as children, Cameron and Chris had always insisted on doing tasks for themselves rather than take full advantage of the hired help they always had at their disposal. Much of that was in great thanks to their old-fashioned, southern mother who raised them to be active, productive young men. Cameron and Chris had been their close friends since they were small children. Chris and Cameron’s fathers had both come from old money. While the Cavender twins had studied Wall Street and the

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economy at Columbia University, they’d learned how to build their own impressive fortune through investment banking. Even as college students, they had both possessed a drive Jameson knew was extremely rare among the worry-free offspring of the privileged. It had been a year since the four of them saw each other, when Cameron and Chris married their sub, Sophia. They’d met the adorable Texas coed at Whipped Cream just a few months before the wedding last year. The Cavenders sure were two lucky ass men. The woman had the face of an angel and the body of a goddess. He had never seen three people so completely in love as them. It’s too bad that means the twins can’t come out and play tonight, Jameson thought to himself. He was happy for his dear friends, but he couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of losing another single friend to the power of a mate’s pussy. Growing up, he’d always joke to his younger brothers that every time a bachelor become engaged, a bald eagle would drop dead somewhere. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Cameron and Chris turned toward them and rushed over. The Darques each extended a hand in greeting, only to be completely ignored by the twins, who both embraced them in tight yet brief bear hugs. “You’re in Texas, boys. They don’t call it the Friendly State for nothing,” said Chris with a wide grin. Jameson wasn’t used to such personal affection from anyone, much less another man. But he had to admit—only to himself, of course—that the warmth of his friends’ bodies against his own felt warm and comforting. “How’s the wife?” Jameson asked, knowing the love-struck twins were likely just itching to share any details on their bride. His suspicions were confirmed as he watched both their faces light up like Christmas trees. “As breathtaking and amazing as ever,” Chris said proudly. “Every day we spend with Sophia, she unveils another layer of herself we can’t help but to fall in love with. She always keeps us guessing.

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She graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in elementary education. But instead of her going straight into the work field, she decided to take the next two years off to focus on building our family. The three of us talked long and hard about our options, and we think now is the perfect time to plan for the first baby Cavender of the new generation. Sophia just stopped taking her birth control pills about two weeks ago.” He held up both hands, his foreand middle fingers crossed in hope. “Y’all say a prayer for us.” “She seemed like a lovely woman when we met her,” said Johnny. “I was incredibly impressed with how passionate she was about her volunteer work with the juvenile delinquents in the city. I remember she told me she believed every child could be saved, no matter how tainted they may seem. Such compassion is rare these days. I’m sure she’ll make an amazing mother.” “The best,” stated Cameron. “We just can’t decide if we’re hoping for a gorgeous little baby girl with her mother’s dollface or a strapping big boy with his fathers’ adventurous streaks.” “Well, we can always try again for the other once one is born,” countered Chris. Johnny laughed. “Jesus Christ, look at you two. Last we had the chance to hang out, you dragged us to a nightclub in downtown Los Angeles. The last thing I remember from that night was cutting the long line to pass through the ropes. After that, the only memory I have was being woken by the three of you dressed in nothing but sheets and dog collars while I lay on the top bunk in a sorority house.” All the men laughed at the memory. They never did figure out how the hell they had gotten there or why they were wearing spiked collars with chains attached. “Now here you are, planning out a family as you talk up your new bride. Times sure have changed.” “Soon, the same will happen to y’all,” said Cameron as they all crawled into the back of the stretch Hummer limo. “So, you’ve come to find a sub. Whipped Cream has no shortage of women who would love to jump at the chance at being a slave of five strapping shifters.”

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Jameson watched Johnny hang his head for a moment, and a sadness flashed in his eyes. “Yes, well, we have some more pressing issues to tend to before we think about a white picket fence.” Cameron cocked an eyebrow. “I take it you aren’t too excited about Strawberry anymore, Johnny?” Johnny shook his head. “It’s not about how I feel.” “That’s not what I asked.” Johnny looked up to look Cameron dead straight in his dark, friendly eyes. “I’m a thirty-year-old Dom who has a hobby of pleasuring women. And suddenly I’m expected to give it all up for a dull, gold-digging maiden with little beyond a pretty face and a diploma from etiquette class and ballroom dancing.” Johnny smirked. “Excuse me, my dear man, if I’m not jumping with joy over giving up a life I love, a life I don’t feel even close to being ready to give up.” “Something told you to come here for a reason, Johnny.” “Yeah, my brother.” Cameron shook his head. “I know you, Johnny. You would never agree to do something simply for the duty of it. I love you, friend, but you were never one to be selfless. No, something pulled you here. Something whispered in your ear, telling you Whip Cream was your answer.” Jameson guessed Cameron must have hit the nail on the head when his brother’s eyes widened in disbelief. Cameron released a soft laugh. “Johnny, you’re far from the only playboy in history who has been lured to Whip Cream. It worked out like a dream for us, and I’m sure it will for the two of you.” Johnny offered a slight smile. “I appreciate that, Cameron.” “Before we go any further into the city,” Chris began, “give us the rundown of our instructions and what exactly you’re going to need from us in order to help y’all.” He spoke to Jameson as he said this, seeming to know this was always the older shifter brother’s area. “We’re your lawyers,” Jameson replied as he turned back to their Texan friends. “Since you have just gotten married, we are here to

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properly assign an accurate value to your assets in preparation for a will. The fact you are now planning a family makes it even better. You are only trying your best to prepare. Since the only employment information we provided when we filled out the Whipped Cream membership application was that we were self-employed writers working from our home office, no one has a reason to not believe us.” We plan on keeping to ourselves for most of our stay, anyway, until the night we execute Mission: Strawberry.” “Just a heads-up, you two will be sharing the east wing with an old childhood friend of Sophie’s, Jane Stewart. She’s the club’s Newbie Sub Coordinator, the woman who counsels all the new subs and slaves before they participate in their first organized, public BDSM scene. She’ll be meeting with y’all once a day for a short interview. Her job is to learn what kind of woman you like, what kind of kink you’re into, so that she can accurately set you up with any suitable newbies she comes across. I understand y’all are here for a specific mission, but Miss Jane Stewart will be at your service to matchmake you with any kind of woman you’re in the mood for.” “Is she—” “She’s gorgeous.” Chris answered Johnny’s question before he could finish asking it. “Completely different look and personality than Sophie, and in fact, you’d never guess in hell the two of them are friends. But she’s no less angelic, looks-wise anyway.” “Hmm”—Johnny stroked his chin, a sly smile forming on his face —“a bad girl, is she?” Jameson watched as both Cameron and Chris glanced at each other and began to shift in their seats, obviously uncomfortable with the interest Johnny was already showing toward their wife’s young friend. Cameron cleared his throat and adjusted his collar. There was no doubt they were all fully aware that if there was anyone a man wanted far away from his sisters, or any other female he felt compelled to protect, it was Johnny. “Jane’s a good woman, but she has quite a past. She’s been living on her own since she was a kid. She

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was living in the Dallas ghettos before she found a home at Whipped Cream.” “There are ghettos in Dallas?” Jameson asked in shock. Any part of Dallas he saw had always been beautiful and luxurious. He had no idea there was a different side to the bright city. The twins looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Did they really have to be so damn condescending about it? Jameson thought it was a perfectly legitimate question. “I’m not even going to waste my time answering that right now,” Cameron said with an impatient groan. “The point is Jane has been through a lot. So before you go setting your sights on her, I’m telling you right now that if you’re looking to pull a hit-it-and-quit-it, you will need to look elsewhere. Despite working at a BDSM club, she’s about as far from the usual slave as you could possibly get. According to Sophia, Jane has only had sex with one man, her ex-Dom. Supposedly, he was quite the piece of work, the motherfucker. He was notorious for his temper, often lashing out both verbally and physically to the woman that loved him so much. She’d completely devoted herself to him, so it was traumatizing when she’d come home one day to find all her belongings neatly piled on the front lawn of the house she’d shared with her Dom. He’d changed the locks and left a note on the door for her explaining that he’d met a ‘more competent sub.’ That was last summer, and none of us have yet heard of her hooking up with any other men. It seems she prefers to allow her work and newbies consume her life instead of going out and living it.” “Jesus Christ.” Jameson shook his head in disbelief. He hadn’t met her yet, but he couldn’t swallow the sympathy he had for the poor girl. He couldn’t imagine how tough of a life she must have had. Their friends were right. She sounded like much too damaged of a soul to ever consider making their honorary slave for the weekend. He and his family had enough chaos and drama to attend to, so the last thing they needed was an angst-ridden college kid to add her own to the mix. “We most certainly won’t be looking her way.”

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Chris smirked. “Yeah, you say that now, but wait until you see her. She may have trouble written all over her, but she’s quite the vision. I can’t tell you two to not look at her. That would be impossible. What I will ask is for you not to pursue anything with her.” “What if we’re looking for a little midnight snack?” Johnny wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “It would be convenient since she’s staying just down our hall.” “She’s not the type,” replied Cameron. “She never participates in the club activities, just provides counseling. The passion Jane exudes when she’s at work is inspiring to witness. She says her daily objective is to prevent as many toxic and abusive relationships from developing within the walls of Whipped Cream. Counseling the club’s beginners is her calling. You should see her with them. She’s like a slave whisperer. You’d never guess she sleeps alone every night. What a waste of beauty.” Cameron shook his head softly in disapproval. “In fact, Sophia told me Jane was never much for sex period, much less casually. Her ex-Dom made sure that ritual was plenty soiled for her.” Jameson turned to look at Johnny, and just as he expected, his brother had gone pale at those words. “On second thought, maybe you’re right.” Johnny reached into his jeans to grab his hanky and blotted his clammy forehead. “Holy shit, Johnny, are you okay?” Chris’s face twisted in concern. “Yes, yes. Excuse me.” Johnny dipped the hanky in the champagne bucket of ice next to his seat and blotted his neck. “I just tend not to deal well with abused women, is all.” “Hey, I get it.” Chris held his hands up in front of him. “I think everyone in this limo was raised to not find that the norm. Unfortunately, there are plenty of men out there who do not share the same morals as us.” “How about we change the subject, gentlemen?” Jameson saw Johnny’s shoulders relax in relief at the suggestion. Jameson nodded his head then turned in Johnny’s direction when

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he heard him suck air through his teeth. “Brother, you know what we came here for. Like it or not, this is a business deal. It’s not just a life change but a calculated political decision, as well.” Johnny rolled his eyes. “How romantic.” “Since when did you care about romance?” asked Cameron. ” Johnny ran a hand over his face in frustration. “Yes, well, I can no longer act like a horny prep-school virgin on prom night.” He looked down as if he were ashamed of what was about to come out of his mouth. “Now that the money is so close to being ours, it’s not as desirable as it once was. I’m wondering if this is all worth it.” Chris burst out in laughter as if he had been holding it in throughout Johnny’s entire confession, and all the men turned to look at him. Chris shook his head and waved his hand in front of him as he tried to compose himself. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. It’s just that I never dreamed Johnny would ever want anything meaningful with a woman, much less a friendship. And the funniest thing is you two have absolutely no idea what it is like to love a woman. And now after years upon years of searching for Strawberry, the discovery has proven to be anti-climatic for your material-driven souls.” Johnny looked offended, and Jameson immediately came to his little brother’s defense. “No disrespect to your marriage, my friends, but not everyone happens to believe in monogamy or skipping down the cobblestones while holding hands. At least, not forever. Some people are realists.” **** Jameson had just stepped from the shower when he got a text message from Johnny. 911! 911! Get your ass out here ASAP! There’s something here you need to see! He’s right outside of the bathroom door, Jameson thought. Was

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texting really necessary? If there was one thing little Johnny had inherited from Grandmother Charlize was their impressive ability to make any situation as epically dramatic as a daytime soap opera. Jameson wrapped the white towel around his waist then opened the door and stepped back in to the room to confront Johnny over being such a damn drama queen all the time. “Johnny, you are sitting five feet away. You don’t need to text—” He looked up, expecting to see his brother’s deceivingly innocentlooking eyes, but instead he stared into two almond-shaped blue eyes fanned with long, dark, curly lashes. But they weren’t a normal shade of blue. The color immediately reminded him of the shimmery waters of Larvotto. She wore very little eye makeup, but their beauty was no less breathtaking. “Jameson, meet Miss Jane Stewart of Dallas, Texas. She tells me she’s the Newbie Sub Coordinator here at Whipped Cream. I was just telling her about our roots as goat herders in South Africa.” Jameson heard his brother’s words, but his brain was frozen and wasn’t processing any of the information. He stared at the image before him, this young, small woman standing there like an archangel in disguise. The honey-blonde color of her long, thick hair, which she’d styled into loose waves accessorized with a fabric black rose pinned to the side, made her look even more so the part. His eyes grazed down the length of her body, starting at her perky, full breasts, down a narrow torso, over slightly rounded hips, and down to her short, beat-up brown cowboy boots. She wore a lavender, strapless jumper that showed off her tanned legs and shoulders. Just like the twins had described, she was a natural, effortless beauty. He looked up at her suddenly flushed face. She parted her full, peachy lips, and the awe he saw in her stare made his heart race like a rabbit about to meet its fate. “Jameson? Did you hear me? I was just explaining how rewarding goat herding is.” The words slowly began to make sense, and Jameson broke the

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paralyzing trance to turn his head to Johnny. “Huh? Goat herders?” The woman spoke for the first time, her deep, raspy voice and elegant accent made his insides heat another few degrees. “Yes, your brother says y’all are ‘humble goat herders,’” she held up quotation signs with her hands. Her tone was skeptical and questioning. Jameson looked back at Johnny who gave him a wide-eyed, goalong-with-it gaze from under his cowboy hat. “Yes, goat herders.” He watched his brother’s shoulders slightly slump with relief before straightening again. “It’s been a family practice for generations.” He watched Johnny wince. “Johnny said y’all just started the business a couple of years ago.” Damn it. “And that we did. What I meant was it has been our family’s practice to work with farm animals.” “I see.” Jane eyed him suspiciously before briefly dropping her eyes to his tanned, naked torso. She then cleared her throat and looked away as if embarrassed. Jameson’s logic suddenly snapped back. “Pardon me, Miss Stewart,” he said as he stepped toward her with an outstretched hand. “My name is Jameson. It’s a pleasure to just be in your presence.” He heard her gasp ever so softly as he bent down to press a lingering kiss on the back of her baby-soft hand. Her skin smelled fresh and floral. When he looked up, he saw she was staring at his lips with wide eyes. “How very rude of me to delay my introduction, but I’m afraid I couldn’t breathe for a second there.” **** Jane bit down hard on her lower lip when an involuntary moan escaped her watering mouth. She cursed herself and immediately yanked her hand from Jameson’s powerful grip. There’s no way these men could be goat herders. They may be pulling off the sexy Texas cowboy look, but she could never imagine goat herders giving off such a badass aura, even if they were European. “And tell me again

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why y’all came to Whipped Cream,” she insisted, her arms crossed over her chest as she studied their faces for any sort of clue. “We’re in town to attend to investment matters with Cameron and Chris,” Johnny quickly replied, not adding any other specific information. “You see, there’s no one else we trust with our finances more than them. They’re the best at what they do, so we flew down to pick their brains a little.” Jane stared at him like he was an alien from another planet. Jane purposefully attempted to eye him suspiciously in order to make it perfectly clear she wasn’t completely buying what they were feeding to her. “Well, goat herders, Sophia has instructed me to match y’all with a proper sub for the night’s extracurricular activities.” Jane walked around the men one by one, taking advantage of the opportunity to study their perfect form. High, perky asses, muscular backs, the perfect amount of hair on the treasure trails. She fought back the sliver of guilt that crept up her chest. After all, this was for educational purposes… “Did y’all have any type of girl in mind?” “Of course we do not,” insisted Johnny as if she were crazy for even asking. “How could two goat herders possibly know a thing about picking a woman?” Jane rolled her eyes. So they still wanted to play make believe. “Why yes, what on earth was I thinking?” she mocked sarcastically, but the men just smiled at each other as if they’d successfully fooled her. Jane had a good guess as to why they were lying to her. She wasn’t an idiot. It was no secret Whipped Cream was the mecca of hot, wealthy BDSM participants. They surely thought her a gold digger, or they wouldn’t be feeding her such awful bullshit. She was suddenly turned off by their prejudices against her. She didn’t give a shit how gorgeous or rich these men may be. They could shove their stuffy accents and Texas-sized egos up their damn asses. ****

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Johnny watched Jane’s red car pull out of the large parking lot and onto the main road. She told them she needed to head downtown for new lingerie gifts for all the Lifestyle virgins she was going to counsel before the festivities started later that night. “I think she believed us,” he exclaimed proudly, but Jameson was looking at him like he had two heads. “Goat herders, Johnny? Are you mad?” Jameson held the white towel around him with one hand as he ran the other through his thick, messy hair. “Could you really not think of something better than that? I thought we planned to be lawyers.” “It was the first thing that popped in my head.” Johnny shrugged. “Lawyers sounded too stiff and uptight. The point is she doesn’t know who we are.” “But we’d agreed our covers were lawyers, Johnny, not goat herders! What woman in her right mind would even look at a goat herder?” “One who deserves better.” Johnny paused and sighed deeply. “Okay, so I went a little overboard with the humble job bit. Even if she doesn’t believe us—” “She doesn’t.” “Even if she doesn’t,” he continued, doing his best to maintain his patience. “She’d never guess who we really are, much less why we’re here.” “Speaking of why we are here, I think we should focus on the task at hand and not on how to get between some hippie chick’s legs.” Johnny laughed out loud at his brother’s pathetic attempt at being an actor. “You really expect me to pretend I didn’t just witness that ridiculous reaction you gave that dear girl?” Jameson turned a serious expression on him, and his gaze suddenly seemed to look right through him. “It doesn’t matter what my reaction was,” he said softly. “She couldn’t be any further from the kind of woman who is down with her mates plotting a kidnapping.

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She’s a distraction, and we need to make sure we see her as little as possible while we execute our plan. The five of us can all come back and claim her as our mate after, and only after, we see the money sitting sweetly in our bank account.” Johnny was confused. He knew there was no way he had been mistaken when he saw the look of fascination in Jameson’s eyes when he first saw Jane. Just because she looked like she stepped straight out of a Woodstock documentary didn’t make him immune to love at first sight. Jameson must have noticed his confusion. “Look, if either of us gets a single taste of that woman, we’ll be worthless in our cause. I can see it now, the two of us love drunk on her body, not able to climb from her bed as a fortune we’ve waited our entire lives to obtain slips through our fingers.” “You heard the twins, though. She doesn’t even participate in all this stuff anymore.” “Whether she admits it to herself or not, she’s still fascinated by the Lifestyle, or she wouldn’t be spending every waking moment working here.” **** Jameson walked back in the house, slamming the door behind him. He walked back to their room and poured a scotch from the minibar. His little brother could never understand his struggles with love. Their parents had their own issues with infidelity before their untimely deaths, yet Johnny seemed to have little concern over any risks involved with building a committed shifter relationship. Claiming a human mate as their own increased the risks a million fold, for a human mate, unlike a shifter-born mate, carries no guarantee that the person will remain in love with their mate. Of course, there was no doubt he and his brothers would end up

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with Jane. The roles of fate and destiny in the shifter mating rituals were incredibly influential. Their powers were unbeatable against even the strongest will or stubbornness. The real challenge came in having discovered Jane on the exact same weekend he and his brothers planned to kidnap Scarlett Rose, the strawberry girl with the magical fucking uterus. All in the name of Cash Money. Jameson finished the liquor in his glass and slammed it down on the counter loudly. He’d always known the moment he found his mate would be full of dread and an overwhelming sense of frustration. As soon as the door closed after his big brother was no longer visible, Johnny pulled out his iPhone and scrolled down to Jo’s number. At that moment, he needed the advice of his middle brother, always the levelheaded one of the five Darque brothers. He cursed when he heard the call go straight to his voice mail. He knew he should be in an intense scene with his sub-for-a-day by now, and Jo always made sure he turned off his phone to give his sub his undivided attention and domination. “Hello, this is Jo Darque. Please leave a message, and I’ll hit you back when I’m done doing what I’m doing. Remember, the sharper the whip, the sharper the mind.” Beep. “Jo, it’s Johnny. Put down that damn flogger glued to your hand, and call me back as soon as you get this. I have a slight problem here in the big city. Let’s just say the clientele has become a little too hot to handle.” Right when he was about to hang up, he put the phone back to his ear. “Oh, and I hope what’s-her-face’s knee pads are working out. Talk to you later, big brother.” He hung up the phone and shoved it back in his jean’s pocket with frustration. With his elbows resting on his knees, Johnny leaned down and massaged his temples as he tried to regain his regular breathing pattern. So what the fuck was that all about? His mind whirled in

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confusion. The moment he had seen the gorgeous young blonde, he felt an immediate ache in his heavy sac that he had never, ever experienced before. He had even fought the urge to pull out and squeeze his hard cock to rub out some of that aching. There was something entirely different about this woman. Sure, as a popular fixture in the intimate BDSM scene, Johnny had had his share of gorgeous, sexy women, but there was something deeper about this one in particular. Despite her skimpy attire of just a silk slip and an anklet, she radiated an air of class, innocence, and intelligence the women in his past were well beyond lacking. Her sexy country accent had turned him on even more. She had the body of a goddess—big, firm tits, a tiny waist, and the perfect little ass—but holy shit, that face. She was so damn beautiful standing there, so flawless it almost hurt to look at her. She was poetry in motion and could make even the most conceited lingerie model he had bedded feel incredibly insecure. Her quick wit and whip-sharp instincts demonstrated her intelligence. He’d never dated a girl that didn’t wear jewelry or makeup, yet he’d never been so entranced in his life. Everything about her was so foreign, so what Johnny was not used to observing in such a beautiful woman. The other women could put on a great show, but it was too bad they were pompous douches who hung out around sex clubs, only after a rich man’s money. BDSM clubs were not cheap to participate in, and the big spenders, the VIPs, were especially attractive to the small group of gold diggers who preyed on lonely, eager men. But, hell, could he really blame them? He knew the value of money. If he were a gorgeous, young, sexually talented American woman, he would probably be in their line of business, as well. He was shocked from his thoughts by the sound of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” playing from his phone, the ring tone he had assigned especially to Jo. Before he could say hello, Jo, always the parent of the group although he wasn’t the eldest, was barking concerns a mile a minute.

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“Johnny, are you okay? What’s wrong? Where’s Jameson? Let me talk to him. Where are you?” He couldn’t hold back his laughter. Jo rambled just a bit when he was nervous. “I’m fine, Jo.” He let out a deep sigh. “Oh God, where do I even start?” “Hold on, Johnny. Let me put my boxers on and grab a shot of scotch. I can tell this is going to take a while.” Johnny waited a few minutes for Jo to get settled then heard muffling in the background. He assumed it was Jo dismissing the nameless, faceless sub. The conversation just lasted a few seconds before he heard Jo’s front door open then close. “Okay, I’m back. Now what’s going on over there?” “First of all, are you sitting down right now? “Uh, yeah, I can be. “I think I may have just been given a hot wet towel by our mate working here at Whipped Cream!” “Did you just say our mate?” Jo’s tone was a mix of excitement and skepticism, but he couldn’t blame him. All these years of searching for the strawberry girl, none of the Darques had really taken the time to search for their destined mate, the soul mate heaven above had destined for the modern Darque generation. Jo sputtered and stuttered a few times, obviously not able to make a coherent statement, at least not one Johnny could understand. Sighing heavily in frustration, Johnny interrupted him. “Don’t tell Grandma Charlize, understood? Anything can go wrong when with the plan, and Grandma is much too old to get her hopes on. Especially concerning her lifelong dream of a human family. **** As worried as Johnny was about working with the gorgeous woman, Jo was boiled over in excitement and glee. He said Grandma

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Charlize had seen the coming of their mate in her tarot cards when she had done a reading for him a couple of days ago. Grandma Charlize often used her cards, the same deck her own mother had brought over with her from New Orleans seventy years ago. “What exactly did she say?” “Grandma Charlize saw them in the Fool card.” “Great, so we’re fools?” Jo laughed on the other end. “No, dummy. The Fool represents the rebel, the man or woman who is unafraid to go against the norm, rise above others expectations to ensure their own lasting happiness.” “That can’t be accurate then. This woman couldn’t be more different than me, and I can tell she is extremely suspicious of me. It didn’t exactly seem like she was willing to jump right into my loving arms, y’know?” “Well, you’ve barely just met her, Johnny. We’re amazing men, brother, and to know us is to love us. Grandma Charlize is never wrong. We’re ‘The One’ for her. Er, ‘The Five.’” He released a robust laugh. “Ha ha, so witty.” “Aw, c’mon, Johnny. This is amazing news. We always knew she might be out there, and here she is.” “Oh, and by the way, why the hell didn’t you mention this before?” “Would you have believed me?” “Probably not.” “More like definitely not. You forget how far back we go, Little One.” Johnny laughed. “I could never forget. I love you, Jo. I’ll call back tomorrow to give you more updates. In the meantime, fill Grandma Charlize in on what’s going on. I want to see if her cards come up with anything new.” “Aha!” Jo exclaimed in satisfaction. “I thought you didn’t believe in the tarot?”

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“Of course not, Little One.” He could practically hear the smirk in his voice, embarrassing him even further. “By the way, where is our newfound mate staying?” Johnny winced at having to answer that dreaded question. “The same place we are, the east wing of Whipped Cream.” He quickly pulled the cell phone away from his ear at the loud, screeching outburst of laughter booming from the other end of the line. “Oh shit, son! Oh shit!” Jo’s laugh was robust and obnoxious. “You two are going to be shacking up in the same wing as her? As in, a few rooms away? Are you fucking serious?” More annoying laughter. All right already, that was quite enough. “Wow, Jo. Are you done making fun of all this yet?” Jo gasped for air. “I’m sorry, brother, I just didn’t expect for you to say that.” “Yeah, well, I’m worried sick enough as it is. This strawberry girl thing is what we’ve waited our whole lives for. How in the hell can I expect to concentrate on my job when I have our mate—literally the most beautiful thing I’ve ever fucking seen—sleeping just a few doors down?” He could barely swallow past the lump of fear in his throat. “This is going to suck.” “Not before the second date.” “Jo! This is no time for your puns.” Jo chuckled on the line. “You set that one up for me. I couldn’t resist.” “Well, I’m having a damn crisis here! A little help from my big brother would be really nice about now.” “Help? What do you mean help? You are on a work trip in Knotty, and you have our mate right there in the flesh. Oh! Such a horrible crisis,” he remarked sarcastically. “Look, do me a favor and just let me know what Grandma Charlize says, okay?” “Sounds good, Little One. Oh, and Johnny?”

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“Yes?” “Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” More rambunctious laughter before the line disconnected. “Ugh!” Johnny shoved the cell phone back in his pants. A lot of help that phone call did! But Johnny couldn’t deny he was curious to find out more about what those cards said.

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Chapter Ten Knock, knock. “Come in!” Scarlett Rose called out. She sat at the new retro-inspired, mirrored vanity in Byron’s bedroom as she completed her morning grooming routine of hair and makeup. Living with seven rugged cowboys made it pretty tough to find the space a woman needed, but Byron never minded when she got girly around him. The other men would tease her and insist she put all her cosmetics and toiletries out of sight when she wasn’t using them. She supposed they felt it cramped their style or whatever. But with Byron, she never felt like she was in the way when she was his room, which was pretty bare, so that’s where she’d chosen to put most of her things since her first night at the ranch. His entire room was grey with occasional light blue accents and very little furniture or decor, which made it a blank canvas to work with anyhow. Redecorating was just one of a million other projects she hoped she could get to once they solved the mystery of her attempted murder. His body heat warmed her back as he stepped behind her and set the coffee mug down beside her body lotion on the vanity. From such close distance, she could smell the faint hint of his brown sugar bodywash from his morning shower. Mmm. She was very sorry she’d missed it. “You haven’t even been here more than a couple of weeks, Scarlett. That’s not much time to get used to a woman like you looking at me like you want to devour me in one bite. You should know that weakens my will when you do that.” Scarlett turned and playfully slapped him on the arm, causing him

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to jump back and laugh. “Byron Lenox, that innocent act you have going on doesn’t fool me one bit. You’re just as egotistical as your brothers. I hardly doubt you don’t notice women staring at you. Besides, the thought of you losing control over me is only going to encourage me to eye-fuck you.” She smiled and winked at his reflection in front of her, and he smirked back. His large, strong hands gripped her shoulders, warming her skin through the cotton of her shirt. As he began expertly massaging her sore muscles, she let out a soft moan of appreciation for the spontaneous massage. For a moment, she allowed her eyes to drift closed as she enjoyed his gentle strength, kneading out her tension and anxiety. With the amnesia and the fact that her own gold-digging, cunning bitch of a soon-to-be stepmother was out to kill her, there had been plenty of that over the last week. Her skin felt like it sparkled all over her with electricity when she felt his soft lips lightly brush against the back of her neck. She shivered when the rough pads of his fingertips combed aside the hair that hung there. The soft sound of his breathing was an immediate aphrodisiac to her senses. “Well, if they were looking, I hardly noticed until I felt the need to. A shifter’s true sex life doesn’t begin until he’s met his mate.” “Oh, please,” she said, jerking away then throwing him a scoff over her shoulder. He laughed and pulled her body back against his. “I’m not saying I was dead. Just that no other woman really did it for me before you.” “Oh, you’re good,” she teased and sassily pointed her gold mascara wand at him, a hint of skepticism in her tone. His head fell back as he laughed harder, and then he leaned down and kissed her on the shoulder. “It’s biological. Your effect on us is out of any of our controls.” He paused and stared at her in the mirror, his eyes filled with admiration and love as he looked her over. “What?” She fought not to fidget under his stare, and she simply smiled back.

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“I just can’t believe you’re really ours.” Then he slowly lowered his head back to her shoulder and lazily grazed the tip of his nose across the skin there. “Mmmm.” “Baby”—she giggled and squirmed—“I’m trying to get ready for the day, and you’re really, really distracting me right now.” The low growl that vibrated from his chest sent waves through her body from behind, through her back, and down to her ass. It reminded her of how good she’d been fucked there the night before. Looking up in the mirror, she noticed his now fiery-orange eyes suddenly reflected the hunger and passion she felt. In just a matter of moments, they’d soon have the house all to themselves again, just the two of them. The world had already began disappearing around her since she heard the other men planned to allow them one-on-one time for the day and night. “Don’t let me stop you from doing your so very important tasks,” he said as he lifted the hem of her T-shirt to squeeze her bare hips. A moan escaped her as he trailed a rough finger from her left hip to the top of the crack of her ass. His breath hitched a little as he lightly ran the finger down the crease and back up, pausing for a moment on her tight asshole. He pressed against the tight ring of muscle there slightly but didn’t push in. He nuzzled her neck as he moaned aloud. Her pussy contracted with need as if crying for attention while he increased the pressure on her ass. But then his hand returned to her hip just as she began to press against him. Gripping her at the waist, he lifted her until she stood directly in front of the mirror. She watched his reflection as he kicked the stool she’d been sitting on away. “You sure are something to look at, cowboy,” she whispered as he knelt to the carpet, kissing down the length of her back as he did so. He held her shirt up, revealing her naked body underneath as he showered her butt with wet kisses. The intimate act already had her undulating under his touch, desire spreading from his fingertips and lips and tongue then throughout every muscle in her body. She

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gripped his vanity counter for support and bit her bottom lip, reveling in the rough, calloused feel of his hands as he slowly rubbed up the length of her outer thighs to squeeze her ass then spread her ass cheeks apart. The bull shorthorns sprouted out of his temples as he continued touching her, and the wonderfully erotic sight excited her like nothing else. The stiff tip of his tongue prodded around the tight ring of muscle, and the walls of her pussy contracted tightly in jealous response. His moans of pleasure sent waves of vibrations straight from her asshole to her clit, her moisture increasing as he moved down to feast on her cunt. “Ooh!” she cried out when his tongue moved a little farther down to the sensitive patch of skin between her ass and pussy. Her head fell forward, and her breathing deepened as the coil in her core tightened. A mixture of his saliva and her thick juices trickled down her inner thighs, tickling the sensitive, tender skin there. “Mmm,” he moaned against her pussy. “I love tasting your sweet honey, Scarlett. This is all I think about all day now.” He dove back in hungrily, gripping her thighs tighter when she screamed out again. It already felt so intense, and she took a deep breath to control herself. His long, wet tongue lapped around her swelling folds, and his amazing lips sucked her pussy as she softly bucked her hips back against his face. The tip of his nose tickled her ass while his tongue torpedoed in and out of her pussy hole. Suddenly feeling the need to completely expose herself to her mate, she pulled her shirt over her head then dropped it to the floor. Watching with wide eyes as he went down on her from behind, she stood there in front of the mirror, completely naked, and pinched her nipples hard. She screamed out again as the pleasure-pain gripped her insides in a ruthless fist of lust. In the reflection, Byron’s fingers dug in to the fronts of her thighs, keeping her ass and cunt firmly pressed against his mouth and face. Watching him in that position was just about the sexiest thing she’d

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ever seen. Wanting to look into his gorgeous face, she turned around and propped up on the mirrored surface. He licked his lips hungrily as he stared at her trimmed pussy, the evidence of her arousal glistening all around his full mouth. Even from up on the vanity, she could see the enormous, fleshy bulge pushing against his dark denim jeans. He scooted closer until his mouth was a less than an inch in front of her cunt while he unbuttoned his pants to release his raging-hard cock. Right before her eyes, his tongue snaked out and shifted to a bull’s right before giving her dripping slit one long, wide lick from bottom to clit. The chill of the brown antique ceiling fan mingled with the heat from his mouth and sparkled along her pink cunt, adding to the delicious sensations pulsing throughout her. The vibrations of Byron’s hums and groans of delight tickled along the swollen hood of her clit, and she could feel her cream dripping from her opening in slow trickles. “Your taste is so addictive, Scarlett—like cowboy crack,” he mumbled when he came up for air. “You’re so silly,” she said, smiling, then shoved down on his head. “Now get back down there.” He spread her pussy lips apart with his fingers then led back in with his tongue. This time he flattened his tongue to envelope direct contact on the little bundle of nerves then tightly wrapped his full, lush lips around it and sucked. “Oh, God! I–I–ohh!” Her pussy ground against his mouth as every muscle in her tingled and tightened. Likely taking a cue from her trembling thighs, he turned his head slightly and very gently bit down on her englarged, red clit as he penetrated her with two long fingers then hooked them toward him. Leo had taught her that the spongy patch Bryon pressed against was her G-spot. She dropped her hands and gripped his short, dark hair as she came on his mouth, her pussy convulsing around his large fingers. Her high-pitched screams and his animalistic growls echoed

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throughout the large bedroom as she rode the waves of paradise. Byron continued to lick her tenderly and lightly until she came down from her climax. Then he stood to his feet and gently lifted her down from the vanity top. “You’re so beautiful when you come hard like that,” he said against her lips before kissing her again. His thick arms embraced her, and then he pulled her back to her feet, pressing his brick-hard body against hers. Payback time! As she went to drop to her knees, hoping to give him a little oral reciprocation, he suddenly gripped her by the forearms and lifted her back up. “What’s wrong?” she asked, completely puzzled as to why any man would ever turn down a blow job. “I’d just rather you take control of me.” The words sunk in, and heat seared through her body as he pulled his jeans completely off and lay down on the beige shag rug. Looking at him like that—spread out, naked, and completely at her mercy—just did something to her. An overwhelming need to conquer his body and mind burst through her at that moment, and she wanted nothing more than to use him to her fulfillment. Looking around for what she could use to keep him in place, her eyes fell on her gorgeous pearl collar lying on the vanity, the same one they’d proposed to her with. The happiest moment of her life. She grabbed the necklace then straddled Byron’s narrow hips, his soft, warm ball sac resting against her wet pussy. “Put your wrists together, Byron.” A slow smile formed on his thick lips as he did as he was instructed and held them in front of her. Good boy. His cock twitched, seeming to seek for her hot opening, as she looped the white pearls until his wrists were securely bound together. Oh yeah, he was definitely enjoying this, if the clear drop of pre-cum his cock drooled was any indication. Of course, as big and strong as

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he was, Byron could have easily snapped the necklace away with hardly any effort, but her mate was a good sport with every new idea they’d experiment with. “Can I still touch you?” he asked shyly, an adorable smile forming over his lips as he slowly licked them. When he looked at her like that, it made her pussy wet every time. After thinking about it for a second, she realized that although it would pain her greatly to not have his masculine hands ravage her body, the thought of torturing him set her on fire much more. “No.” She scooted farther up his body until her thighs were on either side of his head, his mouth firmly pressed against her pussy again. “Mmm,” he moaned happily. His eyes slightly rolled back as he tasted her again, and he moved his mouth in circular motions, coming into contact with all the sensitive nerves there. Leaning back on her hands, she dropped her head back and rotated her hips, his talented tongue drenching her cunt and quickly bringing her to another orgasm as she rode his face like a pony. Still breathing hard, she scooted back down his body until she once again straddled his narrow hips. His cock twitched under her gaze. She reached and held it, not missing how small her hand looked in comparison to his unusually large size. The moment she touched him, his eyes briefly closed as he hissed through his straight teeth. A loud, drawn-out moan escaped her lips as she slowly lowered herself over him, her tight cunt encasing his shaft like a snug glove. “Yes,” he softly hissed again, and his fingers reached for her breasts. “Finally.” “No!” she scolded and slapped his hands away before he was successful. “I can do that myself.” Her nipples hardened under her touch, and his orange eyes sparkled with lust as he watched her play with her own tits. The stray sensations of her other orgasms warmed her body once again, and her cunt squeezed along his cock as she rode him up and down, back and forth. Judging from the strained look on his face, he

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was trying so hard to follow her demands and not touch her. “You’re so gorgeous, darlin’,” he whispered between his groans. The horns poking from his temples slowly pulled in and out a little while he visibly struggled to keep his cool. She reached down and cupped his beautiful face in her hand, chanting his name softly while her pussy milked his thick cock. It was a surreal moment, one long overdue, and her pussy sang with joy as she rotated her hips, feeling his thick length scrape against the sensitive surfaces of her vaginal walls. A genius idea suddenly popped into her head as she stared down at the precious pearls around his wrists, and she pulled his hands toward her until the string rested against her clit. “Oh, yes.” She moaned as she rode against the small, smooth balls. Her clit swelled then caught in the middle of two of them and gently pinched. Byron pushed his hips up, his big cock railing into her as he came inside her. He neck reddened and strained as he visibly struggled to keep the volume of his cries down, but the growls he made shook her to the core. She immediately followed and came again, and her pussy contracted happily around his cock for the first. She collapsed on top of his warm, hard body and lay there as they rested a little. “That was fucking amazing, Scarlett. I never dreamed in a million years that sex could be that good,” he said between heavy pants then brushed his long fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Let me draw a bath for you.” They not-so-happily disconnected and got up, both laughing when they saw Rhett and Sonny looking in on them then fleeing from sight like two horny schoolboy Peeping Toms. “Perverts!” she called out after them before hearing the heavy bedroom door close shut.

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Chapter Eleven Scarlett stared at herself in the mirror. She took her time applying her new body lotion that Byron had bought her at the Whipped Cream gift shop, instantly feeling more glamorous as the silky, thick texture brightened her smooth, ivory skin. The men knew her bath products made her feel feminine and done. She combed through her straight bob haircut, paying special attention to her bangs and ends. The bold, turquoise lace lingerie she wore made her feel like a real grown-up. Byron had said it made the blue in her eyes look almost fake. Since staying at the Lenox ranch, “lingerie” usually consisted of cotton panties and oversized Western shirts. Of course, she’d originally thought to go red with the color choice, but on second thought, she wanted to surprise them. And looking at herself now, she thought the color really did make her eyes stand out that much more. Her ensemble was comprised of a turquoise lace plunging strapless bra with a sparkling-black French bra sling that sat right under her plentiful breasts for added push-up. Her tits kissed each other as they stood to attention, and she was confident her men would be thankful for that. Her matching, turquoise lace thong was worn under a sparkling-black lace garter belt attached to thigh-high black fishnets. Her silver platform peep-toe stilettos were surprisingly comfortable. Judging from the suicide fuck-me pumps she was wearing when she awoke at the bottom of that cliff, her feet were likely used to such agony. The lipstick, lingerie, and shoes were a welcome-back gift from her men. When she and Rhett had returned from Dallas earlier in the week, Devlin gave her the wrapped gift but not before being perfectly

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clear that much more was to come. The heat that had swirled in his eyes let her know he’d meant that in many ways. She smiled at her reflection then took a deep breath for courage. Unlike two weeks ago, she didn’t care if she didn’t have a matching silk robe to cover herself with, but she did want to be a bit of a tease. All she had was a huge terry robe she borrowed from Sonny. After securing the tie around her waist, she turned and opened the door that led to Leo’s master bedroom. The triplets looked up at her from the floor. All three were laid out on the ground in front of the fireplace. Clad in only their distressed jeans, their tanned torsos and feet glowed in the fire’s dimmed light, dancing along the contours of their muscles. She could tell from their damp, blond waves that they’d just come from their showers. All three smiled wide at her, their eyes looking excited to see what she hid underneath her robe. The twins were both lighting the last of the dozens of candles around the room when she walked in. Their jade eyes turned to her, both visibly swallowing at the same time. It really was magnificent how much Devlin and Denzel were the mirror images of each other physically yet so extremely opposite on a personal level. Her heart warmed equally when she looked at them both. Their biceps flexed sexily as they each held a lit match to their lips and blew them out at the same time before giving her identical smiles, their full lips seducing her with their inviting shape. Leo was just pulling back the red quilt when he heard her come in, his shaved head turning his attention to her standing there still draped in the thick black robe. Just as she expected, Byron sat off to the side in a large chair beside the bed. She realized he wasn’t sitting too far away from the edge. A plan to sneak and attack began to formulate in her mind. He would surely resist at first, just like he had been for the past several days, but she wondered if he would give in if she tempted him just right. As soon as she found out his secret desires, she would plan to

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use them to her advantage. Sucking his enormous cock and licking his heavy balls were not enough to satisfy her insatiable appetite for her large, beautiful mate. She wanted that thick cock inside her, stretching her cunt until she screamed his name in the throes of her climax. “You got a surprise for us in there, darlin’?” Sonny’s cheerful voice broke through the silence. He stood to his feet and slowly walked over to the edge of the bed and sat in front of her. His eyes kept darting from her face to the flimsy robe belt that held the coverup in place. Just as soon as she placed her hands on it, Sonny moved his hand to his growing erection, rubbing the denim as if seeking relief. She heard his low growl, and the vibration seemed to make its way straight to her little clit. “I do,” she whispered. The belt unraveled through her fingers, and the heavy material easily fell from her shoulder and pooled at her feet. All seven bodies in front of her shifted toward her. She suddenly felt self-conscious at the intense stares, but she couldn’t give up on the act now. Hoping to fool them as well as herself into believing she held all the confidence in the world, she placed her hands on her soft hips and held her head a little higher before giving them all a little smirk, sexily, she hoped. “Scarlett,” Byron breathed softly before standing to move farther away from her, leaning his large frame against the far wall as if his knees would give out if he hadn’t found the stable support. His moving farther away was the exact opposite of what she was going for, but it just made her that much more determined to see to it that his cock was inside her, hopefully much sooner rather than the torturous later. The other twins, Rhett and Levi, scooted over until they sat at Sonny’s feet, both palming their own large erections as they took in the sight of her. Devlin and Denzel were now both unbuttoning their plaid shirts, their eyes glowing orange with lust. Devlin’s eyes bore into her pussy as he did so, and Denzel kept his gaze on her overflowing cleavage. The way he slowly yet unconsciously licked

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his top lip sent a shiver of desire throughout her body. The stiff tip lingered on the corner of his mouth before retreating back in. She couldn’t wait until he worked it all over her. Of all her mates, Denzel’s tongue was the most talented. She could feel his deep need to give in to her desires, to hear her come, to feel her pussy clench, when he touched her. It made her throw her head back and give in to the heaven he created through his delectable touches. Devlin was the first to move. She could feel her heart beating faster as his body inched toward her. Once he was several feet away, she could feel the intense body heat radiating from him. His chest was moving up and down in shallow movements, and she knew then that his desire was igniting as much as hers was. “You look absolutely breathtaking, darlin’,” he said as he wrapped his thick, hard arm around her waist and pulled her toward him. She expected him to immediately engage her in a passionate, raw kiss as he often did, but instead, he lowered his head until he nuzzled her neck. He growled loudly, and she couldn’t help the way her stomach twisted in anxiety-ridden fear at the terrifying sound. This man who held her so close could easily snap her in two in the blink of an eye. The power he radiated made her as limp as a noodle in his strong embrace. The tip of his nose lightly glided along the length of the side of her neck before his cow tongue licked a long trail along the same path. As her knees grew weaker, she clung to his thick biceps for support, her hands hardly covering much of the surface. His lips grazed her jawline before coming around to touch her own. He smelled so good, like fresh summer air and soap with that hint of Lenox brother essence she’d loved from the moment she met them all. Her mouth watered at his scent, wishing she could bottle it up and carry it with her everywhere when she wasn’t with them. Although, she had little desire to ever spend much time without her mates. Ever. Everything was better when the Lenox brothers were around. Food tasted better, flowers smelled better, and music sounded sweeter.

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Being in love was indescribable, and fate had gifted her with that times seven. His tongue pushed against her lips, and she parted them to allow him entrance. The hands holding her hips tightened as his kiss grew hotter. She heard herself moan against his lips as a different pair of rough hands began to glide along her inner leg, starting from her ankles to her inner thighs. One of the other men was sitting at her feet as they all watched her kiss her Master. She broke the kiss to look down at Sonny making his way up her body until his hand cupped her mound. He added a little pressure, the warmth of his hand causing her to whimper. “Let me in,” he whispered against her the flesh of her thighs as he nudged them apart. He pulled the patch of silk aside to swirl his finger around her wet opening. Devlin caught her just as her knees gave out from pleasure. Holding her with one large arm, he used his other hand to pull down her bra until her breasts both spilled out. His head lowered to show them some much wanted attention. Her body lay limp in his arm as he laved her nipples while Sonny finger-fucked her below. “Bring her over here,” Leo instructed from the bed. Devlin swept her body up, and her pussy clenched in disappointment as Sonny’s fingers disappeared. Devlin placed her on the bed, and the men surrounded her from her head to her toes. She decided to suppress the disappointment she felt at Bryon remaining out of reach. Perhaps he needed a few more minutes to gain the courage to now fuck her in front of his brothers as they looked on. All seven cowboys stripped totally naked, making her cunt clench with need as they gave her a little show. Her eyes drifted closed as they all moved in closer to surround her sated body. Devlin, her Dom, made no hesitation as he positioned his body on top of hers, his body resting between her softly shaking thighs. Just when she was sure he was going to fuck her, he held her tight and rolled until she straddled him, his hard cock easily sliding in to her

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wet pussy. “Roll those hips, darlin’. Just like that,” Devlin instructed between his moans of pleasure. “I love when you ride me like this. I can come just looking up at your tits jiggling as you bounce on my cock.” “My turn,” Byron announced once she and Devlin had come together. She kept her position on all fours as Byron moved behind her. “Look at you, baby.” He rubbed her raised ass before parting her cheeks to enter a finger. “I love how tight this ass is.” His finger retreated, and she heard a lid pop then a moment later felt the cool sensation of lube being spread against her asshole. He pressed against the tight ring of muscle, and she whimpered at the bite of pain as her ass stretched for his big cock. It quickly faded, and her pussy clenched hard with jealousy. The sound of his balls slapping her cunt sounded through the room, followed by several low growls as his brothers watched. She smiled to encourage Rhett as she watched him crawl over to kneel in front of her. “I can’t resist touching you in some way, baby,” he said as he grabbed his wide cock to place at her lips. She opened for him, sucking his cock as Byron fucked her ass. Denzel scooted closer and reached under to insert his gentle fingers in her lonely pussy. Almost instantly, she came. Her body shook with the currents of her orgasm, each hole filled deliciously. Suddenly, Byron was gone. She pulled back from Rhett’s cock to look over her shoulder. “Oh my God, Byron.” She jumped from the bed and sat down on the floor where Byron was now sitting, his hands clenching the sides of his head as he breathed. “I saw something. I felt life inside of you. You’re pregnant.” In that moment, Scarlett felt as though she’d been sucker punched in the cooter, and she struggled not to faint. She was at a complete loss for words, and all she could do was stare wide-eyed at the floor as she clenched at her heart in disbelief. The touch of Byron’s hand on the back of her neck eased a knot there, which was likely as big as a grapefruit right about now. “You’ll

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be fine, darlin’. Don’t be scared. They’re going to be okay.” She snapped her head up to stare into his eyes as she asked, practically screamed, “Th–They? What do you mean ‘they’?” Byron smiled wide and genuine, and it wasn’t at all like the cold smirk he’d often give. “I felt two heartbeats.”

End of Book 6: Byron’s Bite To be continued in Book 7: Sonny’s Rise

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lola grew up in small town Texas as the only girl in her family, thus harboring a healthy appetite for football and a great appreciation for the simple, rugged world of men. Her best friend describes her as “the guy’s girl in lace,” the one that can kick up her stilettos to enjoy a night of pigskin and Robert Rodriguez movies. She is now a single mother working two jobs to support her childhood dream of being Meryl Streep in She-Devil.

Also by Lola Newmar Ménage Everlasting: The Male Order, Texas Collection: A Bride for Two Billionaires Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 1: Loving Scarlett Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 2: Leo’s Crown Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 3: Rhett’s Branding Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 4: Unzipping Levi Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Scarlett Rose and the Seven Longhorns 5: Devlin’s Beast

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com