Corralling the Stones, Pt. 1

CORRALLING THE STONES, Part 1: The Chase Liebling, Texas 3

Ava Mitchell Sydney Holiday

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting CORRALLING THE STONES, PART 1: THE CHASE Copyright © 2010 by Ava Mitchell and Sydney Holiday E-book ISBN: 1-61034-165-1 First E-book Publication: December 2010 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2010 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.

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CORRALLING THE STONES Part 1: The Chase Liebling, Texas 3 AVA MITCHELL AND SYDNEY HOLIDAY Copyright © 2010

Chapter One Lily Chisholm stared down at the splintered remains of a fourposter bed, two armchairs, and one antique side table. She stood in one of the guest rooms of The Sweet Spot B&B located in the heart of Liebling, Texas. “I really loved that little table, too.” Edie Bishop sighed as she picked up one of the curved cherry wood legs and then let it drop back to the ground. “Lena and I found it at a garage sale when we were in college. It never really went with anything, but that was part of its charm.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Lily paced the room, letting her eyes take in all the destruction. It looked like a natural disaster had swept through, demolishing everything in sight. Well, that was almost true. “I can’t believe it. You said two people did this?” Curtains hung askew, dangling from a brass rod barely attached to its spot above the window. Mysteriously, feathers and flower petals were strewn about the room as if a chicken and a bouquet had duked it out. It was unclear who the winner would’ve been. “Yup. They were a really adorable couple, too. Newlyweds. They said they’d both saved themselves until their wedding night.”

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“It must have been some night.” “They were actually here for the whole weekend. Said they had waited three long, horny years before they finally tied the knot. The man was a virgin, and the woman was a born-again virgin.” “How can you be a born-again virgin? Once popped, it can’t be unpopped, right?” Lily tried to wrap her mind around that concept as she investigated a questionable brown smear across one of the walls. Against her better judgment, she leaned in and sniffed. Chocolate. “I don’t know, but the result looks to be a clear case of pent-up sexual frustration gone haywire.” Lily nodded. She knew a thing or two about sexual frustration, but hers wasn’t imposed due to religious beliefs or anything like that. Her two older brothers, Jason and Seth, had tormented and scared away any men who came within a five-mile radius of her. Getting involved with anyone with them around just wasn’t worth the hassle. To call them overprotective was putting it mildly. Luckily, now that they were distracted with their fiancée, Edie, Lily looked forward to having a little more breathing room. Not that it would really even matter. This might be her last summer in Liebling for a while. And summer love tended to only result in pointless flings—not relationship material. Still, she wouldn’t mind having at least a little bit of fun. Edie sighed. “Regardless, what our clients do and their reasons for doing it are really none of my business, but, I guess, when you own a B&B that caters to people’s unadulterated sexuality, people tend to over-share.” “Yeah, and over-fuck, apparently. What are the other rooms like? Are they as bad as this?” Edie chuckled. “No, but they’re getting there. The furniture we originally purchased wasn’t made for all this action. And it’s going to cost us a fortune if we keep having to replace it with more furniture that isn’t built for this type of abuse.”

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“Geez, at this rate, you’re either not going to have any furniture left or are going to go bankrupt. What are y’all going to do?” Lily thought she had seen enough. Rather than disgusting her, the havoc wreaked in the room gave her a pang of jealousy. Ethel hadn’t had a good fucking in…she couldn’t even remember. It certainly hadn’t been the kind of sex that broke beds, either. She probably didn’t even break a sweat. Lily started toward the door, and Edie’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Funny you should ask. See, that’s why I brought you here. I know you studied design in college, and I thought it might be fun for you to help us create a line of durable furniture geared toward sex enthusiasts who have a tendency toward overzealous fucking.” At the word “design,” Lily’s stomach fluttered with excitement. “Oh?” “Yeah. And I think it’s pretty clear that you don’t want to work at Cedar Ridge forever, serving beers and fighting off handsy men all night.” “Is it that obvious?” Lily forced a laugh. She didn’t hate working at her brothers’ bar, but she did have big dreams, goals, and aspirations that had nothing to do with bartending, and, she feared, nothing to do with staying in a small town like Liebling. Edie hooked her arm in Lily’s and lead her back into the center of the room, surrounding her again on all sides with the aftermath of the love fest. “No, but I know you. You’re smart and talented, Lily. I know that Cedar Ridge is your brothers’ dream, not yours.” She gestured toward the room with an open palm. “Look at this place. It’s a mess, but I know you could create something amazing, and hopefully, we’ll never have to see a sight like this again.” Edie gazed at Lily intently. “Well? Don’t leave me hanging.” Lily laughed and threw her arms around Edie. “Of course I will. It would be an honor.” “Great! Lena will be so excited. And wait till we tell the boys you’re onboard. They’re gonna flip. I just know it.”

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“Boys? What boys?” Lily tried to sound nonchalant, to keep the sound of hunger out of her voice, but the moment she saw Edie’s eyes twinkling and her lip quirk up into a grin, Lily knew she’d failed. “Well, the two big, strong men who are going to help you build all this furniture, of course.” Edie had a strange, mischievous glint in her eye. Something seemed a bit off. “Edie, who are these men? I have this terrible feeling there’s something you’re hiding from me.” Edie cleared her throat and gripped Lily by both her shoulders. “The Stone brothers.” “What? Brock and Wes?” Lily knew they were in the middle of planning their wedding to Lena, their fiancée and Edie’s best friend. Lily couldn’t understand why they, two professionals, would stoop to helping her build stuff. “No, silly.” Edie giggled and shook her head. “Jackson and Ethan.” Lily’s skin instantly prickled with heat. She hadn’t seen the twins in years and hadn’t really spoken to them since before she was a teenager. It had been a hot summer day at the creek that separated the Chisholms from the Stones. She had sought relief in the cool water that crooked a path through the grove of oak trees. That day her fathers had died, and splashing around was the only way she could convince herself the moisture on her face wasn’t from her tears. The last people she thought she’d want to see found her there, but instead of teasing her, as was the norm, the twins had consoled her. Ethan had listened while she babbled, and Jackson had cracked a few jokes to make her laugh. It was a rare moment between the three of them, but one she never forgot. “Lily, are you okay?” Edie’s voice shook her from her thoughts, the memories she had buried long ago. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, it must be the heat or something.” It was a weak excuse considering how every building in Liebling had central

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air, and she’d spent nearly that entire day indoors. But it didn’t matter. Edie was as sweet and sensitive as they came, and she wouldn’t pry if she thought Lily didn’t feel up to it. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law did have a way of making people spill their guts if they were keeping secrets they were actually dying to share. “I know your family and the Stones have some kind of feud that I can’t even begin to understand, so if you’re not comfortable, I could get someone else. We haven’t asked them about it specifically yet, but they come here all the time to help out with odd jobs.” “No, no. It’s fine. Believe me, I don’t understand the feud, either. I just go along with it like everyone else because that’s just what we’ve been doing my whole life, and God knows how much longer before I was even born. Really, it’s nothing.” “Okay, good. I was worried you might not want to work with the twins.” “It’s not ideal, but I never back away from a challenge, and I can certainly hold my own with crass boys parading around like men.” “I think you’re being too hard on them, Lily. They just haven’t had a reason to grow up yet,” Edie said. “Besides, they’re super cute and are real sweet most of the time, especially Ethan. I think you might be surprised. You might even have fun.” Edie’s smile grew wider, something that seemed to happen when she was trying to get a favor out of someone. Lily rolled her eyes and planted her hands firmly on her hips as she shifted her weight to one leg. “I sincerely doubt that. They might look good, but they are anything but cute. You’re still relatively new in town, Edie, and believe me, the Stone twins are as deviant as they come. And arrogant, too. If you knew half the shit they got into and the girls they screwed over, I think you’d be humming a different tune. But whatever. I want nothing more than to create this line of furniture for the B&B, and if it means working with those two numskulls, then so be it.” She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders as she straightened her spine. “I’m in charge, right?”

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“Of course. As the designer you’re in charge, and the twins will work under you, doing whatever you need to turn your designs into reality.” Edie’s eyes brimmed with innocence and sincerity, but Lily still wondered if Edie had purposefully laced her words with thinly veiled lasciviousness. “What? What’s that look for?” A hint of mirth seemed to crease up the corners of her eyes. “Nothing, nothing at all.” “You seem a little tense, Lily. I don’t know what exactly is going on in that pretty little head of yours, but I think I have something that will help you relax.” Edie walked to the door and called out, “Lena, can you bring me that thing we just got in the mail? I want to give it to Lily.” “Sure, be right there,” Lena Morgan yelled from down the hall. “You’re going to love this, I promise.” Edie smiled wide and clapped her hands together. Lena appeared, palm up, holding a small, hot-pink oblong object. “We just got these in today. They come with a small velvet pouch, and we were thinking about including them in the welcome baskets we put in the rooms of our new guests. Isn’t it adorable?” Edie plucked it from Lena’s hand and twisted the base of the object, which elicited a steady buzzing sound. “A vibrator, Edie? Really?” “What? There you go, giving me a funny look again. Do you see it, Lena?” Lena giggled and snatched the vibrator from Edie, turning it off and slipping it into the little black pouch. “I don’t know if I see any funny look, but I do know that a pocket-sized vibrator can be a single girl’s best friend. Or probably any girl if her men don’t happen to be from Liebling.” Lena pressed her hand against her cheek as it started to flush. “Oh, goodness, look at me. You’d think by now I’d be used to thinking about my hunky men and all the things they can do. And here I am, still blushing like a virginal school girl.” “Tell me about it.” Edie laughed and fanned herself.

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And there it was again. That pang of jealousy Lily had felt earlier. Of course she was happy for Lena and Edie and even the oversexed newlywed couple who had destroyed the room they now stood in, but she wanted it for herself, too. She feared it would never happen as long as she stayed in Liebling if her damn brothers had anything to say about it. Edie plucked the little pleasure-giver from Lena’s hand again and pushed the pouch into Lily’s open purse. “It’s small and discreet. You can keep it in your bag at all times. Come by and hang out in one of our vacant rooms whenever you want to let off some steam or whatever.” “We don’t make a habit of finding out what goes on in these rooms, even though our satisfied customers seem to love giving their TMI testimonials.” Lena grinned. “And don’t worry. I won’t mention a word of this to your brothers,” Edie said. Lily blew a wisp of hair out of her face. “Ugh, speaking of TMI. Telling them anything about my love life is too much information. They won’t let me get away with anything.” Lily looked down at her watch. “Crap, I’m going to be late getting to the bar tonight. I better be heading out.” “All right, Lily, and remember, as long as you’re at The Sweet Spot, honey, your brothers wouldn’t dare give you any trouble. Not if I have anything to do with it.” Edie smiled and wrapped her slender arm around Lily’s waist, hugging her with sisterly affection. “And don’t worry about running the battery out on that vibrator. We’ve got plenty more where that came from.” Edie and Lena laughed as they all walked downstairs toward the front door. “And you also shouldn’t worry about Jackson or Ethan. You’re the boss, and we’ll make sure they know that once y’all start working together. It’s going to be great, Lily. I can’t wait to see what y’all come up with,” Edie called out after her as Lily ran down the porch steps and through the B&B’s little red gate.

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Lily sat in her Jeep and took a deep breath. Designing this line of furniture might be just the thing she needed to add to her portfolio to get off the waitlist at the prestigious Institute of Design in New York City, her ticket out of Liebling. It would totally be worth a summer working side by side with two unbearable Neanderthals if it meant freedom come September. And then it happened, something she never expected or, rather, had forced herself to believe wouldn’t happen. Not again. At the thought of the Stone twins, an unmistakable pool of slick moisture seeped from her pussy.

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Chapter Two Jackson Stone looked up from his work and saw walking toward him the cute little redhead who had recently joined his family, making his older brothers, Brock and Wes, the happiest he had ever seen them. “Don’t you look pretty as a picture today, Lena,” Jackson drawled. “If I were my brothers, I’d never let you out of my sight.” Lena rolled her eyes. “You know, Jackson, one of these days all your flirting is going to get you in a heap of trouble.” “Trust me,” Ethan interjected, “Jackson’s flirting has already gotten the two of us in more trouble than I’d like to remember.” “Honestly, I usually don’t remember much of it myself in the morning.” Jackson laughed and watched Ethan give Lena an apologetic shrug. God love his brother for always covering for his oftentimes immature behavior. Without Ethan’s seemingly infinite charm and sense of propriety, Jackson wouldn’t have been able to get away with half of his shenanigans. But that was the benefit of having a twin. “I have a proposition for you two to—” “Gee, I don’t think Brock or Wes would like the idea of their woman propositioning their brothers too much, Lena.” Jackson crossed his arms across his chest and furrowed his brow in a show of mock concern. “Really, Lena. I know I’m pretty irresistible but— ow!” He rubbed the spot on his arm where Lena gave him a good whack. His soon-to-be sister-in-law turned her full attention to his twin. “I don’t even know why I bother with him sometimes. Anyway, Ethan,

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as I was saying, I have something I’d like for you and your brother,” she cast Jackson an irritated glare, “to help me out with. See, the furniture at The Sweet Spot has taken quite a beating lately, literally, and Edie and I were talking earlier today and came up with a solution. “At first, we were going to ask you boys to help us patch it up, but really it just needs to be replaced. You fellas are so good with your hands,” she paused briefly and flicked her gaze at Jackson as if waiting for another of his hilarious comments and then continued, “I was hoping you could help us build some really sturdy furniture that can stand up to the abuse our clients put it through.” “Sure, Lena,” Ethan offered. “Anything to help out. What is it going to be, just beds and stuff?” “Actually, it’s going to be a little more complicated than that. We need to completely design a whole new line of furniture that can specifically meet the needs of our clientele.” She bit her bottom lip as she seemed to struggle to find the right words and sighed. “Okay, to put it bluntly, we need furniture that can withstand but also complement all the crazy fucking that goes on at the B&B.” “That sounds like a fun project, but we don’t know the first thing about designing furniture. At least, not for fucking,” Ethan said. “That’s the best part. We already have a designer, and I think it’s someone you two have a bit of history with.” Lena gave an overly exuberant smile that instantly made Jackson suspicious. He cocked an eyebrow at her as he waited. “First, let me say that she’s super talented and creative, hard working. Very fun and feisty. And sexy as hell, too. She’s the perfect package.” Lena smiled brightly again. A little too brightly. It made alarm bells go off in Jackson’s head. “All right, who is this amazing mystery woman?” “I think you three would have a great time working together, creating the ultimate in sex furniture. Wouldn’t that be great?” Lena hedged.

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“That does sound great.” Ethan stepped closer to her in a way that Jackson knew signaled his growing curiosity. “But who is it already?” Lena took in a deep breath and smiled again, showing a perfect row of pearly whites, but her lips quivered slightly as she began to speak. “It’s Lily Chisholm, Edie’s future sister-in—” “Wait, did you say Chisholm?” Ethan turned to Jackson with a look of utter disbelief on his face. Chisholms. Jackson balled his hands into hard fists and dug them into his sides, exhaling a deep, heated breath. Chisholms. On a rational level, he knew they were probably fine people, but just the mention of their name sent his hackles up a bit. Sure, the feud between the Stones and the Chisholms had simmered down plenty as of late, but it was always there in the background waiting for another opportunity to erupt. It started three generations ago when his great-grandfather, Earl Stone, and Liam Chisholm bought this property as best friends. Unable to agree on what to do with it, they split it in half at the creek. The Chisholms went into the ranching business, making money hand over fist, and the Stones turned to winemaking, struggling for years before the vineyard became a lucrative business. Through all the hardship, Liam had never offered Earl a hand and maybe Earl wouldn’t have taken it anyway, and so the feud became a permanent state of being between their two families. “Oh, come now. You can’t still be harboring any bad feelings from that feud of yours. That started so long ago. Isn’t it time to bury the hatchet?” Lena asked. Ethan and Jackson met her question with stony silence. How to make her understand that was just how it was between the Chisholms and the Stones, a rancor going back generations? “Well, can’t you at least put your feelings aside for a while? For me and the B&B?” Lena looked up at Ethan and Jackson with those big green eyes of hers, and he realized why it had been so easy for his brothers to fall so hard for her. She sure was a pushy one, though.

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“Besides, it’s just Lily. She’s adorable and so sweet. I can’t imagine her giving you guys any troub—” “Ha! Lily Chisholm as sweet and adorable? Jackson, do you remember what she was like as a kid and when we were teenagers? She was one grade-A pain in the ass and probably still is.” Ethan’s voice wavered a bit when he spoke. “True, but she ain’t a kid anymore. Now she’s more like a fine piece of ass.” Jackson laughed. She was such a skinny little thing back then, all arms and legs and gangly like a newborn giraffe. Jackson inwardly chuckled at his childhood memories of him and Ethan squabbling with her as kids playing at the creek that separated their properties. “I haven’t had a good look at that girl in years.” But that wasn’t completely true. He had caught glimpses of her around town, and she had become quite a woman. She was tall and lean with an athletic build that did nothing to take away from her femininity. Even from a distance, Jackson, like any red-blooded man worth his salt, could make out the perfect globes of her breasts, perky and high on her chest, and the heavenly curve of her ass barely contained in a pair of Daisy Dukes. Hell, she could’ve been wearing a parka, and he still would have been able to make out her trim curves. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Ethan’s cheeks puffed out before he let out a long breath between his lips, a move that Jackson instantly recognized as his twin’s nervous reaction to anxiety. But from what, he didn’t know. Sure, he, like any Stone, had a bone-deep disdain for any Chisholm kin, but then again, Jackson also didn’t care enough to get too worked up about it at the moment. Maybe Ethan didn’t like the idea of increasing their chances of running into Lily’s brothers. They’d easily rip the balls off of any man who got too close to their precious little sister. Still, even with Edie and Lena in their lives, the two families had managed to find a way to avoid one another. And, they would be working at The Sweet Spot, neutral territory. “Ethan, even your stubborn-as-a-mule brother looks open to the idea. You’re supposed to be the sensible one.” Lena looked to Jackson

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as if expecting some kind of snarky retort, but Jackson just quietly stared ahead. He really couldn’t argue with that statement. Lena chewed on her bottom lip as she patiently waited for Ethan to acquiesce. Jackson, and likely Lena as well, knew that Ethan, as the sensible one, would go along with the plan if he couldn’t think up a logical reason not to. “Don’t you want to do it to at least get a chance to annoy the hell out of a Chisholm? I could think of a million things to do to get her goat,” Jackson joked. Or get her hot bod between the sheets. “That’s not exactly the motivation I was going for,” Lena said, “but at least the outcome is what I wanted. Ethan?” She stared at him intently. “Ugh, okay, fine, Lena.” Ethan ran his hand though his hair and let out another cheek-puffing exhale. What was bothering him so much, Jackson wondered. Whatever. No matter what it was, Jackson would find out, and he knew he’d have a heck of a time getting to the bottom of whatever troubled Ethan so very much.

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Chapter Three Lily glanced at her watch. They were exactly twelve minutes late. On their first day. Those Stone bastards. She should have known they would flake on her. They were probably out late painting the town while she—like any other responsible person—went to bed as soon as she could so she would be on time her first day. She forced herself to take a deep breath and reminded herself not everyone was a punctuality freak like Jason, her oldest brother. She massaged the knot forming at the base of her neck and looked around the room, taking mental notes. They would have to triple reinforce the windows and the window trimmings so they could make some sort of cloth harness out of the curtains. The exhibitionists would be so happy. Lily shrugged. To each their own. Her hand absently reached for her hair, which she had styled into a thick braid that trailed over her left shoulder. She knew it was a nervous gesture of hers that helped calm her nerves when she felt rattled or agitated, but it always made her feel like a helpless child whenever she noticed herself doing it. She flicked her braid away and looked at her watch again. Fifteen minutes late. She turned her head as she heard the distant sound of the front gate creaking open and shut on its rusty hinges and then two sets of boots stomping up the wooden stairs leading to the B&B’s front door. Then she heard the muffled sound of Edie directing the boys up the stairs to where Lily waited. Then more stomping.

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What was it with men and their inability to tread lightly, she wondered, blowing out an irritated sigh. She momentarily chastised herself for agreeing to work with the Stone twins, clearly still as immature as ever. “Long time no see, Lily,” Jackson said coolly as he walked through the door and entered the room, which seemed to shrink impossibly as soon as his broad shoulders passed the threshold. He took up almost the entire doorway. He let out a slow whistle as he took off his cowboy hat. “My, haven’t you grown up.” His slightly wavy, dirty blond hair needed a trim, but it fit him, unruly and wild as he was. Some things never changed. His rich green gaze ran up and down her body, and Lily recognized his mental undressing of her instantly. Lily felt something flutter inside her, something barely perceptible that she pushed away, allowing her irritation to take over. She narrowed her gaze at him and put her fists on her hips, trying to ignore the look of unadulterated lust glinting in his eyes. “I can see that some people haven’t,” she snapped back. “I can’t believe I agreed to work with you Stones.” She started to turn away when she felt another presence enter the room. Ethan Stone. “Don’t count us both out,” came a deep drawl from behind Jackson. In walked in the exact replica of his brother save for one detail. Whereas Jackson had devilishly green eyes, Ethan’s were a pure, deep blue. Ethan’s indigo eyes had always fascinated her with their intensity, their seemingly infinite depth. She could always tell the two of them apart, and it wasn’t just their eye color. She didn’t know what exactly it was, but even as kids, when Mrs. Stone would dress them and comb their hair identically, she knew which brother was which. She felt the rough edges of her anger slowly chip away and smooth out with Ethan’s arrival. Ethan was as tall and broadly built as Jackson, his frame packed with the same lean muscle. Instead of

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walking into the room like he owned it, he tilted his face down but lifted his eyes to look at her, almost shyly, or perhaps he was being coy. She could never tell with him. “Oh?” Lily managed to say, though her voice sounded strained, and her throat felt parched. “Sure, Lily. Maybe some of us have matured a bit these past years.” Ethan cleared his throat, and Lily thought she saw him quickly glance down toward his crotch, where her eyes followed. A barely noticeable bulge rose beneath the denim or maybe she just imagined it. Again, she couldn’t know for sure whether any of that was intentional. With Ethan, she just never knew. Her cheeks warmed, and she hoped they wouldn’t turn that telltale shade of crimson that always gave away her embarrassment. No such luck. “I do declare, is that a blush blossoming on your cheeks, Miss Lily Chisholm?” Jackson drawled in an exaggerated Southern accent. “I think I know what that means. Something’s got you all hot and bothered. Let’s see how hot you really are.” He stalked toward her and reached his hand to touch her cheek. Lily stopped breathing for a moment before she quickly regained her composure and slapped his hand away. “Keep your damn dirty mitts off of me.” Lily took a couple steps back to create the breathing room she needed and that Jackson clearly wanted to invade. “Don’t flatter yourself, sugar.” Jackson smirked, crossing his big arms over his hard chest, the planes of his muscles visible underneath the thin cotton of the T-shirt he wore. Her anger made it easy to forget how good he looked in that Tshirt. She wouldn’t mind ripping it off his body, but only so she could shove it down his throat, she tried to convince herself. Before she could say something snappy back, Ethan stepped between the two of them.

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“Hey, guys, we’re here to do a job.” He pointed to the battered furniture strewn around the room. “Remember?” His voice had a forceful edge, an urgency that Lily hadn’t heard before. It intrigued her. **** Ethan breathed a sigh of relief when he successfully diffused the tension growing in the room, a tension that threatened to make his cock grow right out of his pants. Some things never changed. Jackson and Lily still bickered the way they had when they were kids. And the soft spot he had for Lily seemed just as strong today as it had been the first time he saw her. She’d been eight and he’d been ten, standing across the creek from each other, the sun turning the loose tendrils of her hair into spun copper. Her fiery anger always seemed to inspire an urge to wrap her in his arms and rock her until she settled down. But now he wanted her to first settle between his thighs and then rock her until her moans turned to screams of womanly pleasure. He’d carried a torch for her for what felt like his whole life and nobody, not even Jackson, knew. He wondered if, after all these years, perhaps she could finally feel the same way. Not that it mattered. Getting involved with Lily Chisholm might as well be a death sentence considering what her older brothers would do to the unlucky bastards who fell in love with her. Then again, maybe it would be worth it to die a happy man to just once see what it felt like to hold her in his arms as they fell asleep after hours of lovemaking. He’d give anything to see what that little vixen could do with her tantalizing body. “You’re absolutely right,” Lily said. Ethan thought he’d choke on his own spit. Since when did Lily become a mind reader? “What?” Ethan managed to say.

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“We’re here to do a job, and it’s time to focus.” Her face grew stern, and she turned away, bending down to examine an ottoman that had its legs broken and cushion all misshapen from God knows what kind of carnal activities. As she squatted, the back of her jeans slid down, revealing two adorable lower back dimples resting contentedly above a camouflage-print thong. “Looks like I’ll have plenty to focus on,” Jackson said under his breath. Ethan glared at him and rolled his eyes. “So I hear you’ve got some fancy designs for us to put together that will sweeten The Sweet Spot even more.” God, that sounds cheesy. Ethan grimaced, grateful she hadn’t seen his expression. “I don’t know about fancy, but I think they’ll do the trick,” Lily said over her shoulder. Ethan walked around the furniture and bent down to face her. He almost couldn’t look her in the eye. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her, to know that someone so unattainable stood so close. She had pulled her hair into a braid, and tucked into the ropes of her hair was a pencil. He wondered if she even remembered she’d stuck it there. The front part fell in wavy wisps that framed her face. It was how she’d worn it as a child, but now there was something innately sensual about the way it danced around her graceful cheekbones and over her full, pouty lips. Her white tank top gripped every inch of her pert upper body, clinging to her breasts and tummy. Her low-slung jeans hugged her lightly rounded hips like a second skin. She’d certainly grown into her lankiness, now tall and lean, almost gazelle-like. Except for one thing. Gazelles didn’t have a pair of amazingly supple-looking breasts, full and heavy and utterly delectable. He briefly imagined palming them in his hands, savoring their tenderness in his mouth. “So what do you have in mind?” Ethan asked. “Well, I was thinking about what the B&B’s clients’ needs are, and it’s really pretty simple,” Lily began. She cleared her throat before continuing. “They come here to, well…come, and they need

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furniture that can withstand whatever kind of fucking they want to do. As you can see here,” she gestured toward the ottoman and the other pieces of abused furniture in the room, “what they have now isn’t working.” Lily stood and began pacing the room. “I have plenty of ideas working around in my head, but I figured we could just brainstorm today and decide what materials we need first. Then, first thing tomorrow we can get started.” Lily pulled out her camera and took a few pictures of the room. “I was thinking we should have a few universal pieces, like the sex swing and the love rocker, but it would be great to customize each room.” Lily grabbed a notebook from her purse and pulled the pencil out of her hair. She flipped to a fresh page and furrowed her brow in thought. Ethan would have done anything to kiss that little furrow. “Customize how?” “We could do themes that make for easy role playing, like make it look all retro fifties housewife for those with repressed sexuality and a need for order or perhaps a dungeon for the hardcore BDSM folks. For every princess who wants to be treated like a queen, we could do a medieval or maybe even a Victorian-era suite. I think that would be fun.” “You know what I think would be fun?” Jackson went to the massive armoire in the corner of the room and opened its doors. He reached in and fumbled around for a moment before turning, holding a handful of sex toys. “We should figure out what all this kinky stuff does, you know, research.” Ethan smiled, but then he pulled his face into a stern expression. Even though he knew this was his brother’s way of teasing Lily, it actually wasn’t a bad idea. “I think Jackson’s right. I honestly don’t know what half this stuff does.” He and Jackson were more old fashioned when it came to fucking, and his brother had always insisted no woman needed anything besides his cock to feel satisfied. He reached to the pile that Jackson had emptied onto the floor and

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pulled up a short metal chain with a clip on either end. “Like this. It looks more like an office supply item than anything.” He looked to Lily, who took it from his hands with a saucy smile playing on her lips. Surely, an innocent lamb like Lily wouldn’t have a clue what these were for. “This is a classic clover nipple clamp, boys.” I guess she’s not that innocent after all. “How do you know that?” Jackson asked, clearly thinking the same thing as Ethan. Lily shrugged and smiled. “Contrary to what you might think, I’m pretty experienced, fellas.” “Wait, you’re friends with Brooke, right? And she owns that what’s-it-called sex toy shop. The Pink Peony. That’s what it is. I bet that’s how you know about all this stuff.” Jackson looked triumphant. “So you’re not so experienced after all.” He used air quotes when repeating Lily’s own words. Lily scoffed. “I don’t need Brooke to tell me everything. And besides, weren’t you curious about this nipple clamp and how it works?” She spoke seductively in a way that made Ethan intrigued yet suspicious all at once. “You wanna test it out or something?” Jackson clearly wasn’t suspicious in the least. Ethan knew his brother thought all women were sincerely into him. She held the clips in front of each of her breasts and demonstrated what their general placement would be on a person’s body. “See, the chain is just long enough to stretch from one nipple to the other and the clamps tighten when the chain gets tugged.” Ethan couldn’t help but stare at her nipples, barely perceptible beneath the ribs of her tank top. “That sounds painful. Why would anyone want to do that?” Jackson asked. “Nipples are wonderful things. Why would you want to hurt them?” Jackson frowned as if the idea of nipple abuse broke his heart.

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Lily stalked toward him with the clamps in her slender hands. “Some people like a little bit of pain.” She pressed into his body closely as she spoke. “Anywhere they can get it.” She took a step back as if to gauge how her words and actions had affected him. Jackson’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, his eyes darting from Lily’s face to her breasts to the clamps and back again. Ethan could see Jackson’s growing bulge, and a pang of jealousy ripped through him. He wanted to be the one to have had Lily pressed against him. “You want to have a try, Jackson?” Lily asked breathily, taking another step back to hold the clamps up to Jackson’s chest. Ethan could see Jackson’s nipples harden under his shirt as his mouth dropped open. For the first time in his life, Jackson looked to be speechless. Ethan was impressed. That never happened. Jackson shook his head no, then yes, then no again. He was completely under her spell. “I’ll take that as a yes.” In one smooth motion, Lily opened the clamps and snapped them over Jackson’s nipples. He immediately jerked away and quickly ripped them off, a spontaneous move that elicited a pained howl. The look of surprise on Jackson’s face was priceless. Ethan’s momentary jealousy quickly evaporated. Peals of laughter came from Lily’s mouth like golden bells. Ethan laughed too. It was a rare occasion for someone to get one over on Jackson. “What the fuck, woman?” Jackson threw the clamps to the ground and rubbed his chest with the palms of his hands. “That hurt!” After taking a few breaths, Lily wiped the tears from her eyes and managed to compose herself enough to pin Jackson with a glare. “I told you pulling the chain would make the clamps tighter. Anyway, that’s what you get for being late.” “But Ethan was late, too. Why aren’t you clamping his damn nipples, you she devil?” Jackson also had tears in his eyes, but for an entirely different reason.

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“Oh, don’t worry, Jackson. I’ll think of some way to punish him later.” Lily continued to glare, but a hint of a smile played around the corners of her mouth. Ethan couldn’t tell whether they were still joking around, and his laughter quickly faded away. He made a mental note to watch out for Lily’s knee in his balls just in case. Lily picked up another strange device constructed of metal. It looked like an oblong finger-shaped basket with a small padlock attached to a ring about the size of a… “Oh, hell, no. Don’t even think about it.” Ethan shook his head and immediately grabbed the device from her hands and returned it to the armoire, pushing it all the way to the back. “Not interested in putting your stuff in a cock cage?” Lily smirked, placing her hands on her perfectly rounded hips. “No way anything like that is gonna go near my cock. My cock is like a wild animal, like a…like an actual cock-a-doodle-doo cock.” Ethan tucked his hands into his armpits and flapped his elbows like a chicken. “It’s meant to be free, free to roam its roost as it pleases.” “But even roosters are put in a coop, controlled,” Lily countered smugly. “Not like that, they don’t. At least not one that small. It’s inhumane. If you want to put my cock in a cage it’s got to be,” Ethan paused and looked at his crotch with a smile, “at least three times bigger. Maybe four.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.” She turned on her heels and picked her notebook up from the floor. “Enough horseplay. We’ve got a ton of work ahead of us, and I’m sure there will be plenty of time in the future to get better acquainted with all these toys. Hopefully, I won’t have a need to demonstrate the more confining ones in the future.” Jackson held his hands up. “Whatever you want. Just don’t ever come near me with those things again.”

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“Yeah, whatever you want, Lily. Your wish is our command.” Ethan tried to sound casual and professional, but in his heart of hearts he knew his words meant much more. That’s any wish, Lily. Any. **** “She’s certainly become quite the ball buster.” Jackson rubbed his nipples again, remembering the trauma they were just put through about an hour before. He had waited until he heard the gravel crunch under her tires before he spoke to ensure that she was long gone. He shook his head in disbelief as he and his brother made their way to the kitchen. “I’ll say. I’ve never seen you speechless before. Has Jackson finally met his match?” Ethan laughed as he folded the list of supplies and basic mock-ups for the furniture and placed it in his pocket. Lily had decided they would first begin constructing the simpler pieces, like tables and chairs, to replace the broken ones while she drew more detailed designs for the bigger furniture. “Well, you should enjoy it now while you can, ’cause I can guarantee you that won’t be happening again.” He grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge and remembered to pour it into a glass, something he had forgotten to do the last time he was at The Sweet Spot. The horror on Lena’s face after watching him drink from the carton would have been priceless, but the tongue-lashing he received afterward took all the fun out of it. Ethan also poured himself a glass of juice, but he remembered to return the carton back to its appropriate spot on the fridge door that Lena had reserved for beverages. “Somehow, seeing what a firecracker she’s become makes me doubt that either one of us could tame her.” Jackson chuckled as he took a swig of juice. “I sure would like to try, though.” He could just picture her spread out before him, tied up

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to one of the funny contraptions they’d be building. And he’d make sure to build it good and strong so it could withstand the pounding he hoped to deliver to Lily’s fine ass. And, boy, would she scream for him. He could almost hear it now. Oh, Jackson, Jackson, yes, more, harder, yes, Jackson! “Jackson! Stop it.” His twin glared at him from across the kitchen island. “What?” He tried his damnedest to look innocent, though he knew it’d be futile. Ethan seemed to know his thoughts even before he knew them himself. “I know how your damn mind works, and I won’t stand for it, not with Lily.” “Oh? And why is that? You have feelings for the Chisholm girl?” “No, of course not. It’s just not right for you to objectify her in that way if we’ll be working together professionally.” Jackson laughed so hard he almost choked mid-swallow. “Is that the best excuse you can think of? You can’t fool me, brother. And you know what?” “What?” “I think you’ve had it bad for this girl since we were kids.” “That’s ridiculous. You’re such an idiot sometimes.” “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” **** Lily dropped her bag on a chair in the corner of the room, pulled out her sketches, and repeated her ritual from the day before—she looked at her watch impatiently and wondered how late the twins would be when they finally showed up. She had stayed up all night researching various types of sex furniture already available and thinking up ways to mimic and improve on them. With rough sketches in place, she then worked on figuring out the exact measurements required.

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She completed the final sketch at three in the morning—way past her bedtime—and had wearily thrown herself into bed only to climb back out four hours later. The hot cup of fair-trade, organic coffee in her hand, courtesy of Edie, did little to wake her up. But what did wake her up was the anger she felt simmering just beneath the surface as each minute went by. That got her blood rushing and her adrenaline pumping through her body, revving her up for a fight. Or maybe it was cortisol from stress. Or, if she were being completely honest with herself, this wave of emotion might actually be from sexual frustration. Even though she could convince herself she didn’t and would never have feelings for the Stone twins, convincing her throbbing pussy was another thing altogether. She couldn’t believe she had been stupid enough to think working with them would be anything but a horrible idea. She still had time to back out now and avoid what she feared was a catastrophe waiting to happen. She didn’t know exactly what it was about Jackson and Ethan, but something about those two agitated her in a way no one else could. And it had always been that way it seemed, ever since she was a little girl. Her brothers, even as children themselves, had told her to stay away from the Stones and the creek that separated their properties, but that was before they realized telling her not to do something would only get the opposite result. She had managed to get out from her brothers’ watchful eyes one day when she was eight and had headed straight for that meandering brook, enticed by that which was forbidden. She had realized with disappointment that no one else was there and she wouldn’t be getting the good look at the monsters known as the Stone family she’d gone down there for. So she had traipsed to the water’s edge, kicked off her glittery yellow jelly shoes, and stuck her tiny toe in. Even now, nearly fifteen later, she could remember the moment vividly. Despite it being the middle of summer, the water had been cool and, combined with the shade from the canopy of oak trees

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above her, made the oppressive Texas heat bearable. One toe in the water then became a foot and then two so that she had stood up to her shins in water. Little guppies had swum past her, their minute scales glimmering in the dappled light. The whole experience had enchanted her with its lazy summer magic and made her bold. She took a few more steps toward the center of the creek, the water becoming deeper as she went. The water had swirled almost to her waist, and she just stood there, not caring in the least that her dress had become soaked in the process. For the first time in her young life, she had felt like she had something, someplace magical of her own, that could belong all to her. The moment had been short lived, though. The crackle of snapping twigs caught her attention, and her gaze quickly lifted to the sound’s source. Two identical boys with matching mops of curly blond hair stood, watching her curiously, in mid-stride. They’d had the innocent, unruly curls that only children had, and with the sun shining behind them, they’d looked like haloed angels. She hadn’t wanted to believe that these were the monsters her brothers had warned her about when she finally stood close enough to really look at them. They were simply too beautiful. Well, she’d learned quickly that looks were deceiving. She didn’t know whether it was the swift movement from looking up or just the shock of having her peaceful moment of solitude taken away just as quickly as it had come, but Lily lost her footing. She had fallen on her bottom, up to her shoulders in water, her dress and hands smeared with slimy green algae that had covered the smooth stones beneath her. She’d felt shocked and mortified. She’d looked to the boys, but for what she didn’t know. Perhaps she’d expected them to swoop down like the angels she’d thought they would were, but that sure as hell didn’t happen.

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Instead, one had laughed and called her names. And while the other one hadn’t necessarily descended gracefully to her aid, more like stumbled awkwardly, he had tried to help her. Lily often replayed this memory in her head, though everyone aged year after year until one day her memory was of three adults, and it just wasn’t fun anymore. She held her furniture designs in front of her, alternating between longingly looking at them and the door. She knew getting mixed up with Jackson and Ethan would be more trouble than it was worth, but her desire to see the blueprints in front of her come to fruition was simply too powerful for her to turn back now. Besides, who’d turn down the opportunity to watch two virile men pounding away, building something with their strong hands, their bulging muscles dripping with sweat from the exertion and hard work…Good grief. She gasped as a hand on her back rudely pulled her out of her thoughts. She could tell instantly it was Ethan behind her from his spicy, musky scent permeating the air. “A bit jumpy this morning?” Jackson said from the doorway. “I bet you’re just happy to see us.” “Just ignore him,” Ethan murmured as he placed a crooked finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “Are you all right? I didn’t mean to catch you off guard like that.” “No, I’m fine. I just didn’t notice you coming up, that’s all.” “Yeah, we parked in the back. Had to bring in some cases of wine so we came in through the back door, straight to the kitchen.” “Ah.” She wanted desperately to shake off his warm hands, which he had gently rested on her shoulders, or to look away, but she simply couldn’t. She just stared, as if mesmerized, into his deep blue eyes. The heat from his contact radiated straight down her body to her core until her belly tightened in anticipation. But what was she readying herself for?

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The slick liquid lubricating her pussy told her exactly what. Her breath caught in her throat, and her mouth felt like sandpaper. She tried licking her lips, but it didn’t help, and the action made her painfully aware of her body and whether her signals of want were as obvious to Ethan and Jackson as they were to her. She prayed they weren’t because her body was betraying her. She sucked in a breath and twisted out of Ethan’s grip. “You guys are late again. It’s twice in a row and completely unacceptable.” “I’m sorry, Lily,” Ethan started, looking truly apologetic. “It’s just that, uh…” “My dog ate my homework,” Jackson supplied. Ethan rolled his eyes, which made Lily smile inside. “Very funny, but I don’t want to hear your excuses. If we’re going to make this work and meet our deadline—” “What deadline? Lena and Edie never said anything about a deadline.” “Well, we have to get this done before summer ends, because I’m probably lea—” Lily caught herself. She couldn’t explain why she felt compelled to keep her plans to leave Liebling a secret from them or anybody else. Perhaps, she told herself, she just couldn’t bear to say the words out loud because it would mean openly acknowledging that her time there was almost up. Ethan eyed her suspiciously and walked back toward her. “Have to what, Lily?” “Lead. We have to finish this furniture before I have to lead a fall tour of Liebling for tourists.” “What?” “Never mind. It might not happen.” As the last four words left her mouth, Lily realized how close to the truth they could be. Maybe she wouldn’t be moved from the waitlist, and she’d have to think up some other way to get her dream off the ground. She cleared her throat and made a beeline for the broken end table. “We should probably start by

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clearing out all the debris and consolidating it into one pile,” she said, changing the subject. Ethan nodded and quickly started grabbing hunks of demolished furniture. Jackson, moving a little more sluggishly, picked up a splintered piece of antique end table and promptly dropped it. “Damn it.” Jackson held his thumb to his mouth. “Something pricked me, a splinter or nail or something.” “You might want to tell Brock and get a tetanus booster or something,” Ethan suggested. “Or you might try growing a pair and helping us move all this crap instead of standing around whining and sucking your thumb.” Lily tried not to look too smug, but that was a pretty good retort, if she did say so herself. Jackson scowled. “All right, fine. If you think you’re so damn tough, then why don’t you move it all yourself?” Jackson walked over to the high-backed chair and picked up her purse. He let it drop to the ground as he sat. Her blood froze when a low buzzing sound came from her bag. “Hey, Lily, I think your phone is on vibrate.” Jackson reached down and peeked inside her purse before rummaging around. “I’ve never understood how you women find anything in these big ole things.” He moved the bag to his lap. “Wait, Jackson, don’t.” Lily dropped her side of the dresser she and Ethan had started moving, but she couldn’t move fast enough. She distantly heard the sound of the dresser’s wooden legs breaking and a low groan coming from Ethan, but the noise that shut out all others was that damn buzzing, which grew louder and louder by the second. She dove for the bag and, as if in slow motion, she watched in abject horror as Jackson finally located the source of the buzzing, a curious look on his face. He pulled out a velvet pouch. “What the—” Jackson extracted the vibrator, and Lily swore she could pinpoint the precise moment his brain registered what he held. “No way!”

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At that moment, Lily completed her dive and landed around Jackson’s legs, scrambling to get the vibrator out of his meaty paws. His hand reared back high over his head as he laughed and used his other hand to hold her at bay. The look of sheer delight on his face made Lily want to throw up. “It’s not what you’re thinking. Let it go!” “Hold on there, sweetheart. If I had known you were so hard up, I would’ve volunteered my services, no questions asked.” Jackson stood, shoving her to the floor, still holding the toy over his head. “I could even use this on you, if that’s what you’re into.” “Damn it, Jackson! You’re such an ass, you know that?” Lily jumped, straining to reach the unreachable, realizing her breasts bounced against his firm chest each time she grabbed for the vibrator. “Oh, you want this bad, huh? Now I see what you mean about doing everything yourself.” “Come on, you two, cut it out,” Ethan said as he walked toward them. “Fuck you, Jackson!” Lily tried to knee him in the balls, but instead of making contact with his family jewels, she met the palm of his big hand. He shifted and wrapped his arm under the crook of her knee, holding her firmly against him while she stood on one leg, her pelvis pressed into him. Lily grabbed Jackson’s biceps to keep from falling, and her breath caught when her fingers gripped solid muscle. As she wobbled on one leg, she could feel the crotch of her jeans digging into her cunt, rubbing roughly against the thin material of her panties. The friction caused moisture to seep from between her pussy lips. She tried to convince herself it was simply from the physical reaction, not from how strong and powerful Jackson’s grip was or the smell of his musk wrapping around her, infiltrating her senses, or the raspy sound of his Texas drawl and heated breath in her ear. She’d rather eat a hot cow patty than fornicate with this jackass. Still, she

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couldn’t help but lick her lips as she looked into his fiery green eyes, taunting her with an irresistible twinkle of mischief. “Tsk, tsk. Lily Rose Chisholm, didn’t your mama ever teach you any manners? How are you ever gonna get a cock in that little pussy of yours if you keep attacking them? It’s no wonder you need one of these.” Jackson waved the vibrator above her. The devilish grin on his face drove her crazy, but only because it forced her to look at his mouth, that sensual mouth. When she was a teenager, she’d dreamed of kissing that mouth. For the first time in a while, she found herself not wanting to punch him. She tried to push herself away, but he held her so tightly against him that the harder her arms pushed back the stronger the force of her pelvis against his became. “How dare you, Jackson! Let me go before you’re really sorry.” “And what are you gonna do? I already have you by one leg.” “Come on, Jackson. Let her go,” Ethan said. “You’re being an idiot.” “Yeah, listen to your brother, Jackson,” Lily bit out through gritted teeth. “Stop being an idiot and let me go!” “Okay, as you wish.” Jackson released her leg, throwing Lily off balance, and she fell to the ground right on her ass. He dropped the vibrator in her lap and kneeled, yet still managed to look down his nose at her. “Let me know when you’ll be needing my services, honey.” He turned and headed to the door. “Not if you were the last man alive, Jackson Stone,” she yelled at his back. To her surprise, he stopped and turned around. “You know I was talking about woodwork, right? No?” Jackson shook his head at her. “Who knew Lily Chisholm had such a dirty mind? I’m sure Ethan is pleased to hear that, though.” He laughed as he made his final exit out of the room. “What was that supposed to mean?” She looked to Ethan for a clue, but, brows knitted, he promptly turned away from her, taking an inordinate amount of interest in clearing out the broken furniture.

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“You know Jackson, always spewing out nonsense. Let’s get back to work, huh?” Lily nodded, but when she stood, still holding the vibrator in her hand, she suddenly didn’t feel like being in the room anymore. Tossing the vibrator in the pile of rubble, she grabbed her purse. “I need some air.” **** There were times when Lily wished she was a girly-girl. This was definitely one of them. If she were a girly-girl, then she would just call up her best friend, Brooke, and gab the afternoon away, regaling her with stories about Jackson and Ethan and their ridiculous sense of what “personal space” meant. Christ, just thinking about it gave her a raging headache, and that did not factor in the oppressive summer heat that made her clothing stick to her in awkward places. Retail therapy. That was what she needed. That was what women who wore pink ruffles did, right? Either way, she needed to do something about the frustration building inside her. She had heard Edie talking to Lena about needing more soap in one of the bathrooms upstairs at The Sweet Spot, so Lily decided she would stop at Beth’s Bubbles first. Lily sped through town in her Jeep at forty miles an hour—an extremely ticket-worthy offense—and turned into a parking spot so quickly her tires screeched in protest. Slamming on the brakes felt good. Maybe she needed to take up a new hobby, like kickboxing. Something that involved less talking and more slapping that arrogant grin off Jackson’s face. Oh, that man! Lily resisted the urge to tear her hair out.

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Oh, no. No, no, no. She was not going there ever again. She had made the mistake once of falling for their fallen angel good looks and their I’m-sexy-and-you-know-it attitudes. But then images of Jackson’s cocky smile and Ethan’s shy grin assaulted her, and her heart fluttered in her chest. She wanted to bang her forehead into the steering wheel. How could she be so stupid? She should have learned her lesson on that hot summer night all those years ago. She had started hating them that night, and she had not stopped since. They had not exchanged words, not even a polite greeting, since. In fact, she had gone out of her way to make sure she never saw them, and her brothers had made doubly sure of that as the years went by. Jason and Seth had always had a few issues with Jackson and Ethan, namely because they were the boys her brothers knew she had a crush on, but also because of the pranks Jackson and Ethan had constantly played on the unsuspecting citizens of their sweet, sleepy town. If there was a tipped cow, a tee-peed front lawn, or a car with slashed tires sitting in the principal’s parking spot at the high school, chances were Jackson and Ethan were behind it. Well, Jackson, really. Ethan was always sucked into his twin’s evil schemes and left cleaning them up, too. Lily fumbled with her seat belt and threw it off her shoulder with such force that the buckle clanged against the window. “Damn it!” Grumbling, she scrambled out of her Jeep and slammed the door behind her. The sun might have been shining, but she was as crabby as the time she’d gotten caught in a thunderstorm in downtown Austin in her high heels. The click-stomp, click-stomp of her boots over the wooden boardwalk punctuated her angry steps, but she started to calm down once the scent of lavender, lemon, and vanilla greeted her at the entrance of Beth’s Bubbles.

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Lily breathed in deeply and sighed. This was the only soap store that did not overwhelm her sense of smell. Other stores overdid it in the perfume area, and it always gave her a headache. But Beth’s Bubbles smelled clean, the way soap should smell, the way Jackson and Ethan smelled. Although, she had to admit there was a distinctive spice and man-musk scent they both had that— Stop it! In order to distract herself, Lily started picking up little packages of plastic-wrapped glycerin soaps and smelled each one, trying desperately to think of what Edie would like rather than which scents would smell best on Jackson and Ethan’s heated skin. To no avail, of course. It made her so angry that she could not run a basic errand for her future sister-in-law without thinking of her first childhood crushes or the men they had grown into. Lily decided on the lavender soap for Edie, thinking about the potted lavender bush on the front porch of The Sweet Spot, and hastily paid for her purchase. Aidan, Beth’s younger brother, manned the cash register. He was handsome in his own way with his goldenboy surfer looks, but she preferred a little mischief in her men to spice things up. Of all the young men in Liebling, Aidan had to be the smartest. After all, he turned working in a girly store into daily opportunities to pick up a few girls and take them to lunch…and dinner on most occasions. He even tried to work his dimples on her, but she was not going to have any of it. There were already enough complications in her life stemming from the men in it. She did not want her brothers firing Aidan for being cute with her. Leaving the store, Lily had just waved to Beth, whose blonde curls bounced when she waved back, when she felt a massive hand on the small of her back. Enraged, she whipped around. “Hey! Do you mind—” “Pardon me, miss, but do you know where I can get a good beer around here?” The man was huge, and he was leering at her. He towered over her, and though he was middle-aged, his body was hard

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with angular muscle rather than soft and doughy flesh. And he wore leather everywhere—his vest, his chaps, his oversized combat boots. His face was leathery from too many hours spent in the sun, and his oversized helmet dangled from his thick fingers. Lily stepped back and looked up and up at him. “Well, there’s—” Cedar Ridge. She stopped herself before she actually said it. There was no way in hell she would tell him where her family-owned business was, especially not when she worked late and walked to her car alone. Like Fredericksburg and Wimberley, Liebling was always packed with weekend tourists looking for a good place to eat dessert or a good place to pick wildflowers, so Lily was used to directing them to her personal favorites. This guy, though, made her radar scream. And if there was anything her oldest brother, Jason, had taught her, it was never to ignore that instinct. “You know, I think there’s a gas station down the road. They usually keep the beer about one degree above freezing.” “Well, honey, me and the boys,” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder, “wanna go someplace nice where cute little server girls like yourself bring us some pitchers.” She bristled at being called “honey,” but his overall tone ruffled her feathers. This man obviously did not respect women in the least, which made her dislike him even more. She peeked past his frame and saw a whole line of dusty, leathered-up men kicking up the stands on their bikes and came to the same conclusion. They were trouble, the whole lot of them. “Well, I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t think of anywhere around here that does that. Small town conservatism and all that.” He stepped closer, and a trickle of sweat ran down her back that had nothing to do with the Texas heat. “You wouldn’t happen to be lying to me, now, would you?” She sputtered, terrified now. “Why would I do that?” “’Cause pretty women like you lie all the time.” His gaze skimmed down her entire body, from the top of her head to her

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brown-and-turquoise cowgirl boots. “Or maybe you’re playing hard to get.” “I can assure you that I don’t play those kinds of games. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.” She tried to step past him, but he would not budge. “You’ve got some fight to you. I like it when a woman is spicy.” Scared and infuriated, Lily fought back. “Spicy is something used to describe a chicken sandwich, not women. Please let me by.” He laughed like she had not just insulted him then lifted a finger to trail down her arm. There was dirt under his fingernail. “I always remember a pretty face. And I’ll make sure to see you again.” He turned away from her and walked, slow and easy, toward his bike. Lily trembled with revulsion and the knowledge that someone as big as he could have overpowered her before she could even try to defend herself. Where were her brothers when she really needed them? She glanced around the historic downtown district of the town she grew up in, but it did not feel right to her. No matter how brightly the sun shined or how many smiles and “Hey, Lily” calls that floated across the street, nothing could take away the fear that settled in her veins like ice. For she had a terrible feeling that man would make good on his promise.

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Chapter Four Jackson stared at the ottoman they were trying to rebuild. He and Ethan wanted to do it in a more traditional way, but Lily was adamant about everything matching the plans she had already drafted. She even started talking about fabrics as if he and Ethan knew what she was talking about. Best to smile and nod with that woman. He liked his nipples where they were, thank you very much. Still, for all her bluster and I-am-Chisholm-hear-me-roar, Lily was pretty damn cute. Well, as cute as a woman could be if she knew how to deliver a fast knee to the groin. Her brothers had taught her well. Jackson would give them that. But they also made her uptight, a stickler for all the rules, and punctual. What in the hell kind of a decent woman ran on time, for crying out loud? Jackson had always appreciated all the cutesy little games women played. He liked how they ran late on purpose on date nights, how they pretended not to eat a full meal in front of a man, and how they always made sure to use perfumed shampoo when they were going someplace nice. But his favorite thing, if he had to choose, was the way those push-ups bras worked. Damn. He always remembered a nice pair, but lately, his memories congealed into this odd mix of flesh and breasts and overly styled hair that left too-sweet scents in the sheets. What he could not, for the life of him, do was get the image of Lily blushing out of his head. It had plagued him ever since what he liked to call the “vibrator incident,” and now he could not stop thinking about the way her cheeks warmed to the prettiest shade of pink he ever did see. That was the damn problem. Everything about

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her was the most memorable thing he’d ever come across. When they were kids and they did not let her into their boys-only tree house, she threw the most memorable temper tantrum. Not even when he and Ethan called it quits with their lady friends over the years had he ever seen a female throw such a fit. He still remembered Lily’s face and the way it had scrunched up when she screamed at them. He even remembered the pigtail braids she wore when she was twelve because he pulled on them in the school hallways. But that embarrassed blush? Hot damn. Now that was some special stuff right there. It made him wonder what color her cheeks would flush when he slid his hand under the elastic of her panties. He shifted around in his jeans, trying to get comfortable. Surely, he had gotten this many spontaneous hard-ons sometime in his callow youth, right? He had to have. This was getting ridiculous. He came home with blue balls every night, and all the cold showers he took every morning before work and every evening after could not wash away the memory of her scent. She smelled so fresh, not all flowery and sickly sweet. Her scent was as intimate as a secret. He could only catch a whiff of it whenever he stood close enough to touch her, and even then he could barely smell her. He had to lean in really close to get a noseful of her, and she still managed to give him a scented reminder of her for when he got home. It figured Lily Chisholm would be so subtly stubborn. And sweet. There were times when she brushed loose tendrils of hair out of her eyes with her wrist and she looked like she was eighteen and virginal all over again. Huh. Maybe that was the entire reason he could not get that damn vibrator image out of his head. It had caught him off guard. Lily Chisholm never, ever showed any emotions other than bored, annoyed, and pissed the fuck off. At least not around them. Sure, he saw her and her friends around town having a good time, and she especially seemed to love Lena and Edie. Lily’s smile brightened up her face, and he did not think she realized how many people stopped and stared whenever she did. In fact, Jackson did not think she even

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knew how beautiful she was. She did not realize she oozed earthy sexuality out of her pores. It practically dripped off her. Ethan sidled up to him then put his hands on his hips. “So, that chaise is pretty interesting, huh?” “What?” That got him a sideways glance. “You’ve been standing there with the hammer in your hand for the past five minutes. And I can see the hamster spinning on its wheel in your brain.” Well, hell. Jackson shrugged. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I was just thinking about Lily’s designs and how I don’t know if they’ll be able to withstand the monkey fucking that’s going to be done on them.” “Yeah.” Ethan scratched the back of his neck. “She likes things to be so—” “Girly?” Jackson supplied. “And prissy.” “I was thinking that, too. It’s funny because she’s not really like that.” Ethan grunted. “Lily Chisholm isn’t some delicate flower, that’s for damn sure.” “You’re tellin’ me. My ass has been hauling all this stuff around for her, hammering, lifting, measuring. Fucking hell. I swear, if this hadn’t been a personal favor to Lena, I would have stopped putting up with Lily’s bossy ass a long time ago.” “Whatever, Jackson. I see you checking that ass out all the time.” “Fuck you, Ethan.” Jackson turned and faced his brother. “You’re calling the pot black.” “Kettle.” “Same difference. You’re checking her out as much as I am, if not more. Wipe the drool off your own damn chin before you accuse me of lusting after her like she’s the first girl who blew me.” Ethan scratched his chin. “Who was it, anyway?”

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Jackson shrugged. “Hell if I remember. Help me out with this, will you? Together, they picked up the ottoman and moved it to the opposite wall, per Lily’s suggestions. They looked at it, and Jackson put his hands on his hips and sighed. “I don’t know what that woman wants.” And it was usually so easy for him to figure out what the ladies wanted. He and Ethan even pretended to like cuddling after the sex. If that wasn’t a testament to how much they knew about women, he did not know what was. Ethan glanced at his watch. “Well, she should still be working over at Cedar Ridge. Let’s go run by and see because I really don’t want to put up with another of her tantrums at the crack of dawn.” “Sounds like a plan to me as long as you drive.” They made their way down to the truck and hopped in. “I don’t know how she makes any money over at Cedar Ridge,” Jackson said over the sound of slamming doors. Ethan turned the ignition and pulled away from the curb. “What do you mean?” “I dunno. I mean, do you think she has regulars?” The truck swerved. “Regulars?” “Yeah. She’s pretty damn cute. I bet there’s a few guys who are masochistic enough to enjoy suffering under her wrath.” “Like who?” “I don’t know, Ethan. I’m just wondering. It’s not like she’s all sweet like what’s-her-face who works there, too.” “Oh, yeah. Becca.” “Yeah, Becca. Why can’t Lily be all sweet and charming like that?” “Lily’s got her own brand of charm.” Jackson grunted. “If you call ball busting charming.” “And what makes you think you’re so damn charming, Jackson?” “I just know.” Jackson grinned. “And the ladies seem to like it. It’s all about the results.”

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“Bullshit. If I recall correctly—and I usually do—you’ve had help.” “It’s not like I needed it, Ethan. You just tagged along and rode my victory.” “You just keep telling yourself whatever you need to hear.” They rode in silence for a few moments, and the thought that gnawed at Jackson all damn week surfaced again and made him shut his damn trap before something stupid came out of it. “Aw, hell,” Ethan grumbled, “you’re ruminating over there.” His damn twin picked up on everything. “It’s nothing. Just let it go.” “The last time you said that you almost ended up getting arrested.” “That asshole deserved it.” “True, but now you’re dodging.” Ethan pulled into Cedar Ridge’s parking lot and circled around to find a spot. They had never been there before since Stones and Chisholms really did not like each other. Finding Lily was going to be a chore. “Fine. I was just thinking about Lily.” Ethan eyed him dubiously. “What about Lily?” Jackson shrugged. “That she would be fun to conquer.” The sound of gravel crunching under the tires was his answer. Then, “Don’t even go there, Jackson.” “Why not? She’d be really fun to tame.” Ethan pulled into a spot, parked, and got out of his truck. “Nah. She’d be a pain in the ass. That’s what she’d be.” Jackson followed suit and rounded the hood, speeding up his steps to keep up with his brother. “You’re telling me you’re not up to the challenge?” That got him a cold, hard stare. “Fuck you, Jackson. I can handle any woman, and you know it.” “Bullshit. You’re pussying out.”

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“No, I’m being sensible. Do you honestly think Jason and Seth are going to do a happy dance if we pursued their baby sister?” “Who cares if the Chisholm brothers don’t like it?” Ethan stopped before they walked into Cedar Ridge and pinned Jackson with that one damn look he did not know how to interpret. “Lily cares.” Well, if that didn’t floor him. Did Lily care that much about her brothers’ approval? Damn it, of course she did. And why did he care that much? Jackson followed close on Ethan’s heels as they cut through the quickly growing crowd while they looked for Lily, shaking hands with the men they knew and brushing kisses on their lady friends’ cheeks until they finally gave up and walked up to the main bar. **** Cedar Ridge was unusually crowded, and Lily spent most of her evening scrambling around playing cocktail waitress. One of their new hires had called in sick, hence the aching ankles and lower back three hours later. She could not wait for her designing work to gain more popularity. After a few years of covering for Jason and Seth’s sometimes flaky employees, Lily wanted nothing more than to work whenever she wanted and not be tied to one of the family businesses. She did her best to smile and not snap at the overly friendly patrons, but she found it difficult, especially when hands went wandering up her thigh. It made her angry enough to want to quit this job and never come back. If not for the fact that this business could keep her entire family afloat during a rough patch at the ranch, Lily would have stopped pitching in a long time ago. She hated working late, she could not stand the way people could not control themselves when they had too much to drink, and she had no patience for wandering paws. If anything pissed her off, wandering hands did. Especially when she

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did not want any hands on her thigh, except for maybe Ethan’s and Jackson’s. Lily grimaced and wiped her hands on her black waist apron. Her mind really did not need to go there. Not when her brothers would most likely kill Jackson and Ethan with their bare hands if they realized how much she thought about them. But how could she not? She watched them, transfixed, every time they walked across the room, every time they picked something up and their back muscles rippled in such a way that made her wonder what it would feel like to cling to them as they surged heavily inside her. She knew they would be wonderful. Jackson, with all his cocksure swagger and irreverent charm, would be like a fireworks show on the Fourth of July in bed. He would be explosive and fun, and he would keep her guessing. Ethan would be different. Oh, how she loved watching Ethan move. His gait was slow, steady, and somehow languid. He moved like water, and Lily bet he made love like he had the whole night to make his woman come. Her cheeks heated, and her heart sped up. Her fingers even shook a bit. Where was this reaction coming from? Never in her life had she reacted like this when it came to some hot, ripped, tanned flesh, and it was not as if she were some prudish virgin. Damn it! She wanted to bang her forehead against a hard surface until she never woke up again. Was she really lusting after the Stone brothers? “’Scuse me, miss.” Startled, Lily spun around and took a fumbling step back as she realized how close the fully bearded stranger stood behind her. “Hi, um, can I help you?” The man offered her a yellow-toothed, black-gummed smile and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “My buddy wants to talk to you.” Lily looked in the general vicinity of where the man pointed, expecting to see a younger guy who was too shy to come talk to her himself. Instead, she caught a glimpse of the guy’s friend, and her body went rigid. It was the same man from earlier. The asshole who’d

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cornered her at the store. He had not been kidding. He really had managed to find her. She smiled through the warning bells screaming in her head. She started backing away as she spoke. “Oh, um, th–thank you for coming over here, but I really have a lot to do tonight. I’ll try to find him later.” She ducked past the man and scrambled away as gracefully as she could without running and dove behind the safety of the bar. Who the hell was that man, and what did he want from her? She had half a mind to hunt Jason and Seth down and get them to deal with this. Lily walked over to Sean, their lead bartender, stood next to him, and nudged his hip with hers. “Hey, Sean?” “What’s up?” He pulled out six glasses from the overhead rack and set them down. Lily could not help but admire the way his dark gray T-shirt hugged his chest and shoulders and the way the sleeves clung to his heavily muscled arms. His jeans rode low on his lean hips, and five o’clock scruff roughened his sharp jawline. Lily had heard more than a few flattering things about Sean from some of the girls around town, and she had a sneaky suspicion he used those sweet dimples of his to charm them. “Don’t look now, but do you see that cluster of leather over there?” She tilted her head toward the biker group. Sean’s head jerked up, and Lily grabbed his forearm. “Not now! Count to five and then look. Geez.” He made four mixed drinks and filled up the other two glasses with frozen margarita mix. When he straightened, he looked down at her with a smirk. “Can I look now, Miss Queen of Subtlety?” Lily rolled her eyes. “Don’t you forget who my brothers are.” “I don’t take well to idle threats. Or sass.” His eyes flicked toward the biker group and lingered for a moment and landed on her again.

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His brows lowered. “No, I haven’t seen them here before. Why? Is everything okay?” “Oh, it’s fine.” She waved off his brotherly concern with a flick of her wrist. “I just saw one of them around town today, and he was a little too friendly.” Sean took a step toward her. “What do you mean friendly? You want me to go talk to them?” She looked at him from his sandy blond hair and wide shoulders to his work boots and knew he could handle his own. “Sean, lighten up. I swear, this whole damn town is full of my surrogate big brothers. It gets to be pretty frustrating.” He eyed her with a speculative look on his face. “And that’s girl code for?” Lily shrugged. “I just wish half the men in this didn’t report my hourly whereabouts to my brothers. That’s all.” “Oh, shit. You’ve got your eye on some lucky bastards, don’t you?” Her eyes bugged out of her head. “No! Of course I don’t.” “Don’t you lie to me, Lily Chisholm.” “Don’t you go big brother on me, Sean.” Sean held his hands palm up to her. “Fine, fine. You win. I don’t have the time to get into it with you right now. I meant it, though. If you need me to go talk to those bikers, I will.” He ran the back of his hand along his stubbled chin. “And if they give you any more trouble, you know where to find me.” Lily reached around her back for the ties on her waist apron. “I’ll be fine, Sean. Don’t worry about me. The beer is looking low. I’m going to run to the back and get some.” She gathered her apron in her hands and then hung it on her personal wall peg. The wind was out full force that night, and it made the door difficult to open. The small building for extra storage stood a few yards away from the main building across a dimly lit alleyway. The distance made hauling extra supplies a pain, but Lily needed the break

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and the fresh air. She still needed to wrap her mind around the plans she had for the other bedrooms, not to mention her irrational attraction to Jackson and Ethan. Lily sped up as if she could out walk her thoughts. “You are not attracted to them,” she said to herself. “They are loud, irresponsible,” she ticked off their offenses on her fingers, “immature, and most importantly, they’re Sto—” Something solid shoved her face first against the side of the storage building. She tried to brace herself with her hands, but something held her wrists behind her back, making her shoulders burn. Her throat constricted, stifling the scream bubbling in her throat. “See, baby? I told you I’d find you.” Something coarse and wiry danced along the curve of her shoulder like spider legs. His beard. It smelled like stale booze and smoke and exhaust and sweat. Panic, cold and terrifying in its magnitude, surged through her. She struggled against his hold, kicking and thrashing, but his steel grip and the wall he pinned her against kept her in place. “Ah, yeah. Fight me. I love it when you get sassy.” His hot, rancid breath made her want to vomit. He started yanking on her clothes, the ripping, tearing sounds of her shirt unraveling making her shriek. The cold air stung her skin, and her muscles ached from struggling, from being thrown against the hard, rough wall still scraping her cheek. She fought harder, grunting and growling with her fury. She used all her strength to coil herself against the wall then sprang back as hard as she could. Her shoulder blades hit his soft stomach, and he let out a barked curse and stepped back. Lily sensed he backed away and followed him, lunging back and flying up on her toes. She flung the crown of her head back, adrenaline taking the edge off the pain she should have felt when her skull connected with the bridge of his nose. It broke with a thick, sickening cracking sound that echoed in her head. It sounded like a watermelon bursting open on a marble floor.

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Blood spurted everywhere, landing in thick, mucousy blobs in her hair and over her shoulders. Lily jammed her heel onto the top of his foot and scrambled away from him, tripping over her shoes as they fell from her feet. She toppled over, scraping her palms and knees as she tried to drag herself back up. Lily scrambled back to her feet and surged forward, barely three feet separating her from the door to the bar, to safety, but he came upon her from behind, his heavy footfalls echoing the erratic thudding of her heart. She fell upon the door and pulled the handle, fumbling with it, and pulled it open a crack. Music poured out into the windy night, and for some reason, Lily realized she recognized the song playing. She really did not want to die listening to “Neon Moon.” That was her last coherent thought as her attacker grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled. **** When he and Ethan walked up to the bar, Jackson noticed Sean McCutcheon was manning the whole thing on his own and doing a pretty damn good job of it, in Jackson’s opinion. When Sean saw them, he lifted in his chin in acknowledgement. “How’s it goin’?” “Pretty good, man,” Ethan answered. “We’re looking for Lily. Have you seen her?” Sean set down the bottle of Cazadores he held, his friendly expression glazing over into something bordering on shrewdness. “Yeah, she’s here.” Jackson bristled back. “Well, where is she?” “I don’t know, Jackson.” Sean crossed his arms over his broad chest. “That depends on what you want with her.” “Cut the crap, Sean,” Jackson snapped, “it’s not like we’re asking around for one of your sisters.”

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Jackson’s barb struck deep. “You stay the hell away from my sisters.” “I’ll do my best, Sean, but they’re pretty sweet-looking. You know I like ’em nice and sweet and juicy.” That just made Sean look downright hostile. Thank God he and Ethan did not have any sisters. He would have ended up in prison a long time ago. He opened his mouth to add on to that just to rile Sean up more, but Ethan cut him off. “Jesus, Jackson. Cut the crap. We’re just looking for Lily to ask her about the project we’re working on.” Sean jerked his chin toward the back door. “She’s out back getting something.” Jackson and Ethan turned to head toward the back door when Sean raised his voice over the music. “If you find her, tell her I saw that guy leave.” They glanced at each other and then at Sean. “What guy?” Ethan asked. Sean grabbed a glass from an overhead rack. “Some biker buy. He was getting too friendly, and she didn’t like it.” Jackson’s body tensed while Ethan went still next to him. “What do you mean ‘friendly’?” Jackson asked. “He was pulling that creeper shit. You know, following her around, getting handsy.” Ethan’s jaw clenched. “Right. We’ll find her.” Jackson walked around the bar, and Ethan followed. “Come on, Jackson,” Sean said, sounding fed up, “y’all don’t work here.” “Yeah, and time’s a-wastin’. We just want to find her and we’ll be out of here.” Sean gave him a pointed look that fell just short of pretty damn annoyed. “I’m holding you to that.” In response, Jackson sauntered toward the back door. Then stopped dead when it swung open a crack, letting the night air whisper in, and then slammed shut. The sound pounded and repeated in

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Jackson’s mind over the loud music and rumbling voices behind him. For some reason, something made him run toward the door, his legs pumping, fueled by a terrifying sense of desperation. Jackson threw his body against the door, and it flew open, with Ethan running right behind him. His wild gaze scoured the dimness, but it was the sound of someone—a woman—struggling that caught his attention. Ethan took off a second before him, barreling into the dimly lit alleyway like an enraged wild thing. Jackson ran after him, his eyes finally landing on what Ethan had seen just before him. Lily flopped around on the gravel like a fish out of water, her arms flailing around while her legs kicked out everywhere. She screamed and grunted, clawing at the ground while some bulky, hairy fuck tried to drag her into the shadows. “Hey!” Ethan bellowed. The man’s head snapped up for the flash of a second, his rough, harsh features looking craggy in the dimness. The sick, predatory way he crouched over Lily’s body made Jackson’s blood roar through his veins. Lily used the distraction and levered her foot back, slashing it across the man’s face. He cursed and fell back, holding his meaty hand against his face. She shot to her feet, stumbled, then ran toward them, her eyes wild and terrified. Rage made Jackson’s legs pump harder, faster, to get to her. Ethan threw himself at the man, his body like a streamlined human torpedo, and flew into him, knocking the bastard onto the ground. The last thing Jackson saw as he caught Lily up in his arms was Ethan’s elbow levering up high, giving his fist enough momentum to send it careening into the biker’s face over and over. Jackson clutched Lily close to him and sprinted with her toward safety. She was weightless in his arms, and she shook so hard he had to tighten his grip on her. He rushed her to the truck, hurriedly unlocking the passenger door and setting her down.

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“Are you okay?” Jackson tried to peel her limbs away from his, but she clung to him, her fingers digging into his shirt, his flesh. He wanted to shake her. “Goddamn it, Lily. Are you all right? Answer me!” “I’m fine. I’m fine,” she chanted into his shirtfront. “I’m fine.” “No, you’re not. I need to know you’re really okay. Just look at me.” She buried her face harder into his chest. Jackson pressed his lips against her hair and breathed her in then pulled away and gave in to his urge to shake her. She finally let go of him and wiped her cheeks. “Look at me, Lily.” She shook her head. “I’m fine, Jackson. I just need to go home. Can you take me home?” “Fucking hell, Lily! Just look at me!” He cupped her neck and pressed his thumbs under her chin, tilting her face up. Lily struggled against his grip. “I need to tell Sean I’m going home. He’ll tell my brothers. I don’t want them to see me like this. Jason and Seth will kill him. I just want to go home. I need to take a bath. My whole body hurts—” Jackson let her distract herself with her babbling and dipped his head so he could see her face. He wished he hadn’t. He really, really wished he hadn’t. Scratches marred her left cheekbone, and her lip bled. But what really sent murderous rage through him was the look in her eyes. She was doing her best not to cry, to not break down all over him. He wished she would. He looked her over, his hands following his gaze. He assured himself she was really sitting in front of him, that it was real skin he touched, that the bones beneath were not broken. She felt so small, so delicate. So terrifyingly fragile. He could not control his rage any longer. “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

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He stepped back and moved to close the door, but she grabbed him. “Jackson, no. Please, just stay with me. I can’t stand being alone right now. I want to go home, okay? Just take me home.” The wild fear in her eyes had enveloping her in his embrace. “Shh, Lily,” he cooed, “it’s going to be all right. We’ll get you out of here.” She stiffened. “Oh, God. Ethan. Where’s Ethan?” she asked into his chest. If this was not the situation it was, the way her lips moved over his skin at his open collar would have made his dick hard in less than half a second. “He’s just making sure that son of a bitch does not follow us.” Lily pulled her face off his chest and met his eyes, her own puffy. “Jackson, you have to go back. You can’t just leave him!” He laid his hands over hers and rubbed her tiny knuckles with his fingertips. “He’s a big boy, Lily. He can handle himself.” “But that man was really strong. He was so st–strong.” He cupped her face and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Ethan’ll be just fine, Lily. You’ll see. He’s strong, too.” **** Lily could not fathom this foreign, caring, sensitive version of Jackson Stone. Surely, this was not him. A pod person, perhaps. Maybe even a benevolent doppelganger, but this? She never expected this. If anything, Ethan would be the one to hold her so carefully, as if she would break. But this man had that spicy, earthy, masculine scent that could only be Jackson’s. His chest was wide and strong, his hips narrow, his legs solid and planting him in place, unmoving, in front of her, forming a living, breathing shield of hard flesh to protect her from the fear and panic rising up like the thick, sticky, tar-like night air. She felt as if she could drown its heaviness. It coated the back of

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her throat and made her hair stick to her cheeks and tangle in her damp eyelashes. Or maybe those were tears. Oh, God…Oh, God. “No, no, no. It’s okay, Lily.” Jackson’s hand swept up her back in long, soothing motions, and she drew closer to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. His voice was warm and rich, and the sound soothed her. She felt so safe with him, and she knew with bone-deep certainty that he would protect her, no matter what. That knowledge should have made her feel better, but for some reason, she felt a stab of fear for him. She did not want him using his body to protect hers. What if something happened to him? To Ethan? She straightened, though his arms remained around her. “Jackson, please. We have to go make sure Ethan is all right. Please.” Jackson’s lips tightened. “I’m not leaving you here.” “But—” “No. Ethan would have left me here by now to make sure you were all right, and that would be fine by me.” “We can’t just leave him! He could be dying!” Jackson scoffed. “Trust me, Lily, Ethan might come across as sweet, but he can handle himself. Don’t let his good manners fool you.” “I could never forgive myself if something happened to him because he was trying to be noble.” She curled her fingers into his shirt. “Please.” He cupped her cheek and sighed. “Fine. If he’s not back in two minutes, I’ll go after him.” Lily gripped his upper arm and squeezed, but his hard flesh did not give her much leeway. “You promise?” His green eyes held hers, locking her in the moment. “I swear.” She had never noticed that the tips of his eyelashes were blond. She swallowed. “All right.”

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A heavy breeze blew and caressed her skin. Tendrils of hair tickled her neck, and Jackson’s scent floated into the small space between them. The hand on his arm crept higher, toward his collar. The movement made her sit up higher and brought their faces closer together. Movement in the shadows caught her eye. Ethan materialized out of the shadows and walked toward them with his long-legged stride, dirty and bruised but undeniably beautiful. His plaid shirt was rolled up to his elbows, showing off his clenched, battered hands and his thick forearms. His lips were set in a thin line, and his bright eyes held a look of grim purpose. Lily could not take her eyes off him as he crossed the parking lot. She did not notice him limping or holding an arm close to his body, and he stood straight and erect. She blew out a breath. He was okay. He was alive, he was fine, and he was drawing closer. Her heart rate accelerated when Ethan drew close enough that she could see his fiery blue eyes. The brothers looked at each other for a brief moment, checking to see if the other one was all right. She had seen Jason and Seth did the same thing, and Lily found that the simple action conveyed the depth of their closeness. Jackson cocked his chin. “The other guy?” Ethan just shrugged. “Asshole got a damn good rib shot in, but the rest were mine.” He grinned, but Lily thought it was more like a baring of teeth. “Sean came out after the scuffle. Got in a good right hook and then dragged the guy’s ass to Jason’s special office.” Lily’s stomach clenched. She knew what that meant. Only a handful of people knew about that room. It was her brother’s special interrogation and holding room, and Jason threw anyone violent or threatening in any way in there until the sheriff came. Lily almost felt bad for the guy who attacked her. Sean would probably do a bad enough job on him, anyway, but her brothers would not show him any mercy.

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“Sean called Sherriff Callahan. He thought it best if Jason and Seth didn’t get their hands on him.” Thank God. She did not want her brothers doing anything terrible to get revenge for her, especially when they would not regret it. If there was one thing that scared her about her brothers, especially Jason, it was that they were ruthless when it came to protecting their own. God help anyone who hurt her, their mother, or, Heaven forbid, Edie. Lily shivered at the thought. Ethan laid his hand gently on her cheek, his knuckles skinned and bleeding. “You okay?” Lily wrapped her fingers around his thick wrist and looked up into his eyes and saw the primal intensity burning inside them. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. There was something different about him now, and it disoriented her. He had fought for her, protected her, and she felt the raw, primal truth of it in her veins. Long ago, she would have been the spoils of war. She would have gladly let him claim her, mark her, the brave warrior who had spilled his blood to save her. Now, though, in the dim light of their truck, Lily shied away. Sweet Ethan Stone, the quiet, brooding, intellectual twin, was transformed. His body hummed with his masculinity and virile power, and she did not know how to handle that. Sure, she always sneaked peaks at him, her gaze lingering on the way his jeans cupped his ass and thick thighs and the way his shirts had to stretch over his wide back and shoulders. How could she have denied the truth for all these years? That whenever she went somewhere, she always hoped he and Jackson would be there. That she thought they were so beautiful they could have been living, breathing marble statues, their bodies the very image of long-boned masculine perfection and symmetry. “Where are your brothers, Lily?” Ethan asked, his voice dark and hypnotic and vibrating with coiled tension like the rest of him.

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It took a few moments for her to understand what he said. She was too wrapped up in the way dirt and grime were smeared all over his plaid shirt. The breeze picked up, and his scent drifted toward her. She breathed him in deep. “Edie planned a dinner for them,” she finally managed. “They’re running late. The only time they’re ever late is when Edie’s involved. Jason is such a control freak when it comes to the time.” Jackson grunted, and Lily looked up at him. It was so odd to note how they looked so similar and yet they were so very different. Ethan’s hand slid to her hair, and his fingertips massaged her scalp for a brief moment. Shards of warmth tingled under her skin, loosening up her tense muscles. “We’re taking you home,” Ethan said. Lily looked up at him, feeling the energy drain from her limbs. She slumped back into the seat. “Okay.” Ethan’s eyes gentled. “Come on, Lily. Let’s get you comfortable.” He shifted and wrapped his arms around her back and under her knees, then gently lifted her into the middle of the bench. Then he scooted in next to her while Jackson rounded the hood. “Do you need anything?” She gave him a weak smile. “A shower.” Jackson slid in right next to her and started the truck. “Then a shower it is.” Then Jackson, usually hot-tempered and reckless, leaned closer and laid his heavy right forearm on her thigh, his hand wrapping around the inside of her knee. She froze, not knowing how to react. All through her youth, she had thought Jackson Stone was the biggest asshole to ever walk the face of the earth. Sure, she might have secretly lusted after him, but she never really thought he was capable of such softness. But in that moment, his body was warm and strong next to hers and so capable of sheltering her. He did not push her to talk to him about her feelings or tell her that everything was going to

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be all right when she was screaming inside. Instead, he offered her the silent comfort of his sturdy presence, making her feel at peace. Ethan wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, and she almost burst into tears. It felt so right it scared her. No! Damn it all, this was not supposed to happen. They were not supposed to make her feel safe or be there for her when she needed them. They were not supposed to creep silently into the deep recesses of her heart like this. They drove in near silence, the humming of the engine and the soft sound of skin brushing over fabric the only things she heard. The drive was a blur. When the truck stopped, she looked up at the house she had grown up in and that she put off moving out of because she did not want to leave her mother all alone, and for a moment, she could have been in a foreign driveway and looking at someone else’s ranch-style home with a huge wrap-around porch. It was only when Ethan gently shook her that she snapped out of her own mind. Without saying a word, Ethan unfolded his long frame from the truck then reached back into the cab to pick her up. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, as if he had not just fought someone off her. She was about to protest that he put her down, but he shifted her higher in his arms and walked toward the well-lit porch steps with sure, quiet steps, and she caught glimpse of his profile. This Ethan was a far cry from the Ethan she had grown up with— the quiet, smart one who got Jackson’s ass out of trouble every single time. This Ethan was a different animal entirely. Strong, dominating, so intimidatingly male. Where the hell had he come from?

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Chapter Five The first thing Ethan was going to do once Lily got out of her shower was feed her. She weighed nothing. Perhaps it was the adrenaline still pumping in his blood that made her feel so light, but she felt tiny in his arms. He did not like the feeling at all. He felt her gaze upon him but concentrated on walking up the steps, getting her through the front door, and depositing her in the shower before he ran out of that house like a fire was lit under his ass. Because if he did not, he would press her against the side of the house and fuck her. She was his, Goddamn it. She was his and Jackson’s now. He really did not care that it was a cheap way of claiming her, that she really deserved to hear the truth of his and Jackson’s feelings from their mouths before they officially made her theirs. That was, if Jackson ever decided to admit that he felt anything for her other than lust. Ethan would deal with that later. He would deal with all of that much, much later. Now, his priority was making sure that Lily got anything and everything she needed to feel safe and secure. Screw Jason and Seth and the bad blood between their families. Lily was the most important thing right now, and he did not give a damn about anything else. “Is your mom home, Lily? Should we wake her up?” Jackson asked as he approached the front door. She tightened her arms around Ethan’s neck. “No. She’s out playing bridge with her lady friends. There’s a spare key under the loose board in the corner.” She gestured with her chin, and Jackson loosened the wooden plank and pulled the key out.

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When Jackson opened the door, he stepped aside, and Ethan carried Lily over the threshold. The floorboards creaked under his weight, and his heavy-booted steps echoed around them. Bringing her here like this felt like a momentous occasion. Like a peace offering or a promise. He had never been in the house before, and he took a second to admire the hardwood floors before he asked, “Where’s your room?” He swore she blushed. “It’s, um, upstairs,” she whispered. He gave her a succinct nod then headed for the stairs, his heart hammering faster and harder with each step he took. He felt like a horny teenager sneaking into his girlfriend’s house at two in the morning, but the fact that he was a grown man carrying a woman up to her childhood bedroom made it a little kinky. It was as if the stillness of the house cast a spell over them, and for a moment, Ethan imagined he truly was the callow youth he had been all those years ago creeping through the living room and toward the stairs. Even Jackson’s usually heavy strides were muted. Lily must have felt it, too, because she made a little throatclearing sound and whispered, a little wide-eyed, “The fourth stair up creaks when you step in the center.” She guided him up the stairs and toward her room, and when they walked in, a different kind of silence descended upon all three of them. The walls were painted periwinkle, and the two windows on the left side of the room were trimmed in lace. A floral print love seat sat in the far corner, surrounded by books. Lily’s bed sat immediately to his right, covered in a lacy duvet, and thick, plush pillows rested against the wooden headboard, just beckoning for him to stay and lay his head where she did. Directly across from the bed was a whitetrimmed fireplace, and above it was an antique-looking oval mirror.

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Someone had painted curlicues around the mirror and both windows, giving the space a decidedly polished yet homey feeling. “You can put me down now, Ethan.” He cleared his throat and set her down, keeping his hands around her waist to steady her and for the chance to keep his hands on her for a little while longer. Lily stared at him then looked past him to look at Jackson, who leaned his right shoulder against the doorframe. She swallowed. “I, um…thank you.” Ethan pulled his hands away from her and shoved them in his pockets. “Do you want us to wait downstairs while you shower? Or do you want us to leave?” “No! No, um,” she cleared her throat, “don’t leave. I think I have the image of that bastard burned into my eyeballs, and I just can’t be alone in this house right now.” Jackson straightened from the wall. “All right. We’ll wait downstairs.” “Can you stay upstairs, please? I just…it’s just that I—” “Yeah, we can do that, too.” Jackson walked into the room and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ethan. “We can take a look around for you, if that’s what you need.” Jackson’s voice held a tone Ethan had only heard a few times in their life. It was soft and flat, devoid of any emotion, save for the ever-so-slight trembling at the end of his words. Lily probably did not pick up on it, but Ethan sure as hell did. It was the tone Jackson used when he was feeling or thinking something he did not want to. “Go on, Lily,” Ethan encouraged. “We’ll still be here when you’re done.” She gave them a small smile and nodded. “Thank you.” Then she turned and walked into the bathroom attached to her room. After the door closed with a light click and the water started running, Jackson faced him. “Maybe we should turn on the lights

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around the house for her since, you know,” he cleared his throat, “she seemed nervous.” “I think that’s the most thoughtful thing you’ve wanted to do in a while.” Jackson glared at him. “She was just attacked. Of course I’m going to want to help her out.” Ethan walked into the hallway and started looking for light switches to flip on. “I understand that. You’re feeling pretty angry,” he said over his shoulder. “Hell yes.” Jackson stood in the doorway to Lily’s room. “No man should ever lay an angry finger on a woman. Ever.” “True. And I’m sure you’re feeling a bit protective, too.” Jackson shrugged. “Sure I am. We’ve known Lily since we were little, and even though we haven’t seen her or talked to her in a couple years—” “Try ten. After—” “Yeah. No desire to go there, Ethan.” “Good point.” He did not want to revisit that particular evening, either. Not one of their finest moments, by far. “But I’m sure that considering you’ve known her since we were little that you’re feeling pretty protective of her right now.” Ethan brushed past Jackson and stepped back into Lily’s room. “You could say that. I’m about to burst out of my skin because I’m so pissed off.” Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “But don’t go reading into it. That asshole really could have hurt her if we hadn’t gotten there in time.” “I know that, Jackson. I was there, too.” Ethan flashed his bruised knuckles. “Yeah, but you weren’t with her, waiting for you to show up. She was terrified. I’ve never seen anyone so scared or looking so lost. I almost left her locked up in that truck to get myself a piece of that bastard’s hide. But how I’m feeling now has nothing to do with what you’re getting at.”

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Ethan grunted, hands on his hips. “Thank Christ you didn’t leave her. Not that I blame you for wanting to. It felt damn good pounding some justice into him.” “Aw, now you’ve got me all jealous.” Ethan heard the water shut off in the bathroom, and he shared a moment of what-do-we-do-now with Jackson. Then the door opened, and Lily appeared in her thick white towel. A nearly invisible cloud of Lily-scented steam rose behind her, pervading throughout the room. Ethan filled his lungs with it. He tried to tell himself that it was just because he appreciated the clean, fresh smell of the products she used, but deep down, he knew that he wanted to absorb as much of her as he could. When he glanced out of the corner of his eye, Ethan saw that Jackson had frozen in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the space between Lily’s knees and the bottom edge of the towel. Ethan knew exactly where Jackson’s mind was because his went to the same place. What would it feel like to have her thighs wrapped around his waist as he plunged into her pussy again and again? Her hair stuck together in thick ropes over her shoulders and chest, and rivulets of water coursed down her skin. Some of the droplets on her arms caught the light, making her glow like some sort of ethereal creature. Desire for her surged through Ethan’s body, making him painfully aware of how tight the crotch of his jeans had grown. He shifted his stance. “We can step outside if you’d like.” She tightened the towel around her chest and hugged herself. “No, um. That’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to stay.” He did not mean to move toward her. He really did not. But his feet would not stop walking until he stood close enough to her that his shirt brushed against her arms. Goddamn, she smelled so good. Looking down at her, he admired the soft, graceful slopes of her cheekbones and the curve of her jaw. Her skin was smooth and clean,

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dewy, even, and he sensed that some of her growing flush had to do with him and Jackson. She tilted her chin up, bringing her pouty lips that much closer to his. He saw with agonizing clarity the water droplets still stuck in her eyelashes and prayed to God that they were not tears. He could not handle her tears at all. They held the power to break him. Without thinking, he grazed his fingertips over her left wrist then tucked them under and wrapped them around it, gently guiding her hand toward him. She watched as he uncurled her fingers and kissed the tips, then pressed his lips into the inside of her wrist. Her lips tucked under her front teeth, and Ethan thought that was the singlemost adorably sexy thing he had ever seen a woman do. “Ethan,” she whispered. Sweet Jesus. He stepped even closer to her. His breath lodged in his throat along with his heart, making it impossible to breathe. Lily’s blue-black eyes were wide open and huge, her breasts hitching with her sharp, soft breaths. Holding her gaze in his, Ethan ran his fingertips along the top of the towel, watching as goose bumps pebbled her skin. “Ethan,” she whispered, her eyes unblinking. Taking that as an invitation, he pulled on the end of the towel tucked between her breasts. The towel dropped from her frame and landed at her feet. He could not help but to take a step back to admire her in all of her feminine glory. She had the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen. More than enough to fill his palms, they were full and upturned, and her nipples were a pale pink against her milky flesh. His gaze skimmed down her ribcage and trim belly to the well-groomed hair in the V between her gently rounded thighs. Ethan’s cock jumped in his pants, desperate to be where Ethan stared. Get it together. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his ravenous desire for the woman before him. He reached out and skimmed his fingers over her

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dewy skin, and they both tensed at the soft contact. Damn, but the bed was right behind him, tempting him to do what he knew he should not do—take her there and show her the new games they could play now that they were adults. But then she looked up at him with such vulnerability that his heart wrenched painfully in his chest. He swooped in and captured her lips, taking her sigh into himself and breathing her in, absorbing the clean, fresh scent of her skin and the vital warmth of her body heat mingling with his. She was alive and real, and she was in his arms. It all came back to him—his abject terror at seeing her form disappearing into the thick darkness, the satisfying feeling of his fists slamming into that bastard’s face and hearing his nose crunch. But most of all, he saw her looking so small and terrified in Jackson’s arms. Primal instinct roared to life inside him. He banded his arms around her and pressed her soft body into his. Lily gasped into his mouth and pressed closer, and Ethan felt Jackson move in behind her, his hands settling on her hips, then caressing upward. Yes. This was the way it was supposed to be. It felt right having her between them, her naked flesh open for their every touch and caress. Ethan cupped her jaw and tilted her face at just the right angle for him to control the kiss. He pressed his lips to hers again, this time setting the pace. Her hands hooked into the waistband of his jeans, and she tugged him closer, bringing his denim-covered cock against her belly. He groaned in the back of his throat, and he swore he felt her smiling against his lips before he took the kiss from sweet and languid to rough and wild. Her breasts pillowed against his chest, and he felt, with gutwrenching clarity, the delicious way her nipples beaded against him. His balls tightened against his body. He wanted to consume her. He wanted to cherish her. He wanted to love her until she could not string a complete thought together.

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Then do it all over again. He wanted her under him, on top of him, between him and Jackson as they pumped their cocks in and out of her until she came like crazy. But most of all, he wanted her to know she was theirs. Shit. Ethan wrenched himself away from her and backed up fast. “No! This is a mistake.” His whole body hummed with awareness of her, especially now that he knew what her skin tasted like and how she smelled up close. She was completely naked before him, her whole body exposed and unprotected. He saw the places where bruises would form on her arms and legs, and murderous rage roared inside him, making his vision pulse around the edges. Jackson plucked his hands from right below her breasts and stepped away from her, his face riddled with confusion and a bone-deep understanding. Lily bent quickly and picked up her wet towel, then clutched it to her chest. Her cheeks flamed. “I think you should both go.” Ethan took a step toward her. “Don’t!” she screeched. “Don’t you dare come any closer to me, Ethan Stone.” “Lily, just—” “Please leave. Both of you.” Her body rounded in on itself as if she could make herself disappear, and she started backing toward her bathroom. The sight made his insides clench. “We’re not leaving until we’re very clear on something,” Ethan said, his voice sounding stronger than he felt. The hurt and embarrassment on her face made him feel like the worst kind of ass. She sneered. “No, I think you’ve made everything very clear. Crystal, in fact.” “Damn it, Lily, stop. Just stop for a second and listen to me. If we had continued, you’d be ours. There’d be no going back after that.” She recoiled. “What the hell does that mean, Ethan?”

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He glared at her, wanting nothing more than to rip the towel away from her body so he and Jackson could feast on her beauty. “You know exactly what that means.” Jackson regarded him with a carefully blank face, but when he glanced at Lily, his eyes lit up. “Go on and get changed. You have our cell numbers, so call if you need us.” She did not respond. She just eyed them like a cornered animal. “Ethan,” Jackson said over his shoulder as he turned away, “let’s go.” Taking one last long look at her, Ethan said, “Lock up after us,” and followed his brother down the stairs and outside her house. It was not until they drove the short distance between the Chisholm’s land and their own that Jackson broke the heavy silence. “What the hell was that, Ethan?” He rounded on his brother. “That was me backing the fuck off before we claimed her. Or worse, took advantage of her when she was vulnerable.” Jackson ignored the last part of what he had said. “Claim her? Are you kidding me? You want to claim Lily Chisholm?” He turned and eyed Ethan in the darkness of the cab. The silence blanketed them, making Jackson’s words muted and flat. “That’s forever, Ethan. Remember that.”

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Chapter Six The next morning, Ethan stood in the workshop examining his hand. He wiggled his fingers around then tightened them into a fist. He shrugged. They would do. They were still swollen from the night before, but he was not really worried about himself. He was really worried about Lily and how she felt after what had happened between the three of them. And he was not thinking about the beating the asshole up part of last night. Well, he was, but what really stuck out in his mind was the pinched look on her face when he had pushed her away. God, that woman knew how to stick a knife in his heart with just a look. How the hell did women manage to do that, anyway? Silence a man twice their size with just a look? Ethan had never thought it would happen to him, but he had seen his mother do it to his fathers plenty of times when he and Jackson were growing up. Behind him, Jackson paced around the room. Ever since Ethan could remember, Jackson had always been a bundle of energy. He could never sit still, could never control himself. Each thud of Jackson’s steps pounded behind Ethan’s eyes like a sledgehammer. He swore if Jackson did not stop his damn pacing in the next three minutes, he would commit fratricide. He was that close. Lily was never late. Never. Ethan tried his fingers out again. Checked his watch. Listened to his brother clomp, clomp, clomp around the room. “Jackson,” Ethan growled, “stop your damn pacing.” His brother let out a huge gush of air. “Can’t help it. Sorry.”

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“Yeah. I don’t know why she’s late.” “Should we go check on her to make sure she’s okay?” Ethan turned around. “I was about to say the same thing.” “If she’s not here in five more minutes, I’m driving over there.” Ethan nodded his agreement and went back to flexing his hand and trying to ignore Jackson’s renewed pacing. The steps stopped. “That’s it. Where are my keys?” Jackson asked. And in walked Lily, the reason why his stomach was in knots and turning over, looking as fresh as a spring day in her white, formfitting tank top, dark brown and turquoise cowgirl boots, and shorts that really should have been classified as underwear for how much leg they showed off. She did not make eye contact with them like she usually did, but Ethan did not know whether it was due to what had happened between the three of them last night or if she wanted to hide the faint scratches on her cheek. She did not give him much time to wonder about that. “Sorry I’m late,” she said in an overly chipper voice as she wrapped her little tool belt around her hips. Damn, he loved the way it hung off her ass and swayed with her as she walked. But what he did not love at all was how short those shorts were. He was still raw from the night before, and now that he knew what she looked like under those clothes, he wanted to cover her up and have her all to himself. Jackson included, of course. A surge of possessiveness shot through him. Had she gone around town in those damn things? He peeked outside. Surely there were men walking like zombies creeping up the driveway. “Any specific reason you were late?” Ethan said before he could stop himself. Lily froze then turned so that she faced him fully. Her lips thinned into a straight line, and her gaze froze over. “That’s really none of your business.”

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“The hell it’s not our business,” Jackson said, incredulous. “Everything about you is our business after last night.” Her eyes narrowed to venomous slits. “What about last night, exactly, Jackson? I’m beyond grateful to the two of you for saving me from that bastard, but if you think anything has changed because you saw me naked, think again. I don’t owe either of you a thing.” “You know, I’ve got a hunch that you’re pissed off at us,” Jackson pressed. “I’m sure you’re not used to being turned down.” Lily put her fists on her hips. “Well, you can think whatever you want, but while you’re here, you’re on my time, so I suggest you get over whatever mood you’re in and get to work.” Jackson crossed his muscled arms over his chest. “So that’s how it is, is it? After we helped you out—” “That’s enough!” Lily yelled. She stomped over to Jackson and stopped right in front of him, boot-to-boot, and stuck her finger in his chest. “You better back the hell off before I get really pissed,” she snarled between clenched teeth. Jackson just lifted a haughty eyebrow and looked down at her. “Yes, your highness.” They stared each other down for a few moments, Lily breathing hard while Jackson just looked like the kid who peeked at the Christmas presents before his mother had the chance to wrap them. Finally, Lily said, “I don’t need your antics today. Please.” Immediately, Jackson’s stance relaxed. He nodded. “All right.” “Thank—” “But you just let me know when you want me to take care of your uptight problem. I’m a master at that, you know,” he finished with a grin. Lily’s hand clenched at her side, but then she spread her fingers out wide, as if she thought twice about slapping him. “Screw you, Jackson.” “Gladly, sweetcheeks,” he threw back smugly.

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“I have no idea why I agreed to this!” Lily yelled. “How the hell am I supposed to get all of this furniture done when you won’t leave me alone!” Then, as quickly as her anger had come up on her, she seemed to rein it in with a tight leash. She hastily stepped away from Jackson and crossed the room, her steps light and soft compared to Ethan and Jackson’s heavy ones. She turned so that Ethan only saw her profile, then reached behind her and started braiding her hair. She transformed in front of him to the aloof and don’t-you-dare-touch-me Lily he had known for years, the Lily who was on control of ever minute detail of her life. He could not help but feel disappointed. **** Lily tied the ends of her hair then tossed her braid over her shoulder. There. Now she could face them without feeling so crazy. Lord knew that counting to ten would help her deal with Jackson Stone, and she needed to remember that for the next few weeks if she did not want to be charged with first-degree murder. The nerve. How dare they think they had rights to her just because she took her towel off in front of them? If there was one bad thing about the men in Liebling, it was that they got territorial. Fast. Growing up, she had thought it sweet when two men had claimed the woman of their interest before she even realized it. Lily used to think it showed the depth of their caring, that it was the mens’ pledge to get their woman to love them as much as they loved her. Lily had seen some men do some pretty outlandish things in her day to woo the women of their choosing. Now, though, the entire idea just pissed her off. Who the hell gave Jackson and Ethan the right to question where she was and what she had worn when she was there? She sure as hell had not. Then her

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mind immediately supplied the image of Ethan throttling through the darkness the night before, his arms and legs scissoring through the air like an Olympic sprinter. Her heart seized and melted all at once. Ethan had risked himself for her, and here she was, miffed because she had been turned down for the first time in her life because they had tried to be gentlemen. She turned around and glared at them, hoping her expression would hide the way her cheeks heated up when she saw them. She remembered, in painful detail, how their hands had felt skimming over her sensitive skin. It had been delicious. And Ethan Stone knew how to kiss. Damn, damn, damn. Jackson’s hands, so strong and sure, had felt marvelous sliding up her torso and her ribcage. Oh, this was bad. Catastrophic, even. There was no way she could let herself develop a soft spot for them. She knew the type of girl she was, and love ’em and leave ’em was not in any part of her genetic make-up, which made Jackson and Ethan off-limits. She had big plans and big dreams, and they did not involve staying in Liebling for the rest of her life. She cleared her throat. “We’re going to keep working on the chair today. I know Lena and Edie need it by the end of next week, and I promised them we’d get it done in time.” Ethan, of course, did not give her any trouble, but Jackson just stood there, hands on his hips, looking at her as if she were crazy. Maybe she was because, damn, she could not stop looking back at him. His wide chest looked so strong and masculine under his shirt, and his arms were so defined that she could see the lines of his shoulders and triceps under the material covering them. The thing she loved the most, though, was the way his lips looked so full and soft compared to the proud, stubborn set of his jaw.

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Her nipples beaded, and she forced herself to look away before she did something ridiculous, like throw herself in his arms. She spun on her heels and sauntered over the far side of the workshop where her favorite fabric samples hung, arranged by color. She closed her eyes and envisioned the curved chair and flicked through the color wheel in her mind until she felt warm breath on the back of her neck. Damn it, which of the two of them was stalker-breathing on her? She flicked her head around so hard that her braid landed on the opposite shoulder. She expected a faceful of hard chest, but Jackson stood on the other side of the work room, rifling through a drawer, and Ethan stood only a few feet away from his brother, measuring a piece of wood and marking it where he saw fit. His movements were so precise, and she secretly loved the way his body language showed how focused he was. Lily turned her attention back to the samples in front of her and tried to get back to work, but she could not shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She peeked over her shoulder again when she heard one of them move, but they were still all the way across the room. She rubbed her eyes and attributed her off-kilter state to a lack of sleep due to stress and sex hormones. The night before had been beyond traumatic, but she refused to think about it. Jason and Seth had tried to get her to talk to them earlier that morning, but she had made a quick departure from the kitchen without even touching her breakfast, using her project for Edie to escape their suffocating worry. She would deal with all of the emotional crap that bastard gave her later. Right now, she had a project to finish, but something dark hanging in the back of her mind kept her from fully concentrating. Somewhere between looking at wood stains and upholstery patterns, her chest tightened. She pressed a hand against the wall and balanced herself against the weak feeling in her knees. I’m fine. I’m fine.

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She took a long breath through her nose and tried to loosen up the burning sensation spreading from her chest up toward her neck, but it was useless. Her legs started giving out, and she felt herself falling. I’mfineI’mfineI’mfine! Her lungs tightened, and her airway closed. She pitched forward, blindly catching herself against the wall, scraps of color flying around her. She heard her name from a distant place, like someone saying her name underwater, but she could not hear anything above the desperate sound of her wheezing. “Lily!” Strong hands gripped her shoulders and gently, but deftly, turned her. A blurry face surrounded by unruly blond hair appeared in front of her. “Goddamn it! Lily!” The hands shook her, harder this time, but all she could feel was that biker’s meaty hands on her, squeezing so hard she felt his bones mashing against hers. She tried to scream, but it just came out as a wheezy gasp. Gentle lips pressed against her cheeks and forehead with the softness of butterfly wings. A warm, deep voice whispered things in her ear that she did not understand, but the sureness in it, the strength and conviction of his tone soothed her. Finally, she took a breath. Then another. Then she hiccupped, and hot tears streamed down her face. She turned her face into the thick, solid chest—Jackson’s, by the smell of him—and burrowed against it. His arms cradled her against him, and his hands swooped up and down her back in long, lazy strokes. He held her as if he had all the time in the world to crouch down on the floor and hold her crying self. She would have been mortified if she could gather the strength to care. “Lily, look at me. Come on. You’re scaring me. ” Jackson’s voice was soft but demanding, and for a second, she almost did as he

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commanded. But then she remembered where she was, and with whom, and she froze. How the hell could she have been so stupid as to let Jackson and Ethan see her having a mental breakdown? Rule number one in her book was to never let a man see her cry, especially if they had already made her cry in the past, and she had shed more than her fair share of tears for the Stone brothers. She felt like the consummate idiot. They always did this to her— made her feel so twisted and confused. They made her feel soft and sweet and dainty, and they made her want to kill them with their weknow-we’re-drop-dead-sexy smugness. But most of all, they made her painfully aware of the fact that even though she had always carried a torch for them that it would never work out. How could it? Their families could not stand each other, and then there was her plan to leave Liebling and never look back. “Lily, look at us.” It was Ethan’s voice this time, and she wanted to burst into tears again. Ethan was the balm to Jackson’s brashness, the one who made things better when Jackson messed them up. He forgot about himself in order to make other people happy, and that terrified her. She covered her face. “Don’t look at me. My face is swollen.” Jackson gently pried her hands away. “No.” His gaze collided with hers, and all traces of playfulness were gone. “You’re beautiful.” Her breath lodged in her throat again, but it was for a different reason this time. She had always wondered how it was that Jackson Stone, the local rabble-rouser, had managed to charm the local girls, especially since mothers around town knew to lock their daughters up when Jackson and Ethan came to town. God knew what happened on those long summer nights when girls snuck out of their bedrooms and into the arms of the Stone twins. She, herself, had almost done just that in a desperate teenage attempt to get the boys she liked to notice her. After all, what got boys’ attention more than girls who were willing to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night?

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Now she knew. Because when Jackson looked at her like that, as if she were the only thing in the world worth looking at, she felt special from her head to her toenails. He was intense in an eerily primal way, as if he was aware of every little difference between their bodies that made him a man and her a woman. Being so close to him, she felt it, too—the way her flesh was softer than his, the way his steel-like arms bracketed her with their strength. She felt sheltered and protected, and perhaps that was the most dangerous thing of all. Still holding her breath, Lily watched as Jackson lowered his lips toward hers. He hovered over her, inches separating their mouths, and she barely suppressed the overwhelming urge to close the distance herself. He was so close to her that his man-spice scent enveloped her. And then he pressed his lips against hers. His lips were surprisingly gentle, though she could sense him holding back. He pulled away and looked down at her. “Now’s your chance to say no.” Lily held his gaze, and she felt the tension in Jackson’s body as he held himself still. Ethan crowded closer, and Lily found that she enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by hard walls of muscle. She felt safe between them, and that feeling emboldened her to reach for Jackson’s shirt and pull him toward her. Vaguely, she heard Ethan cross the room and grab something, and then he returned. “Here.” He laid a checkered quilt on the floor and smoothed it out. Then he plucked her out of Jackson’s embrace. She had never felt so weightless and terrified that she would fall at the same time. Ethan laid her on the quilt as if she would break, and for a moment, she believed it. She felt fragile, barely holding herself together, but their strength and sureness cocooned her, making her feel as if nothing and no one could ever hurt her. Last night faded into some distant, dark mist of memory, and the only thing she could focus on was them.

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Ethan took her hand in his and turned it palm up. Holding her gaze, he pressed his thumbs into her palm and rubbed. Push, circle, release. Push, circle, release. Over and over until the tension in her arm disappeared and the only thing holding it up was Ethan. He moved his thumbs toward her wrist, then down the inside of her forearm toward the crease of her elbow. Then he did the same thing with her other arm. When Ethan laid her hand gently down at her side, Lily felt boneless, but a tension of a different kind now pulsed between her thighs. “Damn, Ethan, look at that. You took the sass right out of her. She’s purring like a kitten.” Ethan grunted. “I noticed.” Her euphoric state came to an abrupt halt. “You ass.” She struggled to sit up from her supine position, but Jackson moved, quick as lightning, and straddled her knees with his, effectively pinning her legs in place. “Get off me! You dare you be so rude—” “Aw, don’t be so sensitive, Lily.” Jackson tsked. “I was just teasing. Pillow talk. You know.” She narrowed her eyes at him, angry that she found his devil-maycare attitude so damn attractive. “No, I don’t know, thank you very much. But what I do know is that I don’t appreciate being spoken about as if I’m some stupid child.” Jackson’s gaze raked over her breasts and torso. When his eyes met hers once more, they were blazing. “Sweetcheeks, there is nothing about you that’s childlike.” Jackson’s lips crashed down onto hers, and she was helpless against the onslaught of desire pouring through her. Her arms banded around his shoulders so tightly that her upper body lifted off the blanket. Jackson growled into the kiss and cupped her face in his big hands, taking control. He coaxed her into sweet submission with his sensual power, and through the lust fog swirling in her mind, the rational side of her protested at the unfairness of it all. When it came to the Stone twins, it seemed as if she had a bit of a weak spot.

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Jackson’s lips possessed hers so thoroughly that her body grew heavy once more, and she felt as if she were melting into the floor. She felt Ethan’s presence by her side, the eye in the storm of Jackson’s surprisingly tender passion. When he finally pulled away, Lily gasped for breath. “Stay still,” Jackson whispered against her mouth. Suddenly wary, she jerked and tried to sit up, but Jackson placed a finger just above the neckline of her top and gently pressed her back. “Just stay still.” Right. As if she could lie still with the two of them kneeling over her. Then Jackson started trailing his finger down between her breasts, over her ribcage, and over her belly. Her shirt insulated her quickly overheating skin from his touch, but that did not stop her body from reacting to him. With every slow inch his finger traveled down her body, warm honey flowed through her veins, thick and sweet. Intoxicating. The air grew thick, and Jackson and Ethan’s bodies grew bigger, broader. Jackson hovered above her, his green eyes bright and intense, his body coiled tight. She turned her head and let her gaze travel up Ethan’s body. His thick cock pressed against the front of his jeans, his hands were curled into mighty fists, and his forearms, thickly veined and muscular, bulged. Yet his face was a mask of control, as if he was completely engrossed in watching what Jackson did to her, but Lily sensed the tethers around his self-restraint tighten. Jackson’s hand moved lower, drawing her attention back to his fingers and where they were on her body. Her breath lodged in her chest as Jackson flicked the button of her shorts. The sound of her zipper lowering was haunting music to her ears. It had been forever since someone had touched her there, and even then, those guys had not hold her in a trance, waiting with baited breath for the next glorious touch of their fingertips over her heated flesh. Jackson licked the inside of his lower lip, and his pupils dilated as he slid his hand, palm down, against her lower belly and into her lacy panties.

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Her eyelids fluttered, but she fought to keep them open, not wanting to miss a second of contact with him. His fingertips curved over her mound then slipped between her pussy lips. She sucked in a ragged breath. “Jackson…” “I like the way my name sounds when you say it like that.” His middle finger barely stroked over her clit. “Do it again.” She gripped his shirt. “Jackson!” He grinned, looking so sure of himself that she wanted to slap him, but then he flicked her clit again, and her head lolled back. “Mmm…” Her hips swirled and bucked to the slow, steady rhythm Jackson set, and she was lost to the slick sensation of his fingers circling her clit. Her cunt clamped down, eager to be filled, as her body wound itself around the pleasure tingling between her legs. Then Ethan ripped her shirt halfway open and dragged the cups of her bra down, exposing her breasts to their voracious gazes. They both groaned, their eyes dark with barely-controlled lust, and her nipples beaded into tight pink little points. Her first thought was, I really should have done this earlier. Then Ethan took one of her nipples between his lips, and her mind went into cavewoman mode. His fingers worked their callused magic on her other nipple, sending sparks of unfettered pleasure between her legs, where Jackson concentrated on driving her higher and higher. All she could think was, “Yes! To the right, to the ri…Oh, God.” That, combined with the dual sensation of Ethan savoring her nipples, brought her whole body came to life, electrified by pleasure. Ethan swirled his tongue around the tip of her nipple, and sparks shot into her lower belly and to her aching clit, mixing with the sharp pinpricks of pleasure Jackson created with his talented fingers. She realized that she was making little mewling sounds and moving her hips in sexual abandon, her body begging for more since her mouth was too busy uttering the sounds of a woman being touched in just the right way.

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Ethan pressed his lips against the sensitive underside of her breast, making her breath hitch. Then he laid kisses on her sternum and trailed them down to just over her belly button and the dip of her waist. The intense shocks of pleasured turned warm and radiant, and Lily felt as if the butterflies in her stomach had moved under her skin. She tingled and buzzed, alive with sensation and feeling. Time slowed to a crawl, with every sensation taking up an almost interminable span of moments with the amount pleasure she felt, yet each second flew by, leaving her breathless. Her heart thudded in her chest, and blood rushed through her ears. She was racing toward her orgasm, tightening, searching. They worked her up so gently, so patiently, so damn slowly, but now the sensations swirling inside her grew sharper, more pronounced. Her breath hitched, and she gripped the blanked with her nails. “You’re so close, Lily,” Ethan said against her ear. His words were heated and intense, and she caught the note of strain in them. “Yeah, she is. She’s so wet.” Jackson worked his fingers faster, and the soft, wet sounds of his finger-fucking reached her ears. Lily bucked under his new touch, but Ethan pressed his hand down on her lower belly, pinning her in place. “Right there,” Jackson growled, “fuck yes.” He pinched her clit, and she flew apart. Pulses wracked her whole body, emanating from between her legs and radiating outward. Even her scalp tingled. She rode Jackson’s fingers and thrust her breasts up, needing more. And Ethan delivered. He wrapped his lips around a nipple and sucked hard. The slight pain mixed deliciously with the sensation already pounding through her with every heartbeat, and she came again, flying higher than she ever had before. The edges of her vision blurred, and she was vaguely aware that she was screaming, the shock she felt at the overwhelming pleasure evident even to her ears. When her orgasm wound down, Lily was left a limp heap on the floor, her boneless limbs practically melting into the blanket. She

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looked at Jackson and Ethan, still crowded around her, and for a fleeting moment, everything felt perfect. Her big, strong men were with her, and she felt as if they could fight off anyone and anything for her. Looking at them, she had to admit they had filled out beautifully since those long summer days all those years ago. Ethan leaned in and pressed a kiss between her breasts. “You all right, Lily?” She twirled her fingers in his hair. “Mmm.” “I think our girl is feeling a bit better now, Jackson. Wouldn’t you agree?” Jackson grunted. “Judging by the sounds she was making, I most definitely agree. But the best proof is still on my fingers.” Lily’s gaze collided with Jackson’s as he ran his index finger over her clit one last time, sending shockwaves through her. She clenched her teeth and groaned. Then Jackson removed his hand from between her legs and brought it up toward his mouth. “Jackson, what are you doing?” “Don’t you know, sweetcheeks?” He lifted his fingers to his devilishly curled lips and put them in his mouth. “I’m orally fixated.” The sight of him tasting her was one of the most intimate experiences of her life, especially when his eyes grew heavy as he savored her taste. The sight made her freeze. There she was, lying on a quilt in the middle of her workplace with Jackson and Ethan Stone staring at her with a wild tenderness in their eyes. And she loved it. In that moment, she was incandescently happy. She felt like she glowed. Hell, she would not be surprised if she looked down at herself and saw golden light surrounding her body—she was that happy and content. She breathed in deep, smelling their body heat, cologne, and the scent of her arousal hanging thick in the air. Ethan smiled down at her, and she smiled sleepily back at him, her eyelids already on the verge of closing for a glorious postorgasmic catnap. She could do this, she realized—fall asleep with

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them watching over her. She had never been one to think that sleeping was more intimate than sex, but she came to the conclusion that letting her guard down enough to allow herself to sleep took a great amount of trust. Oh, God. She squeezed her eyes shut to the realization that they had managed to get her to trust them without even trying. They could see right through her. She sensed it. They had explored almost every inch of her body, had found sweet spots even she did not know existed, and now they gazed down at her with such intimate knowledge of her that she twitched with embarrassment. It was all too much. She scrambled to her feet. “I, um,” she bent down and grabbed her shirt, “this was probably a bad idea.” She clutched the ripped fabric to her breasts and batted her loose hair out of her eyes rather than look at Jackson and Ethan. The only sound in the room was that of her clothes brushing against her skin. When she thought she was dressed enough to finally face them, she saw that had already stood, glaring at her with twin expressions of suspicion and caution. “Lily,” Ethan’s voice was soft, “what’s going on? Did we do something wrong?” She wanted to scream that they’d done everything wrong by doing everything right. It was so wrong that they could so totally take her over and overwhelm her with passion. It was wrong that they could so easily make her forget about what happened last night, about the fact that their families did not like each other. But most of all, it was wrong that she was the one fumbling with her clothing while the two of them looked completely unruffled. How stupid of her, letting the Stones undress her and undo her at the seams. Now she would just be one in a list of women that happened to. She should have known better. “You were right,” she said once she found her voice. Jackson’s browns lowered. “Right about what, exactly?”

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Lily set her shoulders and looked them in eye. “This was a mistake. I, um, just want to let you know that we can just forget this ever happened since it wasn’t really anything, right? I mean, this wasn’t your first go-round for something like this, so…” She cleared her throat. The silence in the room made her ears buzz. “How about we just take the rest of today off?” She glanced over at them. Their faces were hard and serious, their eyes just a bit wounded, as if she had done something to hurt them. Ethan’s mouth opened, and he looked as if he was about to say something, but his eyes glazed over, and his lips snapped shut. The weight of remorse settled into her stomach, but she pushed it away. “I’ll see the two of you tomorrow.” She spun around and started walking, hoping the momentum of her steps would keep her going if one of them tried to stop her. She fled to the safety only physical distance could provide and ran toward her Jeep. What a mess.

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Chapter Seven After hours of driving around aimlessly, Lily pulled up to The Sweet Spot, the sun setting over the horizon, and made her way up the porch steps. She wished Brooke were around, but that girl was all the way in Germany attending some kind of sex toy conference. The ache in her chest told her she needed a little comfort but not the kind the Stone twins provided. In fact, they were the ones who put that ache there in the first place. Instead, she turned to the two people who she knew could help her and put everything in perspective. Lena and Edie were like the big sisters she’d always wanted. She loved her brothers, but they weren’t very good when it came to “girl” stuff. Plus, going to her brothers about boy troubles was practically a death sentence for the boys troubling her. Her body still ached, and her stomach had been churning ever since she left the twins and hopped into her Jeep. She told herself it was just nerves worked up from being attacked and scared shitless, from her anger for not being able to protect herself, but deep down, she knew what had really shaken her up was another form of assault, far more subtle, that didn’t leave any physical bruises. It was the emotional assault caused by unearthing all those feelings she’d tried to keep buried. And that morning, being held in their solid arms, cloaked in their scent, subjected to their torturous kisses, changed everything. The way she had seen the twins shifted so that they were no longer the boys who teased her when she was a kid and who she was forbidden to speak to, the boys she loved to hate and, secretly, hated that she loved. Now they were truly men who were so much

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more than she ever gave them credit for. She’d caught a rare glimpse of Ethan and Jackson, and to say that this recent turn of events surprised her would be an understatement. Something had changed between the three of them, and she hoped she had at least the weekend to figure it out before they got back to work on Monday. She’d successfully avoided speaking to them for nearly a decade. Surely she could avoid them for two days. Lily opened the front door, letting it shut behind her with a creak, and instantly the smells of freshly baked pastries filled her nostrils with their seductive scent, soothing her as the aroma hit that part of her brain that triggered warm, nostalgic memories. “Edie, Lena? Hello? Is anybody here?” Lily walked past the parlor and down the hall to the kitchen where she found the two women cooing over a steaming pan of cinnamon buns. Edie was in the middle of pouring white icing over the spiraled rolls when she looked up and smiled. “Hey, you. Perfect timing, as always.” “You’re making cinnamon buns at this hour? Aren’t they normally breakfast fare?” Lily asked as her mouth watered. “In my book, cinnamon buns are all-day fare, especially around here.” Edie barely lifted her gaze from the buns as she spoke, as if concentrating on covering every inch of bun with just the right amount of glaze. Lena dipped her finger into the stream of icing and licked it off, clearly relishing the sweet, fatty morsel that had rested on the tip of her finger. “I have a good feeling these are going to be amazing once they cool.” Edie quirked an eyebrow at her friend. “Cool? You’re such a fuddy-duddy. We’re gonna eat these babies now while they’re hot and screaming our names!” She set down the large Pyrex measuring cup of icing and grabbed a spatula. She hefted a bun up, and it looked like it must have weighed more than a small dog. “Can you hear it, Lena?”

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She raised the bun near Lena’s ear and said in a high-pitched cartoon voice, “Lena, I’m a cinnamon bun, and you need to eat me.” Lena stuck her tongue out at Edie, and Lily laughed as Edie put the bun on a plate and worked on serving Lily and herself. Lily knew coming here was a good idea. She was feeling better already. Edie wiped her hands on her apron before taking it off, folding it, and setting it on the counter. “What’s the matter? You look a little…preoccupied.” Lily shrugged and picked at the pastry with the tip of her fork. It was the most delicious-looking cinnamon bun she’d ever seen, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. Not while her stomach kept churning. “Wow. It must be something big if it’s ruined your appetite.” Edie wrapped a thin arm around Lily, and she instantly melted into her embrace like warm dough. Lily felt Edie’s large, pillowy breasts against her shoulder, and she couldn’t help but be a bit envious. Lily knew she had a good figure, but it was more athletic than buxom. “Yeah, you do look tense. Have you used that vibrator we gave you?” Lena smiled wryly. “I assure you, a good orgasm can cure almost anything.” Lily wished that were true. It seemed her recent orgasms had done nothing but make her feel sick in the head. “Ugh, no. The most horrible thing happened with that damn vibrator you gave me. It went off in my purse, and Jackson found it. Obviously, he milked that find for all it was worth. He’s such a child.” “No, you’re kidding. That is horrible…and kind of hilarious. I can just imagine what he’d do.” Lena burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Lily. I know it’s rude of me, but, oh my God, how mortifying.” “It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll think it’s a real knee slapper when I’m eighty years old.” Lily sighed and twisted the end of her braid around her fingers. “Well, that can’t be the only thing that’s bothering you.” Edie squeezed her arm. “Come on, Lil. You know you can always talk to us about anything.”

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“I know. It’s just…stupid.” Just thinking about what had happened with the twins that morning made her face warm. She put her hands to her cheeks. “Wait a sec. I know that look.” Edie straightened and looked from Lena to Lily and back. “You had some maybe accidental, unexpected lovin’.” Edie’s eyes narrowed. “And I don’t think you know what to think about it.” Lena’s eyes widened. “Edie, I think you’re right.” She turned to Lily. “Why, you look just the way I did when I met Brock and Wes.” Edie nodded knowingly. “Spill it, girl.” “Well…” Lily swallowed and took a deep breath. “I think we have even more in common than you think, Lena.” “I knew it! It’s the twins, isn’t it?” Edie smiled wide. “You’ve got something going with a pair of Stones.” “Yeah, but what I don’t really know. And I don’t know what to think…or do…or anything.” Lily, frowning, grabbed a hunk of cinnamon roll and stuffed it in her mouth. “Do Seth and Jason know?” Edie asked. Lily almost choked. “No! And, please, let’s keep it that way. They’d go ballistic if they knew.” Lily’s stomach turned at just the thought of her brothers finding out. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” Edie smiled warmly, and she rubbed Lily reassuringly on her arm. “So what happened?” Lena leaned in closer with a gossip-hungry look on her face. “It’s not really that exciting. All we did was make out.” Lily couldn’t bring herself to say out loud how far they’d really gone. Her mind couldn’t wrap around that level of intimacy with the Stone twins just yet. “That’s all?” Lena looked unimpressed. “So what are you getting all worked up about?” Edie playfully slapped Lena in the arm. “Oh, Lena. Give the girl a break. Not everyone’s first sexual encounter is as…juicy as yours.”

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Edie giggled, and Lena blushed, an ear-to-ear grin on her face. Getting hot and heavy in the Stones’ old fashioned grape-crushing barrel had become quite the tourist attraction. Sighing, Lena twirled an auburn tendril around her finger. “It was pretty magical. I’ll never look at grapes the same way again.” Lena cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Lily. “Anyway, this isn’t about me. It’s about you. So, Lily, go on.” Lily shifted in her seat, unsure whether she wanted to talk about her apparently boring love life anymore, but the eager and sincere looks on their faces made her continue. “It’s just that we have all this…history together and it’s…it’s…complicated.” “Do you have feelings for them?” Edie asked. “Of course she does, Edie,” Lena interjected. “Look at her.” That statement gave Lily pause. She didn’t think she knew the answer to Edie’s question, but apparently it was written all over her face. Edie nudged Lena in the shoulder. “Shush, Lena. Let the girl answer for herself.” Then, both pairs of eyes zeroed in on her again. “The truth is, I don’t know. I mean,” Lily couldn’t help but lower her voice, “I did have a crush on them when I was a kid. A silly kid crush.” As the words came out of her mouth, Lily knew she was understating how she’d felt about the twins even when she was a child. “So you’ve harbored feelings for them since you were a kid? That’s so adorable, childhood sweethearts,” Lena cooed. “Not exactly. That was more than a decade ago and nothing ever happened. Ever. I wouldn’t even have called it puppy love. And besides, it’s not like I ever really knew them. We hardly ever spoke except to exchange barbs and then my brothers outright forbade me from speaking to them. The whole Chisholm-Stone thing never helped.” Lily sighed. “It’s all so dumb and childish.” Though she was specifically talking about the feud, she knew her remark applied equally to herself. Being all in knots over a couple boys and some

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heavy petting did seem rather childish. She was a woman now, for God’s sake, an adult. And it was true that though they didn’t really talk, she did know them in a way that went deeper than words. It was just a knowing feeling, as if they were and had always been a part of her. “Whatever you’re really feeling, know that it’s okay. You’re young and there’s no need to rush anything. Just go with it and take it slow,” Edie advised. “Have fun and enjoy yourself.” “That sounds like familiar advice,” Lena said. “And take it from me, Lily. It’s advice worth taking.” The smile on her face said everything, and Lily grimaced. It probably was good advice, but taking it meant so much more for her than it possibly could have for Lena and her men. For Lily, doing anything with the Stone twins meant owning up to, even embracing, long-denied feelings that she had forgotten had even existed. Plus, the relationship would surely revive the bad blood between their two families. They’d been able to coexist peacefully since her fathers died, and she had hoped the feud had died with them, but she also knew her brothers and they weren’t ones to let go of anything without a fight. “You know what I think you need? A little relaxation. And I know just the thing.” Lena put her arm around Lily’s shoulder and began leading her back to the front of the house. “Oh?” Lily cocked an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?” “Well, we have a vacant room upstairs that just so happens to have had a brand new sex swing installed. Neither of us have had a chance to use it, so maybe you can give it a go and report back. Consider it research.” Lena offered a sly smile with her suggestion, giving her a nudge up the stairs. “It’s the room on the second floor, last door to your right.” Lily turned back as she walked slowly up the steps. “Liberate yourself, girl.” Edie gave her a reassuring wave and a devilish smile. “And don’t worry about your cinnamon roll. It’ll be waiting for you once you’ve worked up an appetite.”

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As Lily made her way down the hall, she heard the unmistakable sounds of satisfied lovers, the squeals, moans, and bumps and thumps. She could just picture them, naked, sweating, and rutting like animals—very happy animals. Every noise she heard seemed like a sonic transmission straight to her clit that sent tingles through her cunt, vibrating against her pussy walls until her folds started to feel slick with her fluids. It had been a long time since she’d fucked herself, losing interest after being single for so long, and high time to coax Ethel back into the spotlight. Pushing the door open, Lily stepped inside the room and flicked the light switch, which turned on a floor lamp in the corner of the room. The room had a large four-poster bed and heavy burgundy velvet drapes pulled back with gold tassels against one wall. The adjacent walls were adorned with two painted portraits, one of a man and one of a woman dressed in the Regency style—stuffy and prim. But one thing in the room immediately caught her eye and held her attention. A sex swing suspended by a large black metal frame stood near the center of the room. Brooke had shown her one in her store, but Lily hadn’t had a chance to test it out. In the middle of a showroom bathed in fluorescent lights, the swing seemed too imposing, but now she had privacy in a cozy room with nice, warm lighting. The box the swing came in was still sitting on the dresser. Lily picked it up and read the product copy on the back. “E-Z release padded wrist and ankle restraints!” she said aloud. Well, that seems safe enough, she thought as she set the box down and turned her gaze to the swing. Somehow, it being white in color made it seem more approachable to Lily, as if what she was doing was virginal, perfectly prim, proper, and befitting of a lady or a “nice girl.” She rolled her eyes at herself. Whatever that means. Even though she was born and raised in Liebling, a town known for its open-mindedness about sexuality and feminism, she couldn’t

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help but be influenced by the greater societal notion of what made a “nice girl” versus a slut. In Liebling, practically every woman could be considered a “nice girl” in that they were all truly good people, but if what they did in the bedroom indicated whether they were proper women, there wouldn’t be a nice girl within a six-mile radius. No, Liebling women tended to be pretty vocal about their sexual needs and wouldn’t blink at the kinkiest of fantasies. When it came to sex, women in Liebling would try anything at least once. So, it was certainly out of character for Lily to be shy when it came to her own sexuality, but it had been quite a while since she’d been laid, and, truth be told, she tended to be more of a vanilla, meatand-potatoes kind of girl. And it didn’t help that her brothers had kept their eagle eyes on her twenty-four-seven until Edie came along. Thank God for Edie. And now, it was time for Lily to change all that. She’d be leaving Liebling soon, and there was no time like the present to get reacquainted with herself again. It had been so long, she’d taken to calling her vagina Ethel to reflect the region’s somewhat matronly air. If Ethel had her own outfits, she’d probably wear tweed, ankle-length dresses. In contrast, Brooke named her vagina Roxy, who likely wore leather and lace. Lily sighed and looked up, seeing her reflection in the mirrored ceiling, which didn’t make her feel self-conscious but curious, as if this were the first time she’d ever seen herself. And maybe it was. Perhaps it was the first time she’d truly looked at herself. Gazing up, she saw the rise of her breasts underneath her white tank top and the graceful slope of her shoulders. Her eyes seemed larger than usual, and the lamp’s glow seemed to make her irises catch the light as if aflame. She noticed how full her lips seemed from this angle. Running the tip of her finger across them, Lily remembered the heated sensation of Ethan’s and Jackson’s lips caressing them, biting, nipping, sucking. Her pussy throbbed, aching

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to be filled, and she remembered why she’d come into this room in the first place. She checked that the door was locked and started taking off her clothes when she realized she was doing it as if she were about to hop in the shower after a long night at the bar. No, this was quality “her” time, a chance to get to know her body in this way again. She pulled off each boot and tossed them aside, then unbuttoned and slipped her jeans down her legs, savoring the feel of the thick fabric against the sides of her thighs. Pulling off her tank top, she savored the sensation of her long hair tickling her shoulders and back, imagining that it was soft lips on her skin. She unhooked her bra and watched her pert nipples appearing from beneath the silky material in the mirror above her. After letting her bra slide down her arms, she reached to her taut buds and squeezed them, feeling the fullness of her breasts filling her hands. She worked her hands down her body to her cunt, squeezing it through the damp satin of her panties. Lily was wet, and she hated the fact that it was because of them. But then again, there was that warm familiarity, almost nostalgic, like pulling on a favorite pair of worn jeans. She had nursed a crush on those two for years. She headed to the armoire and pushed past the role-playing costumes. Maybe some other time. But the pair of long, white gloves stopped her in her tracks. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d always wanted a pair of long, dramatic gloves. She couldn’t resist, quickly slipping them on up to her elbows, enjoying the tight feeling that surrounded each of her fingers. She opened a drawer and found what she had really been looking for—all manner of dildos, dongs, strap-ons, vibrators, plugs, and various bondage accoutrements. They beckoned to her, but she went straight for the largest vibrator in the bunch. It was gracefully curved with petal-like ridges on the end and was easily the prettiest vibrator she’d ever seen.

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Holding the device in her hand, she sauntered to the swing and carefully sat on the cushioned seat. She set the vibrator in her lap and reached down to strap her ankles in. She held the arm straps and reclined against the back support, realizing with delight that the thing could bounce and swing in circles. As she got a feel for the thing, she realized it felt surprisingly stable and could certainly withstand a good fucking with one or two strong men. Two men like Ethan and Jackson. Fuck it. At this moment, trying to resist fantasizing about the Stone twins was about as useless as a cocktail umbrella in a rainstorm. And besides, they were just thoughts. Everything they’d shared, all the kisses and touches, had been weak moments brought about by a highly stressful situation. It didn’t represent reality or what was practical. Just a foolish and childish display of hyperactive hormones and misplaced lust. But, boy, was it lusty. Lily let her mind wander as she worked her hands down her body, eschewing the vibrator for now, wedging it between her thigh and the seat. She could work up to that later. Reclining back, Lily gazed at herself in the mirror and reached down to spread her pussy lips. Images of Ethan’s and Jackson’s sweaty bodies and rock-hard muscles flashed through her mind. She tried to imagine their cocks, how big and thick they would be, how heavy each would feel in her mouth or inside her cunt. Somehow, she knew they’d be big. No man walked with the kind of easy swagger they had without packing some serious heat between their meaty thighs. Her cunt veritably hungered for them. She massaged her mound with both hands, gliding her fingers across her moist slit, fondling her slick pussy lips and thoroughly coating her digits with her juices. She circled two fingers around her clit until it felt ready to catch fire and then plunged two fingers from her other hand to the hilt. Pumping her middle and ring fingers against her G-spot, she went slowly at first then worked up to full speed. She was rough with herself, finger-

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fucking herself the way most men would be too afraid to do, who would fear she would fall apart just because she was some delicate female. That mentality always seemed a pity to her. What a waste of what could be a good fuck. Her stomach muscles tightened, the tension insider her building and building, her need climbing higher and higher. Prickles of sweat dewed upon her chest and lower back, and heat blanketed her body as it thrashed in the swing. Lights flashed behind her closed lids, and the room seemed to spiral around her. She felt like she was flying. All her worries seemed to dissipate beneath her soaring form. At that moment, she didn’t care about what was right or what was wrong, but just what felt good. And this was good. On the swing, Lily’s body contorted and flexed in ways she didn’t know were possible. She leaned back and swung her arms above her head until they almost touched the ground, stretching her entire body. Something poked against her side, and she realized it was the vibrator. She turned it on and realized the thing had two motors, one at the base and one at the tip. She slid it inside her spasming cunt, feeling her pussy walls grip the vibrator. Her next orgasm hit her immediately. As her orgasm reached its apex, Lily smiled and knew she was in for a fun night. If only she weren’t alone… **** Ethan downed the last of the beer he’d been nursing all night. It was his and Jackson’s personal brew. They had never much cared for drinking wine and as teenagers had rebelled against their parents by brewing their own beer. It wasn’t the underage drinking that bothered them, either, but simply the choice of spirits. He chuckled to himself as he grabbed another bottle, his third to Jackson’s fifth. Though they could put away quite a few pitchers, neither of them rarely got shit-faced. It just wasn’t the way they were raised. As teens, their friends used to envy that the Stones were

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constantly surrounded by booze, but to the twins and everyone else in the family, it was no big deal. They had no desire to get fall-down drunk. That was for pansies and assholes, not real men, their fathers had told them when they were kids. Ethan could tell that something troubled Jackson, based on the way he was drinking. It was more than usual, and it didn’t take much for Ethan to realize what the source of his twin’s troubles had to be. He knew because he was feeling it, too. He sighed as he crouched to sit beside his brother on their porch step, which provided a nice view of the family’s vineyard. “Aren’t you two a fine pair.” Wes chuckled as he walked from his ceramics studio on the family property and sat down. “Only one thing could cause that look on your faces. So, who is it?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ethan didn’t feel much like talking about it, knowing there wasn’t any point. He knew talk was cheap and a girl like Lily demanded action, not flowery words. “It’s Lily. Lily Chisholm,” Jackson supplied with a scoff. “Little Lily? I haven’t seen her in ages.” “Well, she’s all grown up now.” Jackson let out a low whistle and looked off into the distance. “Grown in all the right places.” “I’m surprised the Chisholm brothers would let her out of their sight.” “Did someone say Chisholm?” Brock, the eldest brother, rounded the corner. “Yep.” Wes glanced at his brother. “Seems like our little brothers here have it bad for the Chisholm girl. Apparently, she isn’t a kid anymore.” “Why in the hell would you want to mess with a Chisholm? The family’s made up of a bunch of short-tempered know-nothings. Besides, weren’t you forbidden from speaking to her?” “That was almost ten years ago,” Ethan said. He couldn’t imagine that still mattering to the Chisholm brothers, but then again, he learned long ago never to underestimate them.

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“Plus, we have to talk to her now ’cause we’re working together,” Jackson added. “Still, messing with Seth and Jason’s baby sister is doing nothing but asking for a world of hurt.” Brock chuckled. “And I think you two are too pretty to want to get your faces messed up.” “Shut up, Brock,” Ethan said, his hands instinctively balling into fists. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Touchy, touchy. Wes was right. You do have it bad.” “Why don’t you just shut your mouth and get back to picking out china patterns?” Jackson said. “It’s not china patterns, and it’s harder than you think. Lena wanted us to help with the wedding planning.” “She had read in one of her woman magazines that it was a good idea to get the future husband, in our case husbands, involved, that it would strengthen our bond.” Wes had a surprisingly serious and sincere look on his face. “You’re whipped, big brothers,” Jackson taunted. “She’s got you two wrapped around her pinky finger.” “I give my woman what she wants.” Brock grinned. “Maybe that’s something you should try out for once.” “Please, all the women I’m with are more than happy with what I have to offer.” Jackson smiled smugly. “They practically shower me with praise when it’s over.” “Maybe they’re thankful just ’cause it’s over.” Brock laughed, holding his arms up as Jackson pretended he was going to punch him. “All right, all right. That’s enough you two.” Wes stepped between them. “I know we all have better things to do than bicker.” Brock glanced at his watch and frowned. “Speaking of which, where the hell is Lena? She was supposed to meet us here ten minutes ago.” Brock pulled out his cell phone and dialed. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s going on? We were supposed to meet here at the vineyard ten minutes ago. You’re going to be late? Lily’s upset? About what?” Brock nodded and glared at Ethan and Jackson. “Why am I not

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surprised? So you breaking out the pints of ice cream? No? I see, cinnamon rolls. Well, is there anything I should pass on to the twins? Okay, sure. Goodbye, beautiful. I love you. See you soon.” Brock hung up and put his phone in his pocket. “What’s going on with Lily?” Ethan’s heart had sunk as soon as he heard Lily was upset. “Sounds like she’s upset because you two started something you couldn’t finish.” “What? But she’s the one who pushed us away.” Jackson stood and paced. “Maybe there’s been some kind of miscommunication,” Wes suggested. “Why don’t you two go over there and talk to her?” “Lena did say she thought you two should go over to the B&B.” “Well, there. A perfect opportunity, fellas. Ask and ye shall receive.” Wes smiled smugly. “I don’t know…” Ethan looked to each of his brothers, unsure of what he wanted to do. He wanted to see Lily, of that there was no question, but he also didn’t want to rush her. He had a feeling Lily wasn’t the type to be rushed into anything, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her off. “Women like to talk, and more than anything, they want to feel that they’re being listened to,” Wes offered. “It couldn’t hurt to just go and touch base with the girl and the sooner the better. You two should nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. More than any people I’ve ever known, the Chisholms can hold a grudge. It could be another ten years before you speak again.” Jackson tapped Ethan on the shoulder, motioning for him to stand. “If the woman wants to talk, then let her talk. Come on, man.” He headed for their truck and got into the driver seat. Ethan thought his twin suspected if he let him drive, they wouldn’t get to their intended destination. They drove in silence as Ethan tried to come up with any reason to turn back around. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Lily. Lord knew,

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every moment with her felt like a missing piece of himself had returned. But what he feared was that if they handled this the wrong way, which was usually the way Jackson chose to do things, he’d never have that feeling of completeness, however brief, again. “I know what you’re thinking, and I’ll just tell you right now that there’s not an excuse you can come up with that will make me turn around.” Jackson took his eyes off the road to cock an eyebrow at him, a look Ethan didn’t appreciate in the least. It was his I-think-wemight-get-laid look. “Stop being a pussy.” “Shut up, Jackson. If you’re thinking of fucking her, you’re fucked up in the head. Lily’s been through a traumatic experience, and I think you’re trying to take advantage of her.” “Me?” Jackson gave Ethan his best innocent, doe-eyed look and then laughed. “You’re an idiot if you think I’d do that.” Ethan sat silently. “Shit, my own twin brother.” “Well, you do have a history, Jackson, and I know you like the back of my hand. Every look, every dirty thought, I think I know what you’re about to do even before you do.” “Don’t be so sure of yourself, Ethan. Maybe I’m more complicated than you think. Besides, people can change. Maybe I’ve grown up some.” “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, knowing better than to believe his twin’s sweet talk. There was a possibility that Jackson had changed and matured, but it was slim. Like, razor thin. “And besides, maybe I’m concerned about Lily and just want to make sure she’s okay. You don’t have a monopoly on being considerate, okay?” Ethan scoffed. “Again, I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

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“What are you talking about? Who was the one who said we needed to talk to Lily, huh? Come on, you know you’ve had a hard-on for her since we were all kids. What the fuck are you waiting for?” “Maybe the right moment. Listen, you’ve never had any problem hopping on the first cute chick who came along, but Lily is different, okay? She’s…special.” “Jesus, Ethan.” They pulled up to the B&B, and Jackson practically ran up the steps while Ethan followed feeling like lead weights were tied to his feet. “Hello, fellas,” Lena said. “I was wondering when you two would show up.” Edie held up a key and gestured toward the staircase. “She’s upstairs. Really upset. I don’t know what you guys did, but you better fix it.” Jackson took the key, and Edie placed her hands on her hips, frowning. Ethan didn’t know what Lily had said to them, but the look on Edie’s face told him they’d really fucked up somehow. He could kick himself. He’d bent over backwards to play it safe, and it seemed like he’d still blown it. “Well, let’s get to it, then.” Jackson turned on his heels and ran up the stairs. “Jackson, wait…” Ethan followed his twin as Lena called out what room Lily was in. He could’ve sworn he heard the two girls giggling, but by then Jackson was already at the door fitting the key in the lock. “Don’t you think we should knock first?” Ethan asked. Jackson paused and shrugged when a sound caught Ethan’s attention. Ethan held up his hand for silence and moved closer to the door, listening intently. “Shit, do you hear that? It sounds like she’s crying or something.” The thought of Lily crying because of something he did hit him hard. And then, before he could even think, he heard her screaming his and his brother’s name, and instinct took over. Lily needed them, and he’d be damned if he’d let her be hurt

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while he could be there to help. He grabbed the key from Jackson’s hand and in no time had unlocked and pushed the door open. Running inside the room, fearing the worst, Ethan was instead greeted with the best, most stunning vision he’d ever hoped to see, a vision he’d imagined for ages. And as he always suspected, his imagination hadn’t done Lily justice. Even though he only got a glimpse before she turned away, the sight would be forever ingrained in his mind and would be something he’d carry with him for the rest of his life. Her creamy white thighs, firm and toned, were spread wide open and revealed a trimmed nest of hair. Her pussy lips were pink and swollen, coated in her juices. He would give anything for just one taste. The sweet scent of her arousal seemed to pervade every corner of the room, just as it certainly would his memory. “Have mercy,” he uttered breathlessly, barely noticing that he’d sprouted an erection that stretched past his waistband to his navel.

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Chapter Eight “Fuck yeah, ahh!” Lily moaned her release as her fantasies about Ethan and Jackson reached a head. She almost thought she could hear their voices and couldn’t help herself when she screamed their names in her blind fit of ecstasy. Fantasizing about them was like a recovering addict getting that first hint of a fix that threw her completely off the wagon. She thanked her lucky stars she had an entire weekend before she would likely see the twins—plenty of time to get sober again. And then she’d be gone in two and a half months and would never have to worry about these two men again. Lily jumped when she heard someone call her name and then a door opening. Shit, didn’t I lock the damn thing? She scrambled to sit up, shut off the vibrator, and instinctively covered her breasts and mound, spinning the swing around so they could no longer see her and she didn’t have to see them. “What the fuck are you two doing here?” Her voice sounded impossibly shrill, and she cringed. Knowing full well that they had surely already gotten a fullfrontal view of her and now had a perfect view of her bare behind, Lily refused to turn herself around to face them. Even then, she had a good idea they could still see her blushing. “Holy shit. I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t know what you were doing in here,” Ethan stammered. “Lena and Edie gave us the key and told us we should come up here to talk to you, that you needed us.”

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So that’s how they got in here. They got a key from those two meddling…angels. Lily almost smiled. Even though she should have been pissed that Lena and Edie would go out of their way to put her in a compromising position, she knew it was something she actually wanted but would’ve been too stubborn to make happen. “I’ll say she needs us,” Jackson said under his breath. He sounded almost choked up, which did pique her interest a little bit and reminded her of how vulnerable and kind he had been the day before after her attack. At the time, she thought the hint of vulnerability was a fluke, a weak moment caused by a near-death situation. But now? The only thing that was near death was her pride. “Look at that ass. Lily, why don’t you turn around and speak to us face to face?” The obvious mirth in Jackson’s voice, at any other time, in any other situation, would most likely have annoyed the hell out of her, but not now. She found the rough playfulness enticing. Oh, yes. She wanted them, and Ethel needed them. The slickness in her pussy, the way it still ached to be filled, told her so. The hand cupping her mound slowly unfurled, and she let a finger graze the juicy folds of her labia. Her breath hitched in her throat. She was primed and more than ready to go. This time for real, not just in the hidden world of her fantasies. She dropped the vibrator to the floor, but still couldn’t vocalize what she wanted. Perhaps that was because her brain controlled that action, and it knew better than to get even more mixed up with the infamous Stone twins. “Lily, what’s going on here?” Ethan’s normally buttery rich voice now sounded strangled as if out of breath. Does he really have to ask? “Um…research.” “Since when does researching furniture involve being buck naked, screaming our names?” Jackson asked. And since when do you ask so many questions and notice things about women?

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“I think you must have misheard. Anyway, I’m just trying to test out the authenticity of the experience. Like I said, research.” Lily straightened, trying to seem authoritative, or as authoritative as she could possibly be considering she was caught naked with a vibrator in a sex swing. Jackson chuckled, but she knew Ethan wasn’t going to be satisfied with her explanation. He’d want the absolute truth. “I know I heard you calling our names. I thought you were hurt or something. Do you want us to leave?” It was obvious in his tone that Ethan wanted to stay, but the damn fool was too much of a gentleman not to ask her first. It was times like this Lily wished his mother hadn’t raised him so well. She craned her neck to look at him, a mistake that did nothing but weaken her will. His normally sweet and placid demeanor was overtaken by something else, something bordering on feral or desperate. A wild and hungry glint lit up his deep blue eyes as they lasered into her, setting her frazzled nerves afire. Everything in her body seemed to be battling itself, making her circuits go haywire in the process. She wanted to run, to hide, but more than anything to fuck and be fucked. Hard. “Umm…I…” She shut her eyes and tried steadying her breathing. It didn’t take a genius to know the men wanted to stay and she wanted them to stay, but what Lily was having trouble figuring out was whether she wanted to want them. If anyone had asked her this a week ago, she would’ve given an emphatic and unhesitating no. But now? “Lily, what do you want us to do?” She realized Ethan was pleading with her, and instead of making her feel powerful, she felt even weaker because she didn’t have the control that he must’ve thought she had, that she wished she had. “Cat got your tongue, sweetheart?” Jackson sounded like the only confident one in the bunch, like a predator who knew in its blood what it hungered for. She heard heavy footsteps approaching and then

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a wall of heat against her back, making her every muscle tense up. She knew instantly it was Jackson. The swing was slowly spun around until she faced what at that moment felt like destiny, history made inevitable. Jackson’s gaze lingered on her pussy, and she could swear it blushed. “I think your silence speaks volumes, Lily.” The arrogance in his voice revved her up even more. Her palm itched to slap him across the face just as much as it wanted to push said face into her dripping cunt. The thick drawl gave her a good idea of what his tongue and heated breath would feel like on her mound, spreading her pussy lips and delving in to consume her. “How dare you! What I need is for you to get the fuck out of this room.” Lily, still trying in vain to cover her nudity, stared into those fiery green eyes. “You’re talking to both of us?” Jackson inched closer, his impish grin growing ever wider. The nerve of this guy! What the fuck is he up to? “Yes, you two. Both of you, get out now!” Her voice wobbled when she spoke, betraying the strength and self-assuredness she tried to project. She spun back around, unable to take another moment of watching Jackson’s gaze lingering on her pussy. She flinched when rough stubble grazed her jawbone and the tip of her earlobe, but within a heartbeat, she found herself wanting to lean in to it, to get more of the rough contact, that heat, and amazing scent that bellowed virility. “Are you sure that’s what you want? For us to go?” Good God, that voice. It could consume her like a mountain lion devouring any helpless little thing in its path. And that’s what she was, for the first time in her adult life. A helpless little thing completely at his mercy. “Hell, yes, I want you to leave. Jackson, you really are an idiot, you know that?” she asked between pants, not knowing how those

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words managed to come out of her mouth considering her sudden inability to breathe. Her defenses continued melting when he leaned in closer and whispered, “’Cause if we leave, we might not come back so you better think long and hard before you make your decision.” Jackson’s murmured words were like pebbles being thrown against glass—each one alone probably wouldn’t break it, but the right one in the right place could easily shatter it. All he needed to do was say the right thing, and Lily knew she wouldn’t be able to resist any longer. She sat in stony silence and waited. “Isn’t that right, Ethan?” She would’ve forgotten Ethan was in the room if he had been any other person, he was so quiet. But she always knew when Ethan was nearby. Her body sensed it. In a way, Jackson was easy to resist because he was so damn aggravating most of the time. The more he pushed her buttons, the more she wanted to push back. But Ethan? He didn’t push buttons. He caressed them, teased them, until she was begging for them to be pushed. Hard. She wondered if he ever realized the kind of power he held over her, had always held over her, and that she tried so desperately to fortify herself against. “Go fuck yourself, Jackson,” Ethan said. Lily turned just in time to watch him turn and walk away and then Jackson follow. “Ethan, come on, man.” Just as they were about to shut the door, Lily started to stand and realized just how compromising her position truly was. During her personal, orgasm-induced Cirque du Soleil routine, she’d somehow gotten her leg wrapped around the ankle stirrup. She tried to reach for the Velcro strap, but her wrists were also tangled up, and she didn’t have enough slack to reach her hand to her legs, and her thrashing alone wasn’t doing a thing to get her free. E-Z release, my ass! Lily huffed and blew her tangled hair out of her eyes. She had two options. Ask for the twins to return or call for Edie and Lena, and she

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really didn’t want to expose her humiliation to any more people than necessary. She buried all sense of pride and watched as Jackson began shutting the door behind him. “Wait! Ethan, Jackson, hold on. Help!” Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like an eternity had passed before the door fully opened again. “You change your mind, Lily?” Jackson said triumphantly. “I knew you would. They always do.” “No, you don’t get it. I’m…” “You’re what?” “I’m stuck, you jerk. I somehow tangled myself up in this thing and I’m stuck.” She decided to appeal directly to the nicer of the two. “Ethan, please. Don’t make this worse on me than it already is. I’m embarrassed enough, okay?” “Of course. Hold on. Are both your legs and arms stuck?” Ethan looked her directly in the eyes and sounded sincerely concerned for her, something Lily wasn’t entirely expecting considering how naked she was. He shifted himself as he walked toward her, and Lily noticed the massive erection Ethan tried to conceal. She marveled at his ability to be so considerate and thoughtful when all the blood in his body had to have left his brain to fully engorge a dick that impressive in size. “It looks like it,” she mumbled, realizing, as she stared at Ethan’s crotch, that she couldn’t return the same courtesy to him. Ethan swiftly went behind her to the straps around her arms, out of her line of sight, but Jackson sauntered over to stand right in front of her. He bent down and held one of her ankles. Her legs were bent, and Jackson took full advantage of the proximity this action had created between her ankle and her cunt. He looked right at her pussy, and all at once, Lily felt mortified yet thoroughly aroused. It took her two seconds too long to close her fingers and block her cunt from his view.

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“Do you mind?” Lily said, trying to make up for her lapse in propriety with an acid-laced tone. “No need to be shy, Lily. It’s nothing I’ve never seen before. Seen one pussy, you’ve seen them all.” Even though she knew it shouldn’t, his words still stung. “Well, I’m sure your cock’s not much to look at, either.” Somehow, it wasn’t quite the snappy comeback she had hoped for. Blast! Jackson chuckled, casually turning his attention to her ankles, but she suspected he still looked at her pussy out of the corner of his eye. “Christ, woman. What the hell did you do in this thing?” Ethan tugged at the straps around her wrists, and Lily craned her neck to look at him, leaving her at eye level with his crotch. She could easily make out the shape of his dick, the curve of his cockhead, just mere inches from her face, and that just piqued her curiosity and wound down her inhibitions even more. She wanted to know what was underneath those jeans. “This isn’t fair,” Lily said. “You know, it’s really humiliating being the only naked person in a room.” Jackson scoffed. “Well, you should have thought of that before you hopped into this thing and got tangled up. You’re like a little squirrel caught in a trap.” “Fuck you, Jackson.” She did feel like she was caught in a trap, but one she had no interest in being set free from. “I’d watch how you speak to me. You need our help to get you out of this thing. What if we just left you here to rot?” “You wouldn’t!” “I would, and based on your sass, I think I should.” Jackson started to stand, and Lily panicked. “Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?” “Relax, squirrel. I’m taking my clothes off.” He seemed to suppress a laugh as Lily’s jaw dropped. As he peeled his black T-shirt over his broad chest, the material stretched as it passed over his

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muscled arms. “What? My mama taught me never to leave a girl stranded. Of course, I think she meant on the side of the road with a busted tire or something, but I think the same basic lesson applies here, too.” When he tugged off his boots and pulled his jeans down over his tree-trunks-for-thighs, Lily’s eyes zeroed in on the one limb protruding directly from his taut body. She hoped she wasn’t drooling because she wouldn’t be able to reach her face to wipe it off. “You look like you’ve never seen a cock before. Or is it just because mine’s so impressive?” Lily swallowed and cleared her throat. “Don’t flatter yourself.” Although she had seen other penises in her life, there was some truth in Jackson’s statement. So far, no cock she had ever seen could compare to Jackson’s in terms of length or girth. Jackson’s cock was long and thick and meaty. Lily guessed it was probably nine inches long and so thick she might have a hard time getting her lips around it, but she wouldn’t mind trying. The swollen, purple head begged to be sucked, and she would’ve gladly taken it to the back of her throat. “If you think this is a sight, wait till you get an eyeful of Ethan’s junk.” Jackson nodded toward the man standing behind her. “Come on, Jackson. Don’t be an ass.” Ethan’s normally smooth voice sounded hoarse as if he were parched. As Lily felt moisture pooling between her pussy lips, she couldn’t help but think she knew of at least one thing that could quench Ethan’s thirst. “What? The lady requested we disrobe and that is what I’ve done. What would Ma think if she knew you turned your back on a lady in need?” Jackson smirked. She wished she could see Ethan’s face, but he continued to stand behind her. “I’m not turning my back. She needs to get out of this swing, and that’s what I’m working on doing,” Ethan said through gritted teeth. “But you heard her. The lady requested you take your clothes off so she doesn’t feel uncomfortable.” Jackson enunciated every word

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carefully as if to assure there was no chance of Ethan mistaking his meaning. “Isn’t that what you said, Lily?” “Yes, that’s right.” She couldn’t believe she actually agreed with something Jackson said, but for once, they seemed to see eye to eye on something, despite how obviously all parties were trying to pretend the opposite. Well, at least she thought the twins were pretending, if their erect cocks said anything. “Fine.” A rustling of clothing and metal buckles and then the thunk of heavy boots on the ground told her Ethan had taken his clothes off as well. Lily sensed something had shifted in the room. It seemed as if all the air had been sucked out. For a second, she was afraid of what she had gotten herself into. Not only trapped in a sex swing, but trapped naked in a room with two naked men whom she had fantasized about only moments before. Her fantasies were so close to becoming reality, but it would be a reality she wasn’t sure she could handle. Be careful what you wish for. She looked down to see Jackson taking her calf in his callused hands. He slowly bent down, one hand untwisting the strap from around her leg, while his lips brushed her inner ankle and worked their way up the back of her leg, stopping at the spot on her thigh just above the crook of her knee. The sensation caused her entire body to tremble. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out. “Now are you sure you still want us to take you out of this contraption? Or do you want to make the most of it while you’re here?” Jackson asked. Lily didn’t know how to answer. She swallowed the massive lump forming in her throat and ran her tongue across her dry lips. As she feared—or hoped—Jackson took her silence as encouragement to go forth. His dazzling smile seemed to be radiating at a thousand watts as he clearly intended to amp up his charm. Lily wondered if succumbing to this would really make her as weak as she had dismissed other women of being. She considered the possibility that

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she had been too judgmental or, rather, she was letting her brain do too much of the judging. Jackson stood, towering over her, his hard cock a hairsbreadth away from touching her knee. “I asked you a question, Lily, and I’ll repeat myself just once. Since we’re here and already naked, we might as well see how this thing you’re all wrapped up in works, right? Since we’re going to have to incorporate them into the design of the rooms. You know, research.” Lily suddenly saw the benefit of having an arrogant, persistent, sex-crazed, quick-thinking hound dog around. “And we don’t want to include too many pieces of furniture that serve redundant purposes,” she said slowly, beginning to understand how they could justify their carnal activities by veiling them with professional duties. “Exactly. No need to do extra work if it doesn’t serve a purpose,” Jackson reasoned, clearly only for Ethan’s benefit now. Lily held her breath as she waited for Ethan’s response. “So what did you two have in mind?” Ethan asked. For the first time, it was Ethan Lily wanted to throttle. Before she could get too worked up, Lily heard the sound of Velcro being taken apart and felt two rough hands at her knees, spreading her legs wide. “Maybe something like this,” Jackson said as he kneeled and then buried his face in her pussy. Lily’s first response wasn’t to push him away or squeeze her legs closed, but to pull him in closer. She wrapped her legs around his neck, pulling him in as best she could. “Yes, Jackson, yes!” Lily screamed as her aching cunt was being devoured and tongue-fucked. The pressure of his face, the rough stubble on his jawline, soothed her ache yet made her needy for more. Her hands and arms, suspended over her head, groped blindly in the air, searching for something.

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When she felt a warm presence radiating against her back and then two tentative hands resting on her shoulders, she knew what her own hands had been seeking. “Oh, Ethan. Finally.” When she felt him undoing the bands around her wrist, she turned to him. “No, Ethan. That can wait, can’t it?” They locked eyes for a moment, his stormy, deep-blue ones completely unreadable. She couldn’t figure out the thoughts running through his mind at that moment, if he was pleased or not by this recent turn of events. Before she could question it any further, Ethan stopped all thoughts that were running through her mind as he moved his hands from her wrists to her head, pulling her face toward his, and kissed her. She was engulfed by his spicy, sweet odor, intoxicated by the blanket of his masculine musk and the touch of his firm hands. Her mind swirled as his lips released hers, and, again, he just looked at her, his eyes tumultuously dark. “I just want you to know that this isn’t a game to me, Lily. There’s nothing left for me to research because I already know all I need to.” Before she could ponder his words, he kissed her again, but with utter abandon. Ethan bit and sucked on her bottom lip so hard it pulled her toward him. His hands traveled down to her breasts, massaging them and rubbing against her peaked nipples. Between kisses and sucking, moving from one ultra-sensitive part of her anatomy to the next, Ethan held her gaze, never turning away. Staring into his deep-blue eyes unnerved her, but it also excited her. Somehow, this intimacy felt more dangerous than anything she’d experienced before. A nibble on her clit forced her to wrench her gaze away from the hypnotically blue orbs staring at her. She gazed from one identical face to the next. They looked so similar, and yet they were worlds apart in so many different ways.

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**** Jackson dipped his face back down to her warm cunt, fragrant and glistening with her pussy juices. He had been thinking about eating her cunt since even before the moment his finger ran along her wet pussy lips. But once he had that small taste of her from the tip of his finger, he had hungered for her like a beast, could think of nothing but her sweetness lingering on his tongue. He could imagine himself bottling her juices and getting drunk from her fine elixir, becoming an addict, and it would be an addiction from which there would be no recovery. He feared he had already become an addict for life, and now that he was trapped between her creamy thighs consuming her pussy, there would be no way of turning back. Using his thumbs, he spread her pussy lips farther, allowing his tongue better access to her throbbing hole. He fucked his tongue inside her, not even bothering to be gentle. He instinctively knew Lily didn’t need any working up, even if she hadn’t been masturbating before they got there. When she was ready, she was ready, and there was no need to pussyfoot around. He couldn’t wait to pound into that tight little cunt of hers, but that would wait. There was someone else who wanted it more than he did. No, that wasn’t quite accurate. Who could say whether he or Ethan wanted her more, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Ethan needed it, needed her. Jackson knew he would just have to be satisfied with having his tongue inside her tasty morsel. His cock would have to wait to enter that little piece of heaven. He grabbed the round, firm globe of her ass cheek and slipped his thick middle finger from his other hand inside her weeping cunt. He could feel her pussy walls gripping his finger the way he imagined she would his cock. But again, that would have to wait. As he massaged her ass, he grazed the puckered hole of her rectum. She jerked away, but the groan that came afterward told him she wouldn’t mind a little more attention to that secret spot. Jackson

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decided to build up to that, not for her, but for him. He wanted to enjoy and savor every second before taking her there and plundering her darkness. As he twirled her pearl around his tongue, sending her into fits of rapture, her cream dripped into his hungry mouth. She tasted warmer, sweeter, better than he could have ever imagined. Pushing his tongue deep within her, Jackson began to feel the telltale pulses of her vaginal walls, declaring her impending climax. He doubled up his efforts, working her clit with one thumb, while massaging her asshole with his other hand. Lily, just like the flower she’d been named after, bloomed right before his eyes. Her legs bucked, her arms flailed, her toes curled, and the noises that came out of her mouth were damn near animalistic. If she had been any other girl, this would’ve been the moment when he plunged his cock inside her to catch the last flutterings of her orgasm before giving her another one with his dick alone. But she wasn’t any other girl. This was Lily Chisholm, and despite how completely enthralling it was to be bathed in the luscious aroma of her pussy, trapped by the tight grip of her thighs, he could not help but think about his other half. Jackson used all his strength to tear his mouth away from the exquisite delicacy that was Lily’s pussy. He stood and, clearing his throat, casually stepped away. “Well, I think we can all safely say that my work as a research assistant is done here. This swing is just fine for pussy eating, and I will certainly make a note of that in my report.” He grinned. Lily’s mouth hung open, and it was likely she’d just never closed it again after he’d made her scream from pleasure. “What report?” Lily looked baffled, making Jackson both proud and disappointed that her orgasm-induced haze had prevented her from understanding his plan. “I don’t think we’re done yet. I don’t—” Jackson held up his hand, silencing her. “Oh, no, we’re done. With the pussy eating part, that is. Of course,” Jackson picked up the box that the swing had come in, “this is a sex swing, so that encompasses all types of fornication.” He rubbed his chin with his

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thumb and forefinger as if studying the ad copy on the package like an erudite archeologist examining an ancient artifact. Lily sat up, as best she could considering she was suspended in the air, and displayed her pearly whites in a cheery smile. “Yes! That is absolutely true, Jackson.” She pulled her expression into a serious frown. “We need to fully test out all of the swing’s capabilities…for the sake of our clients, of course.” Ethan stood back, arms folded across his chest. “I think you two have lost your damn minds, playing this stupid game. Do you think I’m such an idiot that I don’t know what you’re doing?” Jackson ran his hand through his hair and blew out all the air in his lungs. “We’re not doing anything, Ethan, in case you haven’t noticed. Thanks to you.” “Don’t make me out to be the bad guy here, okay? I expect this childishness from you, Jackson, but Lily?” Ethan spun Lily around to face him, and Jackson didn’t miss the way her eyes zeroed in on Ethan’s cock, still hard as a rock despite the sudden damper he’d put on their evening. “I don’t even know what’s going on with you anymore.” Mouth agape, Lily seemed to struggle before finding her voice. “Well, I could say the same for you, Ethan Stone. What happened to the infamous Stone twins I’ve heard so much about all my life? I’ve never heard tell of you two ever turning away any of the women in this town who needed a good fuck, so why me?” That seemed to take his twin off guard. Ethan just stood there, simmering. “Well? Answer me!” Lily yelled. “Why me?” “Because I care about you, damn it!” “So what?” Lily looked to Jackson, who could only shrug, and then back to Ethan. “What difference does it make?” Ethan’s eyes widened, clearly offended by Lily’s comment. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

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Lily grew silent as well, and she fiddled with her hair, pulling it over her shoulder and twisting it into a braid. She looked up at his twin, her blue-black eyes doe-like and her raspberry lips in a childlike pout. “For fuck’s sake, Ethan,” she said in nearly a whisper. “Stop being a nice guy and just fuck me.” **** And just like that, Lily saw all of Ethan’s anger and frustration disappear. She didn’t know what to expect next, but she didn’t have to wait long to find out. Ethan leapt at her with a snarl. First, he kissed her fully on the mouth, his tongue grabbing on to her own and sucking it into his mouth. His rough hands traveled down the sides of her breasts and then each held out a globe for him to suckle. He lapped at her pebbled nipples, which grew even harder as his tongue rasped across them, pulling them into his mouth. The passion and intensity that radiated from him scorched her and almost made her think she had written a check her cunt couldn’t cash. “Do you know I’ve waited what feels like my whole life for this moment?” he asked in a whisper. Truth was, she hadn’t known, but she felt exactly the same way. His admittance of his feelings for her was like a balm that instantly allayed any of her fears, insecurities, or doubts. She knew that no matter what, Ethan would never hurt her and any barriers preventing her from completely giving herself to him were from her alone. She struggled to breathe as his ministrations caused her breath to hitch repeatedly, and she frantically gulped in air, not wanting to pass out and miss a second of what was to come. Jackson disappeared for a moment, leaving her alone with Ethan. He pulled away and just stared at her, his eyes seeming to eat every inch of her naked flesh. She had never felt more vulnerable and desirable in all her life.

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Her eyes also traveled up and down his nude form, a perfect specimen of male anatomy, from his head to his…head. Her perusal stopped at his cock. The thick rod of hard flesh was breathtaking to look at, and her mouth watered at the sight. She tried to reach out for it and then realized she was still stuck in the swing. “Christ, I want you, Ethan.” She knew she sounded desperate and wanton, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore except for the union of their bodies. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to rush you.” Ethan poised the swollen purple head of his cock right at her entrance, unknowingly teasing her nearly into a fit of agony. If she hadn’t still been trapped in the swing, she’d have lunged at him and impaled herself on his cock on her own. “Boy, you couldn’t rush me if you tried.” Ethan nodded slightly, and a feral glint flashed behind his eyes as he gritted his teeth and growled. He gripped her hips tightly in his hands, suddenly more like bands of steel, and pulled her toward his thick cock so hard and so quickly, Lily gasped. She didn’t know what kind of beast she had unleashed, but her cunt flooded with pussy juices in anticipation. He pushed his cockhead into her, and her pussy lips stretched impossibly wide to accommodate his girth. But any hint of pain was overshadowed by the torrent of pleasure emanating from their intimate connection. Despite her tightness, he slid in easily, aided by the flood of her juices dripping down her thighs. It wasn’t anything like how she imagined it. She always thought Ethan would be a sweet and careful lover, but this Ethan, this animalistic creature rutting as if crazed and hungry, was wholly unexpected. This Ethan gave her a rush, a high that she knew she’d never be able to live without. Her pleasure climbed impossibly higher as if reaching for the glittering stars that dotted the Texas hill country skyline. When Jackson made his presence known behind her, it was as if those stars

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came cascading down in a torrent of falling embers. Lily hadn’t been with more than one man at once yet and having Jackson there was like a completion of a circuit that allowed her to fully realize herself as a Liebling woman. She startled when she felt a firm, moistened object at her asshole. She sucked in another breath, and her back arched, pressing her ass against the object slicked with lube. “Do you want this, Lily?” Jackson said huskily against her ear. He prodded more forcefully against her asshole until it just barely penetrated her. “Yes, yes, Jackson, please.” The need in her voice surprised her. She’d never been that curious about anal play, but now she wanted nothing more than for the fullness in her ass to match that in her cunt full of Ethan’s hot dick. Jackson steadily pushed it farther into her virgin hole. Once the plug was fully seated inside her, every thrust of Ethan’s cock jostled the little device, producing warm waves of sensation. She realized this must have been the ceramic water-filled plug Wes Stone was famous for creating. Now she knew why Lena always had that look on her face. Every thought in her mind disappeared as soon as Jackson stood, heating her entire backside with his solid male form. His large, rough hands gripped the globes of her breasts, squeezing them and rolling her hard nipples through callused fingers. When he sank his teeth into the tender skin of his neck, her entire body shuddered with the pleasure-pain. He nibbled up to her earlobe, gently nipping as one hand continued to explore her breasts and her nipples and the other reached down to grab her ass, stimulating her plug-filled hole in the process. The epically satisfying dual penetration coupled with Jackson’s expert ministrations and the raw emotion coming from Ethan sent her pleasure spiraling through her with such intensity that it brought tears to her eyes. With Ethan seated deeply inside her, she felt like a

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missing piece of her had returned, but she knew she wouldn’t feel completely whole until both men were inside her. She knew Jackson had purposefully stepped aside and had sacrificed his own pleasure for that of his brother, that he had orchestrated everything just so the evening could unfold exactly this way. With that thought lingering in the recesses of her mind and soul, she came for the last time that night, shortly followed by Ethan’s release. She closed her eyes, unable to feel anything but the mad beating of her heart. Ethan pulled away, and Jackson removed the plug from her ass. He wiped her down with a warm, moist towel while Ethan finished freeing her from the swing. When he untangled the final strap, it was as if the spell they had woven together had broken, and her fear resurfaced, all her anxieties trickling back. What was she doing with the Stone twins? What was this that they were doing? What would her brothers think? What did this mean? But then she pushed it all away and let herself go, gave herself to Ethan and Jackson, the feeling too good, too right, too long in the making to run away from now. For now, she would let her fantasy run wild. She’d deal with reality in the morning. **** As he started to wake up, Ethan reached to pull Lily closer to him. Instead, all he got were cold, empty sheets. His eyes shot open, and he sat up, looking to where Lily should have been sleeping. He looked to his brother, still dead asleep. “Jackson, wake up.” He nudged his twin’s shoulder. Jackson yawned and stretched. “You ready for another round, Lily?” he asked sleepily. Ethan rolled his eyes and swung his legs over the bed to stand. “It’s not Lily, it’s me.” “What are you doing trying to hug on me in the morning?” Jackson rubbed his eyes and sat up. “Where’s Lily?”

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“She’s gone. Lily’s gone.” As the words left his mouth, Ethan felt his stomach drop. Those were two words he’d always been terrified of. “I knew this would happen.” He hurriedly got dressed. He had to find her. “You knew what would happen?” Jackson could not have moved slower. Ethan bent and grabbed Jackson’s clothes, throwing them at him. “Hey, watch it.” “Come on, get dressed.” “Where are we going?” “To find Lily, asshole.” “Isn’t it a bit early to be calling me names? We haven’t even had breakfast yet.” “This is all your fault that she’s gone.” “What are you talking about? How do you know she isn’t downstairs eating scones and telling Edie and Lena about the two stallions who rocked her world last night?” “I just know.” Ethan could feel it deep in his bones that something was wrong. The sheet had been cold, too cold. She’d left hours ago, maybe even before dawn broke. “If you hadn’t pushed her so hard, she’d still be around. Now, God knows what our relationship is going to be like in the future.” “Relax. We’re going to see her on Monday, anyway. Remember? We’re kind of forced to spend the summer together until this project is complete. Lily’s not the kind of person who ditches on her responsibilities. No matter what she thinks about you or me, she’ll be back here on Monday.” “That’s not the same.” “Well, what difference does it make, anyway? Didn’t you get what you wanted?” “No. What I want is Lily, not some one-night stand. When are you going to understand that? You might want to spend the rest of your life fucking every woman who is unfortunate enough to cross your path, but that’s not for me. That’s not what I want.”

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Jackson stood there for a moment, and perhaps for the first time, Ethan had no idea what his twin was thinking. “We’ll just start over on Monday and make it up to her.” “What? Jackson, you can’t just start over.” “Why not? Why are you always trying to make everything so complicated?” That stopped the angry retort Ethan was ready to spit out. Did he overcomplicate things? Ethan shook off his self-doubt. Now was not the time. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe things are just complicated because they are? Not everything is black and white.” “If you say so, but I think the simplest solution is usually the best one. You’re like the Rube Goldberg of emotions, you know that?” “What?” Jackson sighed and stood right in front of Ethan, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, here’s how I see it. If Lily wants space, as you keep saying, wouldn’t it be better to wait until Monday and then see what happens?” He hated to admit it, but his twin was probably right. “Okay, so we just do nothing, wait until Monday, and see what happens?” “Sure, but why not be a little proactive and have a simple plan as backup in case she hates our guts and we really have to start all over from square one?” “What do you have in mind?” “As I was saying before, we should just start over. Maybe pretend like last night never happened. Tell Lily we’re sorry or something.” “Sorry for what exactly?” “Doesn’t matter. Girls just like an apology. The reason for it isn’t nearly as important.” Ethan had to roll his eyes at that. Taking advice from Jackson about women was like the blind leading the blind. “Just trust me on this, okay?” “Famous last words.”

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Chapter Nine On Monday morning, Lily walked across the lawn of the B&B toward the former carriage house now turned kinky furniture-making studio. The warm pinks and purples of dawn had just about given way to the bright blue skies of a Texas summer. It was certainly going to be a beautiful, sunny day. So why did she feel so awful and cold inside? Because I’m a coward. She did not know what time it was when she woke up in Ethan’s and Jackson’s warm embraces, but under the guise of darkness, she had slipped away like some criminal. She did the walk of shame out of the B&B, but there hadn’t been anybody around to judge her. Just her and she had made herself cringe. Lily could not fathom what had made her crumble the way she had like a fistful of saltines. She had always prided herself on her ability to control her emotions and on her practicality. She wasn’t like most women who’d let their emotions cloud their judgment. At least that’s who she thought she was until she let herself go completely. She had surrendered to Ethan and Jackson, and that level of vulnerability was not something she was comfortable with, to say the least. Really, it scared the shit out of her. Everything in her told her to maintain a professional distance from the twins, to just get the job done before she left for New York, and leave without any loose strings to worry about. She’d be a free woman. The problem was, she couldn’t help but wilt when she was around them. The pounding of her heart and the awakening of Ethel could not be stopped if Ethan and Jackson were near, if she could smell their

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sweet-spicy musk, hear the rough drawl of their voices, feel the carnal heat that radiated from their hard , sun-kissed physiques chiseled from a lifetime of hard labor in the fields. They were strong, but they also had a sensitivity, an ability to be gentle and cradle a bunch of grapes—or more recently her breasts—as carefully as one would handle a baby bird. Her normally feisty and determined self suddenly became a façade, an act, because inside she was a little girl in love again. And she hated it. She knew she could not control herself when she was in their presence, and yet she had no choice but to work with them nearly every day. She was screwed. She had wracked her brain all Sunday for a game plan for how she would handle seeing and working with Ethan and Jackson today, but nothing short of running away came to mind, and she couldn’t do that—at least not yet. She did not look forward to facing the twins this morning and might have called in sick if that was something she’d ever done in her life. Well, there was a first time for everything she had thought when she got ready this morning, but had forced herself in the shower, anyway. Would the twins chastise her for disappearing on them? Would Jackson tease her for her indiscretions, how he so obviously had her wrapped around his finger like any other floozy who threw herself at his feet? Would Ethan be disappointed in her wanton behavior—he hadn’t seemed that eager to partake in the first place—or, worse, would he expect her to continue their affair, which would force her to break his heart come September? Or, worst of all, would they break her heart as they had so many times before in a hundred tiny ways when they were younger? Sure, they had been kids, foolish teenagers with too many hormones riling in their bodies, but that hadn’t made it hurt any less. She wondered if the childhood wounds of young heartbreak ever healed. When it came to Ethan and Jackson, she suspected she was scarred for life. After what had occurred between them this past week,

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she knew it would be impossible to pretend nothing had ever happened between them. As her feet padded across the dewy blades of grass, chilling her ankles, she heard the distinct sound of sawing and hammering. She looked at her watch to make sure she wasn’t late. No, ten minutes early as usual. The twins couldn’t have started before her. She was always on time, if not early, well except that one time, but that was due to extenuating circumstances. They were always late. Never early. She quietly opened the door to the studio and peeked inside. Through the narrow crack she could see two hardworking men. The amount of sweat glistening on their bodies meant they’d been at it for quite some time now. As a drop of perspiration dripped down Ethan’s nose, she felt her pussy clenching with desire again. “Morning, sunshine.” Jackson winked. “We thought we’d get a head start.” “Oh?” Lily fully entered the room and took a look around. She had intended on checking out the furniture, but instead her eyes got caught on the chiseled planes of Jackson’s chest underneath his T-shirt and the way Ethan’s tool belt hung so low she imagined only his cock was holding it up. Just like it held her up two nights ago. “We had some ideas about how to execute your designs and decided to test them out as soon as we could.” Ethan stepped away and displayed their handiwork. He had a sander in one hand and a rag in the other. To her surprise, before her was the mock-up she had made of a modified version of Alvar Aalto’s Paimio chair. Her version would have a greater incline. “I tried bending the wood with a few of the samples you’d picked out, and I know you said birch was traditional, but I thought the hackberry would be best. It’s got an excellent grain reminiscent of herringbone and is the strongest wood for the job.” He ran his hand up

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and down the wood as he spoke, and she couldn’t help but imagine herself underneath his fingertips. Lily nodded. They had to have started on it days before and worked all night. She had been having trouble deciding the exact measurements to ensure adequate joint support while maintaining the clean lines of her design, and the twins had solved that for her and had brought her hazy vision to crystal clarity. They had brought her imagination to life and made it real. “I hope you don’t mind us building the mock-up before you were finished with it, but we thought there was enough in your blueprint to go ahead.” Jackson wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. “Of course I don’t mind. It looks great.” She traced her finger across the graceful arc of the sex chair’s armrests. “I didn’t know you were this talented.” “Maybe there’s a lot about us you don’t know.” A cocky smile spread across his face, but rather than wanting to slap it off—her goto response to most everything Jackson did—she instead felt her pussy tingling as if beckoning for that smile to be pressed against her, kissing her from top to bottom. Jackson sidled over to her, putting his weight on one leg as he wiped the perspiration off his body with a shop towel before throwing it over his shoulder. With all that sweat, Lily thought the man would’ve reeked, but she liked it, her cunt spasming with each inhale of Jackson’s spicy musk. She wanted to be buried alive in his scent. Who knew BO could be such an aphrodisiac? she mused. She couldn’t believe Jackson had constructed this, that he had both the strength and artistry to craft something so elegant yet sturdy. “What? It’s no big deal. I took shop and woodworking in high school just like everybody else. It’s something I used to do a lot more of, but I guess I got too distracted chasing tail and picking grapes.”

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Jackson chuckled, but Lily had a feeling there was more to dropping this artistic hobby than he was letting on. “Right.” She’d let that go for now. Besides, at this moment, she of all people wasn’t one to pass judgment. Thinking about the way she had left them at the B&B, her stomach flipped, and she thought she might lose her breakfast. She plopped down at the drafting table and rested her head in her hands. A warm hand on her shoulder moved her from her internal pity party. “Lily, are you okay? You’re looking a little pale.” Ethan stood over her but maintained a respectful distance. She marveled at how he could still be so kind to her despite the way she’d disappeared and then avoided them all weekend. She knew that night had meant something to Ethan, that it wasn’t just a fuck for him. She managed a wan smile. “I’m okay.” She took a deep breath and decided the best way to get over this was to bring it out in the open and apologize or explain herself or something. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, so she just hoped her lips and brain would figure it out well enough without her. “Listen, about the other night, I—” “Just forget about it,” Ethan said. “But I—” “No really, let’s just pretend it never happened.” “Pretend it never happened?” Lily wasn’t sure she wanted to go that far. “Yes.” Ethan smiled, but she sensed an emptiness behind his expression. “What my brother is trying to say is, let’s start over. We’ve gotten ahead of schedule, so why not take an early lunch? Like a date,” Jackson said coolly. “A date?” “Yeah, you know, the thing you’re supposed to do before the fun part. We sort of did it backwards, but what’re you gonna do, right?”

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“Right.” Lily nodded slowly as she tried to digest his words. “You want to go on a date, a proper date, and start over?” “That’s right, sweetcheeks. I’ve got it all planned out. We’re going to have a picnic in a spot that’s neutral and special to all three of us.” She looked from Jackson to Ethan and decided it was the least she could do, for them and for herself. “Okay, a picnic it is.” **** Lily made her way down to the creek, the heat of summer gradually diminishing as she went deeper into the grove of oak trees. It had been years since she’d come here, but even time hadn’t lessened the spot’s magic or the fluttery feeling she got every time from venturing to a secret place. But one thing was different from how she felt as a little girl. Now, as a full-grown woman, Lily felt another emotion pulse through her veins, making her pussy throb with need. It was as if her body knew that the potential for mind-blowing pleasure lay just a few footsteps away, and it prepared itself in kind. The sound of bubbling water told her she was close. Her stomach knotted as she considered backing out and running away, but her legs kept moving. Her body knew what it wanted and wouldn’t let her fear get in the way. Not that the fear was completely unfounded. If her brothers knew where she was going and whom she was seeing, they’d probably lock her away in her room and throw away the key. Well, they’d try. Lily had long ago learned how to handle her brothers, but it was still an inconvenience. A rough hand gripped her shoulder, and her heart leapt into her throat. She whipped around, expecting to see her brothers. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it really was. Ethan. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

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“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Ethan let go of her shoulder, and she wished she hadn’t sounded so shrill. “It’s okay. I’m fine. What were you doing wandering around in the woods, anyway? I thought I was supposed to meet you at a topsecret spot.” “You are, but,” Ethan handed her a tiny bouquet of wildflowers, “I saw them while I was setting up the picnic and thought you might like them.” He shrugged, a warm smile spreading his lips. “I was going to put them in a glass or something for you, but I should’ve known you’d be here early.” Lily smiled. “No, this is perfect.” She lifted the flowers to her nose and sniffed the faint smell of pink buttercups. She knew they weren’t particularly fragrant flowers, yet she could never help but smell them, anyway. A classic picnic scene was laid out on the grassy bank of the creek. A woven basket, a bottle of wine, and three glasses sat on a red gingham blanket. In the center was a large, flat rock that served as a table. Tealight citronella candles were placed around the perimeter. Ethan led her to the edge of the blanket and guided her to the ground. The calluses on his hand rubbed the soft skin of her palms, sending tingly sensations down her arms. He sat down and poured chilled white wine into the three glasses and handed her one. “Where’s Jackson?” Ethan gestured over his shoulder with his chin to the tree house. “I don’t know what he’s doing up there, but he should be joining us soon.” Ethan smiled as he pointed to the picnic basket. “He’s like a dog. If he hears the rustling of food, he’ll come running.” “So what have you prepared for me today?” Ethan frowned. “You know, I’m not sure. Jackson filled the basket. Actually, he planned the whole thing. All I did was set the blanket down and lay everything out.”

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“Jackson planned this?” Lily couldn’t imagine Jackson going through the trouble of doing anything for anyone but himself. Then again, he definitely had an ulterior motive. At least, Lily hoped so. Ethan nodded. “Yep, he did. I know, I’m as surprised as you.” His brows knitted as he looked up, catching and holding her gaze, as if studying her. The few seconds of silence seemed to feed her insecurity, and her lips started moving of their own volition. “Ethan, about the other night…I—” “Forget about it. We’re here to start over, remember? Pretend like this is a proper first date.” Easier said than done. Lily tipped the glass to her lips, letting the cool liquid wash down her throat and loosen up her body. But she tried so hard to look and feel normal that she almost ended up choking. Only the knowledge that this was supposed to be a vanilla date kept her from bolting. “So, you come here often?” Ethan had a funny twang in his voice that caught Lily off guard. “No, I haven’t been back for a few years now,” Lily replied dryly. “It was supposed to be a joke. You know, ’cause this is kind of like a first date?” Lily felt her body heat up with embarrassment. “Oh, I, sorry, I’m just…” “Never mind. I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit.” Even though Ethan had a smile plastered to his face, Lily could sense his unease. Perhaps this was a mistake, this starting over business. As if they could really pretend they hadn’t already seen each other naked and she hadn’t already experienced a taste of what it would be like to be loved by these two men. She turned and eyed the winding path that would lead her back to her house. “Well, let’s see what Jackson has prepared for us this afternoon.” Ethan opened the picnic basket and the first thing he pulled out was bunch of tiny champagne grapes. “Ah, these are from our vineyard, plucked fresh from the vine. You can tell by how green the stem still

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is.” He gently placed them on a plate and set it on the makeshift stone table. “A cheese plate.” Ethan pulled the cellophane wrapped around the plate and set it down. “Mom’s famous potato salad, pulled pork sandwiches—my own special blend of spices—a bowl of fruit and…” Ethan pulled out a container of honey shaped like a bear. “Hmm…honey…and…” Ethan kept his hand in the basket. “What is it?” Lily smiled, intrigued. Thus far, everything looked delicious and the grumbling in her stomach had her curious about what other delights were in its future. She reached into the bowl of fruit and pulled out a juicy-looking strawberry, popping it in her mouth. Ethan frowned and pulled it out. “A can of whipped cream.” “Oh.” Lily frowned, too, but more in confusion. Ethan seemed bothered. The whipped cream did have sexual implications, and it was clear Ethan was not pleased. “Listen, Ethan…maybe this wasn’t—” “Hey! Started without me, I see.” Jackson, the bottoms of his jeans rolled up to his knees, splashed across the shallow creek. The creek used to be a lot deeper, but years of drought had left the water at a bit lower. He sat down beside Lily, so that now she was between both brothers. “Are we having fun yet?” The awkward silence should’ve been answer enough, but Jackson went along as if nothing was odd. He looked around as if assessing the picnic. He took the can of whipped cream from Ethan’s hand and sat down beside Lily. “I see you found the whipped cream.” Jackson frowned as Ethan quirked a brow at him. “Come on, guys. It’s for the fruit. If you keep digging you’ll see some little cakes for strawberry shortcake. That is if you don’t eat them all first.” Jackson gestured to the pile of green strawberry stems that had begun piling up on Lily’s plate. He reached over and grabbed a sandwich. “So, Lily, you come here often?” Lily laughed, and she caught Ethan rolling his eyes. “Ethan already tried that line on me.”

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“It’s not a line. I mean it as a real question. I know I haven’t been here since I was a kid.” Jackson unwrapped a sandwich cut into halves and handed one to Lily. He took a bite and moaned. “Man, I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid, either.” Lily smiled and took a small bite of the pulled pork sandwich, feeling her stomach settle and her heart rate slow with each delicious bite. “Yeah, me neither. It’s been a long time.” Jackson chuckled. “Remember that time when you were itty bitty and we caught you wading in the water?” “Oh, God. How could I forget? You two startled me so much I fell in. My brothers always warned me about you two, said you were trouble, but, if I remember correctly, Ethan was my savior that day, rescuing me from the water.” “I wouldn’t say rescue,” Ethan said as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. “All I did was pull you out. The water barely went up to your waist.” “Well, to a scared and embarrassed little girl, it was the same thing.” She looked into Ethan’s eyes and hoped he understood how special that simple moment actually was to her. “Embarrassed or not, you couldn’t seem to stay away from this place, a curious little thing always trying to get into our tree house.” Jackson flicked his gaze to the tree house on the other side of the creek. “I could never figure out how you two got up there with the ladder always pulled up.” “Ah, you see, there was a trick to it, a secret latch embedded into the tree bark with a hidden switch.” Lily’s jaw dropped. “Really?” “No, of course not.” Jackson laughed. “The ladder was thrown up in the branches, plain as day. The only thing was, you were too short to see or reach it.”

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“What can I say? At the time, we thought girls had cooties.” Ethan shrugged and smiled in a sheepish way that made Lily want to kiss him. “Clearly, our opinion on that subject has changed.” Jackson stared at her with lust glinting in his eyes, a look she hadn’t realized she’d been waiting for all day. It was not just satisfying to see, but like a balm to her need. She had to know that he wanted her and the hunger she saw in him was unmistakable. Her tongue ran across her lips, ready to taste him. She could taste the sweetness of the berries hiding at the corner of her mouth, but she knew there was something much sweeter to be had. “I always wanted to know what you boys were up to in there.” She edged closer, the crotch of her cutoffs digging into her cunt with each movement, pushing her panties between her sopping folds. “You’ve always wanted to be one of the guys, huh?” “No, never. I’ve just been able and willing to hold my own with the sweaty, stinkin’ lot of you.” **** “Even with your brothers keeping their eagle eyes on you, we still managed to have fun. I don’t know why we ever stopped speaking in the first place.” The silence that followed his simple statement was deafening. Jackson looked up and realized that both Ethan and Lily were staring at him with what looked like disbelief in their eyes. “What? What did I say?” “Are you serious, man?” Ethan asked. “You really don’t remember?” “Remember what?” Lily cleared her throat and seemed to be carefully forming her words in her mind before speaking. “You and Ethan wrecked my car on the day of Summer LiebeFest.”

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Jackson searched his memory, and slowly an image of him joyriding behind the wheel of a periwinkle-blue 1967 Mustang convertible appeared. He may have had troubles remembering the names or faces of women he’d been with, but he never forgot a beautiful car. “Oh, yeah. That car sure was a beaut. Fun to drive, too.” “I wouldn’t really know.” Lily crossed her arms over her chest and looked down her nose at him. Meanwhile, Ethan still had that look of disbelief and annoyance Jackson had grown quite accustomed to seeing through the years. Then it hit him. An image of him and his brother—with that exact same look—in that beauty of a car sinking into the middle of the lake. He reached up and touched the scar along his hairline. “You drove it into the lake, jackass,” Ethan mumbled. “Oh…yeah.” They had been eighteen, and someone had come up with the great idea to steal Lily’s keys and take her car for a spin. She had gotten it that day from her brothers as a belated Sweet Sixteen gift. It was a foolish teenage prank gone awry, and even though that car was amazing with its buttery white leather seats and chrome trim, it was still just a car. Nothing worth ten years of silent treatment. “If I remember correctly, we offered to buy you a new one, and you and your brothers flat-out refused.” Jason and Seth were known to be stubborn ball busters, and this incident had cemented this fact into Jackson’s mind. Who refused a free car? He remembered thinking the Chisholm brothers thought they were too good to accept an offer from the Stones. Ethan let out a low whistle and ran his fingers through his hair. “You are remembering correctly, but you’re forgetting one very important detail.” Ethan turned to Lily, the corners of his mouth set in a frown. Jackson sighed. He was starting to get pretty sick and tired of the awkward mood that had suddenly begun to suffocate his fun picnic.

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Why were they even talking about something that happened when they were all stupid teenagers? “Okay, I give up. What the hell am I forgetting?” He didn’t even try to hide the exasperation in his tone and popped a grape in his mouth. “The car had…sentimental value, Jackson.” Lily seemed to be forming her words carefully, and the seriousness of her tone made Jackson uncomfortable. He suspected this was a moment for him to wait for her to finish speaking, but his damn fool mouth opened up anyway. “So?” “So?” Lily repeated with obvious shock and disappointment in her voice. She sat up on her knees and leaned into him. “So?” Her gaze seemed to be searching his, as if to discern via his facial features whether he was being honest. Or maybe it was one of those incredulous stares that ask, Are you really that stupid? Either way, this did not look good, and he found himself inching away from her. He could vaguely hear Ethan muttering in the background, but more than anything, his attention was focused on Lily and that awful look on her face that gave him no clues as to why but told him she was, without a doubt, royally pissed. He was beginning to rethink the genius of his plan to start over with Lily and help his brother out. This woman was a lost cause and the sooner Ethan figured this out, the better. Shrugging, Jackson continued. “Yeah…so? So what? What’s the big deal, Lily? It was just a car.” “Just a car?” Jackson didn’t like how Lily only seemed to be repeating his statements as questions. She leaned in even closer until Jackson could see the tiny wrinkles around her eyes as they pulled into the harshest glare he had ever been subjected to, and that included those from his own mother. He shot his gaze at Ethan, trying to transmit a mental SOS. Ethan was sitting with his arms crossed, his head shaking in disbelief. Or maybe he was shaking his head no, telling Jackson to shut the fuck up before he dug himself any deeper.

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Instead, Jackson, again, did what he was best at—he dug himself a hole so deep even Ethan wouldn’t be able to get him out. “Jesus, Lily, spit it out already. What is the big freaking deal with this car I drove into the lake? It’s just a stupid car. We offered a new one to replace it, and you and your thick-headed brothers were too stubborn to accept. And now, ten years later, you’re going to bring it up again like it was some big deal or something.” “Actually, you brought it up.” Ethan shrugged. Now he decides to pipe up? Jackson could just punch the innocent out of his twin’s big blue eyes. “Whatever.” He’d square this with Ethan later. Jackson cut his eyes back to Lily, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly waiting for an explanation. Lily shot to her feet and began pacing around the gingham blanket. As she took several deep breaths, she seemed to be refusing to look at him. There’s the ice-cold Lily I remembered. Nothing had changed. Chisholms and Stones didn’t mix, and this was proof positive. He wished he hadn’t even bothered. “It wasn’t that my brothers and I were too stubborn, Jackson.” When she looked back at Jackson, she stopped pacing, and he saw something in her blue-black eyes he hadn’t expected. He saw pain. “It’s that the car was irreplaceable, and I can’t believe you and your thick head didn’t know or can’t remember one simple detail.” Jackson stood and Lily met him head-on. Even though she had to look up to meet his eyes, the level of her pain made him feel puny in comparison. “My fathers started working on that car for me in their spare time when I was ten years old.” “Your fathers? But I thought it was from your br—” “They finished what my dads started…after they died.” Lily spoke the final word softly and turned away.

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Jackson’s stomach felt like it dropped to his knees and a wave of nausea and remorse, ten years too late, washed over him. “Oh, Lily, I didn’t know. Honest.” Lily whipped her gaze back to him, her face pinched in a glare. “You really didn’t know?” Jackson searched his memory and came up with nothing. “If I did, I don’t remember. I’m sorry.” “How can you not remember something so hurtful and so important?” Jackson tried to put an arm around her, and she pushed him away. “I’m sorry, Lily. All I can say for myself is that I was a dumb kid trying to show off.” “Show off to who?” And then he remembered, and it damn near broke his heart. He stepped toward her. “You, Lily. I was trying to impress you.” “Well, you certainly made an impression.” She laughed through the tears sliding down her face one at a time. One caught in her lashes, and he reached up to wipe it away. “All I can figure is, after your brothers forbade us from speaking, I forced myself to forget.” “But why?” Because I couldn’t stand what I had done to you, to Ethan, to the three of us. Because it was all my fault. “I don’t know, Lily. It was a long time ago.” He searched her eyes, hoping his explanation would satisfy her, but he knew it hadn’t when she pulled away. “Well, Ethan seems to have remembered.” Something about what she said or the way she said it had him from remorseful to defensive in a heartbeat. Lily just had that effect on him, and he’d never understood why. “I don’t know if you’ve caught on yet, but Ethan and I aren’t the same person. And, I’m not the same as I was in high school, either.” His heart pounded hard in his chest as his anger rose, but even then, in the midst of this argument, he knew his emotions were misplaced.

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“Pfft. I doubt that, Jackson.” She rounded on him and started that chest poking thing she did that drove him crazy. If she had been a man, Jackson would’ve broken that finger long ago. “I seriously doubt that. I think you’re the same selfish ass you were when you were eighteen. I mean, what’s up with all this?” She pointed at the picnic as if she were identifying someone in a police lineup. “What’s in this for you because it certainly wasn’t just out of the kindness of your heart. And was it your dumb idea to think that we could start over, after all that’s happened? What kind of imbecile…” Shoulders straight, she kept inching into his personal space until he could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo, and it made his cock harden. He had to take a step back, but she wouldn’t let him get away. The fire in her eyes meant business. She had some serious pent-up anger inside, and Jackson had no doubt the explosion would happen in any second now. Lily began her pacing anew, but this time she gesticulated wildly as she spat out everything that had bothered her about Ethan, Jackson, her brothers, anyone and everyone who had ever even looked at her sideways. Lily, who tried so hard to be the picture of control, was unraveling before his eyes. The old Jackson would’ve found this endlessly amusing, but now he was only worried. Ethan tried to get her attention by saying her name, increasing the volume with each repetition, following her every step. He tried to grab her by the shoulder but she shrugged him off, not pausing her mile-a-minute rant one bit. Her breathing became more rapid until she was gasping. Jackson knew the warning signs of hyperventilation, and Lily was demonstrating a textbook case of it. If he didn’t calm her down somehow and fast, she was likely to pass out. “Lily, that’s enough!” He stopped her in her tracks, gripped her firmly by her shoulders, and kissed her, locking this frenetic creature in his solid embrace.

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At first, the kiss was just to shut her up, but then it took on a life of its own. Her lips parted, and his tongue slid right in, tangling with her own. He pulled her close to him, pressing her hard against his chest and stomach until something made its presence known between them. His rock-hard cock had grown right out of the top of his jeans, though it was still covered by his shirt. It ground into her soft belly. A low moan escaped on a gasp, and Lily seemed to quiver in his arms. Using all his strength, he forced himself to pull away. It would allow them to catch their breath, but really, he just wanted to look at her. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and something else. When her pupils dilated, he knew what that something else was. Jackson couldn’t decipher the reason behind it, but he suddenly wanted to claim her, to brand her as his, but not his alone. Ethan edged closer and ran his hand down her copper mane. Barely a second had elapsed, and Lily had pulled Ethan to her, kissing him ravenously. Ethan lifted her easily, and she wrapped her long legs around his waist. He turned and began lowering her to the gingham blanket. He tore her T-shirt open, unsnapping her bra in the process, and Lily’s gorgeous, perfect breasts tumbled out into the dappled sunlight. And before Jackson was the picnic he had intended all along.

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Chapter Ten Settling her on the soft cotton blanket, Ethan leaned in close, his lips a hairsbreadth away from her soft, pouty ones, red as the berries he’d watched her slip into her mouth again and again. He couldn’t wait for another taste of her. “Wait.” Ethan reared back. It suddenly looked like he would have to wait after all. “What is it?” He searched Lily’s gaze, unsure of what he would find, but sure of what he wanted to see. A flash lit up her eyes. The twinkle held more mystery in it than he could have imagined possible in such a small detail. And that was what made Lily so special. On the surface, she was a beautiful woman, but she was somehow equal parts minx and tomboy. She didn’t seem to realize she had any feminine wiles at her disposal. And what was happening beneath the surface, Ethan realized he didn’t have a clue, but he wanted to. He wanted, had always wanted, to know Lily both inside and out. Not just physically, though he would give anything to explore every inch of her body, but mentally and emotionally. Lily was talented, she had brains to match her good looks, and she had dreams that he wanted nothing more than to know and help her fulfill. “Not here. You two have been holding out on me for more than a decade now, and I intend to get some answers.” “Oh?” She flicked her gaze over his shoulder. He turned and saw what she gestured at. The tree house. Ethan chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. He never knew what to expect from this woman and

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suspected that, if she let him, she’d keep him on his toes for the rest of his life. “I was beginning to think you’d never ask.” Jackson stood and held out his hand to Lily, pulling her up on her feet, her free arm covering her exposed chest. She brushed the leaves off the back of her cutoffs, and she shivered. “You want to put my shirt on? Yours looks to be out of commission.” He gestured toward the torn material at their feet. “You’re lucky that top came in a package with six other ones from the general store.” Lily giggled. “But, yes, I would very much like to wear your shirt.” Jackson pulled it over his head, and Ethan could swear Lily was salivating as his twin’s chest was exposed. The moment her head popped through the neck hole, Lily squealed as Jackson hoisted her in his arms. “Jackson, what do you think you’re doing?” Her chest heaved, the rounded curves of her breasts rising and falling with each breath underneath the thin white cotton of Jackson’s shirt. “I’m just doing what any gentleman would.” He smiled innocently at her. “And what is that?” “Escorting a lady across muddied waters, of course.” Jackson splashed across the creek to the other side. When he got to the tree, he pulled down the rope ladder and paused. “I’ve never been fucked in a tree.” “Sweetheart, there’s a first time for everything,” Jackson drawled. He stepped aside, allowing Lily and then Ethan to climb up next. “Brains before beauty.” Ethan had to laugh at that. They were identical twins, yet Jackson always insisted he was the better looking of the two. The thing was Jackson was just as smart as Ethan, too. He seemed to just prefer not to show it.

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Lily’s ass swayed above him as he followed up behind her. At first, he tried to be a gentleman and look away, but then he figured what the hell. Soon, it was all he could look at, though he began to realize a consequence of his chosen view. His growing cock pressed hard against his zipper, making climbing up the ladder damn near impossible, but he’d suffer through any discomfort if it meant being with Lily. He adjusted himself and soldiered on, keeping his eyes on Lily’s tantalizingly round ass for inspiration to get him to the finish line. “You fellas sure built this thing up high,” Lily said as she reached the top. The ladder lead up to a trap door, but it had been left open, and she climbed right through. The trap door had been placed at the corner of the tree house, affording uninterrupted space in the center. There was just enough room for three adults to lie down comfortably, but Ethan and Jackson had long ago grown too tall to stand up straight inside their elevated fort. Lily, on the other hand, would have no trouble at all. “Wow…this is not what I was expecting.” When his eyes finally rose above the trap door so he could see the interior, Ethan’s jaw dropped. All the cobwebs had been cleaned out, and it even looked swept. That is, the flooring that was exposed looked swept because over it were three unzipped sleeping bags laid open side by side so that they formed one continuous bed, blanketed with a thin quilt. An array of pillows had also been hauled up here as well, creating a look that Ethan could only describe as country harem. “I’ll say.” Ethan wondered where their collection of magazines showcasing the female form had gone, then quickly realized it didn’t matter. The one female he’d ever wanted to look at was right there with him, in the flesh, and he knew it would just be a matter of time before every inch of that flesh was exposed before him. “You certainly cleaned up in here,” Ethan said as Jackson entered the tree house.

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Lily had her arms crossed, but she had a playful smile on her face. “It looks like you were expecting me to come up here with you two. That’s rather presumptuous.” “Presumptuous or prepared? I’d say the latter.” Jackson sat on the makeshift bed and patted it, gesturing for Lily to sit beside him. “Anyway, what did you expect would be here?” Jackson cut his eyes at Ethan. “Cobwebs and porno mags?” “Actually, yes.” Lily sat down and toed off her sandals. “Now I think you’re the presumptuous one.” Ethan sat beside her, taking a foot in his hand and started rubbing her ankle and the ball of her foot, eliciting a moan. He pressed his thumb into the graceful arch of her foot, and she practically shuddered. “Oh, that feels great.” She lay back on her elbows before Jackson moved a pillow behind her. “All those nights on my feet at the bar are starting to catch up with me.” Ethan wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t be working in a place like that, that no woman of his had to work at all if she didn’t want to. But he held his tongue. Unlike his twin, Ethan knew when to pick his battles, and right now, with his hands on Lily, he could see nothing but sweet victory ahead. No point in ruining that now. Jackson tossed him a bottle of massage oil from a basket tucked away in the corner of the room. Ethan wondered what else his clever brother had stashed in there. Maybe another can of whipped cream, but this time the only fruit it would be adorning would be the sweet Texas peach that was Lily’s pretty pussy. He intended to draw out every drop of her nectar. Now well lubricated with oil, Ethan’s fingers wandered up Lily’s shapely calves, working every muscle until she was loose and pliable in his hands. Meanwhile, Jackson worked on her upper body. Shirtless, he cradled her in his arms so that her head rested on his bare chest. He watched her eyes roll to the back of her head as she completely relaxed. It seemed her anger at Jackson had been, if not forgotten,

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then at least put away for later, and right now all she wanted to feel was pure pleasure. Ethan could see her desire for them in the way her legs slightly parted to allow him ample room to roam, the way her back arched just so, the low moans coming from that sensuous, dark place inside her, the way she bit her lip ever so slightly. As his fingers walked up her leg, past her knee, up her thigh, he watched Lily’s every reaction, wanting to know with all certainty that he was proceeding as she wished. He didn’t want to scare her away, but maybe, he reminded himself, Lily wasn’t the kind of girl who got scared away from anything. If she was here with them, between him and Jackson, then she wanted to be here. She wasn’t a fool. As a girl born and raised in Liebling, she knew what she was in for. “Oh, yes, Ethan. More.” She had a tinge of desperation in her voice that made his cock ache to provide for her. “Ethan, I want you inside me again.” Above him, Jackson had pulled his shirt off of her and was now dutifully lapping and nibbling at each of her breasts. He rolled her nipple between two fingers, and Lily bucked, her arms clinging to him as if to keep her from floating away. “Yes, Jackson, yes!” Ethan reached underneath the wide leg of her cutoffs and touched the elastic of her underwear. Lily’s breath hitched, and her body arched even more. He dipped his thick finger inside her to find her pussy juices, but he didn’t have to go far. She was practically dripping. Her panties were soaked, and as he unbuttoned her shorts and pulled everything off, he thought, what a waste of pussy juice. He chided himself for being so careful with her earlier, for worrying so much about moving too quickly for her. She had been wet this whole time, and he could’ve been drinking from her well for hours now. Well, he’d make up for that now. He lapped her from ass to clit, marveling at how pretty her pussy was and how sweet she tasted. He loved the way Lily trimmed her curls, yet kept it natural looking, the way a pussy should look, not like some damn topiary. Jackson, on the other hand, loved that kind of

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thing, but, of course, it’s not like he would turn a pussy he wanted down even if it resembled a Sasquatch more than a vagina. Ethan’s tongue ran between her labia before delving into the source of all this wetness and fucking her cunt with it. Ethan rubbed her clit in tiny circles with the pad of his thumb while the fingers of the other hand massaged her ass, inching closer and closer to her asshole with each pass. He suspected she’d never been fucked here before, and he couldn’t wait to take her here and be her first. Her moans grew louder, and he looked up to see her gripping Jackson’s hands to her full breasts, her delicate nipples peeking between their fingers. Jackson had her leaning up against his torso, between his thighs. He kissed and nibbled her ear and her neck. Ethan would’ve watched her enjoying his brother’s ministrations for longer, but Lily threaded her fingers into his hair and forced him back down between her legs. The way her fingernails rasped against his scalp gave him goose bumps, driving him even more mad with arousal. “No, Ethan, don’t stop…so close…so, so close,” Lily whispered between pants. A pain between his own legs caught his attention. It was his cock, eager to be freed from the confines of his jeans. With one hand, he unbuttoned the denim cage enclosing his manhood. His cock had grown so long and thick it pressed the zipper down on its own and jutted out of his body as if standing at attention. He wanted to be inside her, to join with her as one. But first, she had to come, and he ate her cunt like he was the champion of a pie eating contest. Her thighs shuddered around his head, and he knew he was close to getting her off. He knew exactly what would push her over the edge, and pushed his thick middle finger inside her quivering cunt, crooking it to press on her G-spot in rhythm with her breathing. Sucking on her clit, he twirled the tip of his tongue on the little pearl, until she came and her pussy juices ran down his forearm as he fucked her with his fingers. Gathering her fluids with his free hand, he

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massaged her asshole, gently stretching it for his impending penetration. **** The moment Ethan’s fingers entered her ass, Lily thought she would lose her mind with pleasure and need. She was absolutely wild for him and Jackson, and coming once only whetted her appetite for more attention from the Stone twins. They looked nearly identical, and yet they were so different. She couldn’t wait to see how these differences manifested themselves in their lovemaking. Ethel had already had a taste of Ethan’s thick cock, and now she was ready for Jackson. “Ethan, Jackson, I’m ready to be fucked. Now!” Lily sat up, pulling Jackson’s tautly muscled biceps until he got the message and straddled her. She was pleased to see that he had taken his jeans and boxers off and couldn’t have imagined not noticing, but then remembered the mind-altering orgasm Ethan gave her mere seconds before. Unable to repress her smile, she grabbed Jackson’s long cock in her hands, stroking him and rubbing his pre-cum across the smooth, rounded tip of his cockhead. She bent down and licked a drop as it surfaced from the slit of his penis. “I think it’s your turn now, Jackson.” Grinning from ear to ear, he chuckled. “You don’t have to ask me twice, Lily.” He dipped his hand between her folds. “And it feels like Ethan’s got you ripe and ready. Good job, brother.” He put his finger, glistening with her juices, to his lips and sucked. “Mmm…a good job, indeed.” He held his cock and began feeding it to her cunt, inch by delicious inch. “Ahh, yes! More!” Lily writhed on the blanket, her fingers gripping the quilted fabric and using it as a lifeline to this world.

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Jackson’s big cock inside her, stretching her pussy lips, felt so incredible, it couldn’t be real. And yet it was. His big body caged her in beneath him, held her to him in a way that made her feel safe and even loved. She almost chided herself for being overly romantic, for feeling emotions that didn’t exist, but then she caught the way Jackson watched her, the way he kissed her softly along her jawline and neck, and she realized, whether he could admit it to himself or not, he felt something for her. They had a connection that was almost two decades in the making. She knew in her heart that he was sorry for what happened so many years ago and that it was time for her to let it go, to put the past behind her and live in the moment. And what a glorious moment it was. Pulling the sides of his lean hips, she urged him to go deeper, faster. She’d waited years to be with these twins, and she honestly didn’t want to wait one second more. Patience was a virtue that she no longer cared a stitch about. Then the world she was trying so desperately to cling to seemed to tilt. Jackson was palming her ass and had lifted her from the ground, holding her, still impaled on his rod, against his chiseled body. “It’s time to change positions, sweetheart. You’re gonna ride me like the stallion I am,” Jackson said without a hint of irony. Fine, if he wanted to be a stallion, she’d ride him until he broke. With her fingers digging into his pecs, she pushed her upper body away from his and rocked her hips on top of him, grinding her pussy against his pelvis. “Ah, holy hell. Looks like you took my words to heart.” “Don’t forget there’s something in this for me, too.” She angled herself just so and maneuvered the ridge of Jackson’s penis right against her G-spot. “And it looks like I…found it. Yes!” Fiery tingles radiated from the deepest part of her cunt all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes, warming her entire body with the heat of another orgasm.

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“Damn, woman. You are so beautiful when you’re coming,” Jackson said through gritted teeth. “And if you keep working my cock like that, I’m gonna come soon, too.” “Not so fast, brother. Hold off until I can at least get my cock inside our woman.” Our woman? Lily liked the sound of that. No, she loved it. Her heart squeezed inside her chest with emotion that she hadn’t anticipated on feeling. So much for summer love. She knew if she wasn’t careful, she’d never want summer to end. Then Lily’s mind wrapped around the rest of Ethan’s statement. If Jackson’s cock was inside her pussy, then the only other place for Ethan to put his cock was her mouth, right? Wait, no. There was one other spot. A firm nudge by a slicked cock against her back hole told her where exactly Ethan was headed. “You ready for me, Lily?” Ethan’s voice was laced with concern and barely restrained carnality. She’d get him to stop treating her with kid gloves someday, but at the moment she’d just answer him with her actions. Lily lifted her ass up in the air, pushing her asshole onto his welllubricated and condom-wrapped cock. The very tip of his cockhead stretched past the first ring of anal muscles, and Lily took a deep breath to relax her body. She’d never had anal sex before, but any girl from Liebling knew how the process went. “That’s a girl,” Ethan said between low grunts. “That’s right, take my cock in your ass. You want more?” Before she could respond, Ethan leaned harder into her, feeding more of his beyond-thick rod in her virgin hole. And then, before she could take in another breath, he had buried himself to the hilt, his pelvis grinding against the mounds of her ass cheeks. Perhaps the kid gloves were off already, she thought, pleased.

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“Oh, Ethan, Jackson, your cocks are incredible. I can’t believe this is finally happening.” She was being filled on both ends by the Stone twins and loving every millisecond of the experience. “I didn’t know you’d been waiting,” Jackson said, chuckling. “Lord knows, I’d never have let a girl as pretty as you wait for a damn thing if I could help it.” “Shut up, Jackson,” Ethan through gritted teeth. “I’d rather hear our woman screaming our names, not you flapping your lips just to feel the breeze.” Lily growled. “The both of you shut up, because I’m going…to…” Lily screamed her release. From head to toes, her entire body convulsed from the power of the orgasm these men had given her, an orgasm so strong and fierce, she knew she’d never be the same woman again. A cacophony of grunts and moans and skin slapping on skin resounded in her ears. Her cunt muscles squeezed and pulsed around Jackson’s cock as her ass muscles did the same to Ethan’s, both ends milking each rod until the twins released their hot seed simultaneously deep inside her. They collapsed on top of each other in a heap of sweaty, sated bodies. Then all she could hear was their heavy breathing and the beating of her own heart. She thought she heard the sound of birds chirping and then the heavy flutter of wings as they took flight from the trees surrounding them. Reveling in the warm feeling of peace that enveloped her, wrapped in the embrace of two men she’d loved nearly her entire life, Lily let her mind rest as the warm summer breeze caressed all the places made deliciously sore by their lovemaking. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

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Chapter Eleven Thirty minutes and another quick shirt change later, Lily scrambled behind the bar of Cedar Ridge. She had never been this late for a shift before. Hell, she had never been late, period. “’Bout time you show up.” Sean glanced at her from over his shoulder then did a double take. “Aw, hell. You know I don’t want you mixing with those two.” Lily tried to keep her expression blank, but Sean just turned all the way around and crossed his muscled arms over his chest, practically daring her to lie to him. “I was with them. I’m here now. End of story.” He shook his head. “Wish I could say that was the truth, Lily.” “What do you mean?” “Your brothers are here.” “Oh, crap.” “And they’re looking for you.” “Double crap.” She buried her face in her hands. “Did they see me come in?” “Not that I’m aware of, but they were just in here, so maybe you should tidy yourself up before they look here again.” Lily dropped her hands and let them slap against her thighs. “Thanks, for the heads-up, Sean.” He pinned her with a serious glance. “I won’t do it again.” Lily decided to let that comment go. She already knew how Sean felt about her seeing Jackson and Ethan, which was pretty much the way her brothers felt about it. Almost. There was no way anyone in this world hated the idea of her being with Jackson and Ethan more

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than her brothers. When Sean turned away from her to get back to filling orders, Lily hurried to get herself decent. She tied the hem of Ethan’s undershirt into a little knot at her back, drawing it closer to her body. She tried to think it was not obvious she wore a man’s shirt, especially with the way she doctored it, but Ethan’s scent lingered in the fabric. Smelling him on her skin reminded her of what they had done not even an hour ago. Her pussy was still swollen and sensitive, and she knew she would be sore tomorrow, but she would welcome the reminder of the intense pleasure they had given her. Without saying anything further, Lily gathered up the drinks Sean had prepared and ran them out to the table he pointed out. Ethan’s scent wafted around her like a gentle breeze, and she wondered if her customers could smell him on her as she passed. She certainly could. This was getting ridiculous. Why the hell did she have to hide anything from her brothers? Why was she paranoid about them seeing her in her current I-just-got-fucked state? The afternoon had been glorious, and here she was acting like a contrite little girl and running back home to her brothers before they found out where she had been. Well, not home, but being at Cedar Ridge was practically like being at home. When she got to her table, she plunked down the beer mugs a little harder than she intended to. Foam sloshed over one of the rims and landed with an airy splat on the varnished wood. “Crap,” she mumbled to herself as she fumbled for the white hand towel draped over her apron strings. “Nah, it’s okay...Lily.” Lily glanced up and saw Jake and Christian Barrett eyeing her curiously. Oh, no. Of all the people to run into when she looked the way she did, the Barrett brothers were not her first choice. The owners of the local adults-only men’s club on the outskirts of town, they could size a woman up in one hard look and know everything about her. They were doing it now. Damn it! She had heard rumors around

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town about what went on at their club, and she had to admit she was curious. She gave them her best smile. “Hey, Jake, Christian. How are y’all doing?” Jake gave her a cat-who-ate-the-canary smile. “Apparently not as good as you are.” Her smile froze. “And what do you mean by that?” “Aw, come on. You know exactly what I mean.” She wanted to swipe that arrogant grin off his face, but he really was too beautiful to do that. Jake Barrett looked like the devil incarnate with his jet-black hair and caramel-colored eyes. His jaw needed a good shave, but his dark stubble only added to his rugged Texas charm. He was the older of the two, and like Ethan, he had to keep his brother’s wildness in check. Looking at Christian, though, she never would have thought he was so explosive, but she had heard around town that some of the things he had done in the past could put Jackson to shame. On top of that, Christian was rumored to have a dark temper. Boyish where Jake was serious, Christian exuded a naughty-man vibe that many women had found irresistible in the past. Mix that in with his dark-as-sin eyes and Lily could not blame any of those women for falling. “You have a boyfriend, Miss Lily?” Christian asked. Did she? Was that what Jackson and Ethan were? Most people would consider what had happened this afternoon proof of commitment. Especially after the things they did to her. She felt her temperature rise. “What’s that blush?” “Aw, I know what that means. Lily’s got herself somebody.” Jake leaned back in his seat and hooked his elbow behind the back of the chair, appraising her openly. “Two somebodies, I bet. I think it would take more than one man to satisfy you.” Lily felt her face flame harder even though she knew he was not being flirtatious. At least he did not intend to be. But there was no denying his overt masculinity or the way he appreciated the women of

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the town. The Barrett brothers were natural-born charmers, but Lily had always sensed there was something dark hidden beneath Jake’s dimpled smiles and caramel-smooth voice. With their sharp gazes homing in on her, she decided to change the subject. Fast. “So how are the renovations going out at the club?” Christian just chuckled and shook his head. “Subtle. And they’re good. We should be up and running in the next couple months. You and your guys should come by sometime.” “Yeah. Or just you.” Jake’s dark, handsome face held an ounce of challenge. Lily wiped her now sticky palms on the towel. Then she leveled Jake with a stare. “Stick your nose out of my business, mister. I don’t try to weasel my way into yours.” He grinned. “True, but my business is a little more...untamed than yours.” “Either way, it’s mine.” She turned to walk away then said over her shoulder, “But don’t you go underestimating me because I’m a girl.” Lily strutted away, his deep chuckle following her, and slammed into Seth. She took one look at his angry face, and her heart sank into her stomach. “Interesting conversation I just overheard.” He gave her a semblance of a smile, but it looked more like he was baring his teeth. Lily took a deep breath through her nose. “And which conversation would that be, Seth?” She gestured to the rapidly-filling tables around them. “There are at least fifteen conversations being held right now.” “You know damn well which one I’m talking about.” His gaze skimmed her over, and when he met her eyes again, bright red slashes marred his cheekbones. “What in the hell are you wearing?” She planted her fists on her hips and lifted her chin. “A shirt and shorts. Like I always do.” “I’m sorry. I don’t see any shorts. I see glorified denim

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underwear.” “Back off, Seth.” “No. I won’t. My baby sister comes in here dressed like that and—is that an undershirt?” “I—” “A man’s undershirt?” Seth scrubbed his hands over his face then glared at her. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. This is not happening. This can’t be happening. Did you really just come here after being with Jackson and Ethan and wearing their clothes? What, did your shirt get ripped or something?” Lily felt her face burning. Seth held out his hand. “Don’t answer that.” He started pacing in front of her. She felt as if she were standing in front of a firing squad. “You tell me right now, Lily Rose, who were you with?” “That’s my personal business, thank you very much. And don’t you dare start with that Lily Rose crap.” “Were you with Jackson and Ethan, Lily Rose? Huh? I swear to God—” “What? You swear you’ll what, Seth?” She challenged, stepping closer to her brother. “Because last I checked, I had the right to do whatever I wanted during my free time. I’m a grown woman, Seth. It’s my life, and I will run it as I see fit. The only person who gives a hoot if I’m seeing Jackson and Ethan is me.” Seth ground his teeth together so hard, Lily heard it through the din of the bar. “I thought Jason and I made it very clear we don’t approve of you being with Jackson and Ethan. You will stop seeing them—” “No! I will not let you boss me around! Whoever I’m with is my decision, Seth. You have no right to make it for me!” “The hell I don’t. You’re my baby sister, and I’m going to protect you from the likes of those two.” “I’m not a baby anymore, Seth. I grew up a while ago if you

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hadn’t noticed, and now that I have, I fully plan on keeping grown-up company and doing very grown-up things with them.” Seth’s mouth flapped closed, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. His eyes darkened to twin black pits as his gaze skimmed over her outfit then snapped back to hers. “They showed you a good time, huh?” Lily froze even as red-hot rage made her heart slam against her ribs. “You self-righteous ass. How dare you!” “So help me God, Lily Rose, if you don’t stop things with them now, I will not be liable for anything I do.” “Go to hell, Seth. Don’t you dare try to tell me how to live my life, and don’t you dare tell me that I need to behave like a good little girl when you and Jason were anything but. If I recall correctly, you and Jason pretty much deflowered Edie—” “You keep her out of this.” “—and you two used to run wild around this town and now you’re telling me that I need to be a good little girl? I don’t think so, Seth. Don’t you try to put that double standard on me.” Seth’s hands balled into fists as he started pacing in a tight line in front of her. “This has nothing to do with double standards. It has everything to do with Jackson and Ethan not being good enough for you.” “I’m the one who decides that.” She threw the words at him. “What the hell is going on here?” Lily spun around and saw Jason towering over her. His hawk-like gaze swept over her in less than a second, and when his ice-blue eyes met hers, his lips curled into a straight line, and the skin over his cheekbones drew tight. Oh, shit. There were times when she resented the fact that her brother saw and knew all, and this was one of them. In fact, it topped the list. He snatched the serving tray from her white-knuckled grip and placed it on an empty table top. “Office. Now.” Then he gripped her right

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above the elbow and half-dragged her behind him. “I am perfectly capable of finding my own way there,” she said, struggling against his light but firm hold. He glanced down at her. “I’m more concerned about where you’ll find yourself if I let you out of my sight.” Lily narrowed her eyes at him but did not say anything as he led her downstairs and down the hall, Seth following on their heels. Their patrons’ curious gazes were on them the entire way there. Jason push-guided her into his office, then faced Seth. “I’ve got this.” “What? Are you kidding me?” “Seth, you’re already pissed the fuck off and out of control. I’ll handle it.” Seth gaped at Jason. “There is no way in hell I’m just going to sit on the sidelines while you straighten her ass out. I have every right to be here.” “Yeah, but look at you. Just take a few minutes to calm down.” Seth looked around Jason’s shoulder at her. “Don’t think we’re anywhere near done here, Lily Rose.” After he stalked off, Jason closed the door and faced her with his arms crossed over his massive chest. The AC chose that moment to kick off, leaving her with her seriously angry older brother in abject silence. There were times Lily was reminded what her brother was— a military man. A retired SEAL, for Christ’s sake, and here she was making him angry. He gazed at her with his hard, merciless eyes, and she had a hint of what his enemies must have felt before her brother did his job. And, apparently, he had done his job quite well back in the days when she had no idea where he was or how long he would be there. It had driven her mother crazy, especially after Lily’s fathers had died. The first few years after their deaths were still hazy for Lily since she was horribly depressed for a few of them, but her memories of her mother pacing the hallways upstairs in her nightgown were still fresh in Lily’s mind. Her lonely steps on the creaky floorboards had

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been Lily’s lullabies for months. Looking at Jason now, Lily should have known there was no need to worry about him. He was so capable, so strong. Jason was a solid man, one whom anyone could rely on, no matter the situation. His strong shoulders carried the weight of the family on them, and yet he had probably seen so many things he would never, ever tell her, or even Seth, for that matter. He had so many secrets, so many dark places in his heart and mind. And she loved him for it. But it also made her wonder why something as trivial as her love life made him so angry. Jason crossed the room and leaned a hip on his desk. “I will not have my sister gallivanting around town and doing God knows what with two.” “Oh, get over yourself, Jason! How dare you tell me that I can’t do whatever I want when that’s exactly what you do!” “Jackson and Ethan are trouble. They always have been, and they always will be. Or are you conveniently forgetting about that?” “Don’t you dare suggest that I’m whoring myself out. I’m not a baby anymore, and you’re just going to have to get used to that.” “No, you’re not a baby anymore, but that doesn’t mean that you can—” “What? That I can what? Pick whoever I want to be with? Act out on my feelings for those people? What, Jason? Just say it.” “They’re not good enough for you!” he boomed. “They never will be.” Lily just stared at him, her lip flapping stupidly. “How can you say that?” “Please, Lily. Do you remember that summer all those years ago? When they drove the car Dads, Seth, and I restored for you into the lake? Jackson never thinks about the consequences of his actions, and Ethan is always there cleaning up after him, but what I really don’t want to see is them getting sick of you and moving on to the next one, just like they always do.”

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“You are so self-righteous, Jason. You have no room to talk. You and Seth were exactly the same way before Edie showed up! What is your problem? Is it that you see so much of yourselves in Jackson and Ethan that it scares you? Well, karma’s a bitch, isn’t it, big brother?” Jason’s mouth snapped shut, and he stared at her with a horrified look on his face. “I know we can be a bit protective.” “Ha! Protective? I smell denial, Jason, and it’s not a very flattering scent on you.” He huffed out a breath through his nose like a bull ready to charge. “You’re our baby sister, and when our fathers died, I made a promise to myself to take care of you the way they would. I would like to think I’ve done a decent job.” Lily’s resolve wavered. She looked at Jason, her big, strong ox of a brother and saw him struggle for words. That never happened. Jason always knew what he was going to say. Always. “Jason, of course you—” “No. Let me finish.” He looked into her eyes so intensely that she tried not to fidget. “I know that Seth and I are overbearing. I know that we are stubborn. But it’s all because we love you. You and Mom are ours to protect, especially you. If anything were to happen to you, we’d never forgive ourselves.” “Jason—” “I’m not done yet. Jackson and Ethan don’t have good track records, and don’t you try to deny it.” She sighed. “Fine. I won’t.” “And you know their habits when it comes to their personal relationships.” When she did not answer right away, Jason lifted his brows pointedly. “Yes. I know.” “That’s why we’re not happy with your choices right now. Not because we don’t want you to date and get married or whatever it is you have going on in your head. But Jackson and Ethan are not the settling kind, Lily.”

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“Well, who said I wanted to settle down right now?” He regarded her in absolute silence for a moment. “So you’re saying that this is just a fling.” “I…” Hell. What was it, exactly, that was going on between her, Jackson, and Ethan? She felt like she was having the birds and the bees talk all over again. “What I’m saying, is that it is your life,” he said grudgingly, “but I want to be sure Jackson and Ethan are taking whatever is going on between you seriously. I don’t want to have to kill anyone.” He was not joking, and she knew it. She held his gaze a long while before saying, “I know what I’m doing, Jason. Don’t worry about me.” His gaze hardened, but she felt the tension between them subside. When he gave her a slight nod, she turned on her heel and fled. Lily refused to any eye contact with anyone as she crossed the dance floor and pool tables and ducked behind the bar. “I’m taking the rest of the afternoon, Seth,” she said, reaching behind her back and untying the thin strings of her apron. “Any particular reason you’re taking off?” he asked over his shoulder. She draped her apron on her wall peg. “I think my brothers and I have just come to a compromise, and I think I want to do a little celebrating.” Seth put down the bottle of rum and turned. A beat of silence passed between them. “If that’s what’s going to make you happy, then I guess I’ll see you next shift.” Sean frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Lily saw a blonde with cleavage up to her chin strut up to the bar and seized the opportunity. “Gotta go!” As Lily hurried to the front doors of Cedar Ridge, she took a deep breath and realized that today was the first day of her life lived out of her brothers’ shadows. Well, maybe not all the way out, since they were her brothers, after all, but this was the first time she had actually fought tooth and nail for what she wanted.

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Just as she started crossing the parking lot, she turned to see Jackson and Ethan pulling up. Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest, and she swallowed air to keep it from going out of control. They really were so beautiful with those smug, devious grins on their faces. Her whole body woke up just looking at them. Jackson pulled the truck up right alongside her, and Ethan rolled his window down. “I had a feeling things wouldn’t go well. Especially with you wearing my shirt, which looks beautiful on you, by the way.” She took a step back and modeled it for him. “You think?” “No. I know.” Ethan’s gaze turned primal, and her panties got wet. He unlocked the door and opened it for her. “Get in.” She swung the door open and lifted her hip, then slid into the seat. Wrapping her fingers around the door handle, she took a glimpse up at the building and saw her brothers through the open window of the truck. Jason and Seth stood in the main entrance of Cedar Ridge, their arms crossed over their chests and grudging acceptance on their faces. Looking directly at them, she slammed the door and put her seat belt on.

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Chapter Twelve Lily sat wedged between her men in the comfortable bench seat of Jackson’s truck. She could not have been happier, feeling their steely thighs resting against hers. They were so warm, so sturdy. So male. Ethan’s big-palmed hand rested on her thigh, and it crept closer to the V of her thighs with every passing moment. She tried to hide her grin. No one in town would ever guess that sweet, quiet Ethan Stone was so insatiable. His touch made her yearn for another round of hotand-heavy loving, and she knew exactly where she wanted it. Laying her cheek against Jackson’s shoulder, she whispered, “Let’s go down to the lake.” Jackson looked at her from the corner of his eye, mischief written all over his face. “The lake?” “Sure. We can go swimming. I mean, I still have to rinse off from...earlier.” “Ethan,” Jackson said in a mockingly serious tone, “our lady wants to go to the lake to go skinny-dipping.” “I never said such a thing,” she said in mock outrage. Ethan slid his hand up her thigh in response. “We did get a little sweaty earlier.” Lily looked at Ethan through her lashes. “Well, if you play your cards right, you’ll get sweaty again.” “So, how, exactly, do we get lucky?” Ethan asked, his pupils dilating. She shrugged, but she already had a plan for the afternoon’s activities in her mind. “Let’s play a game.” Jackson sat up straighter. “What kind of game?”

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“It’s called never have I ever.” Ethan groaned. “I know that game.” “It figures you do, but I think I have more catching up to do,” Lily responded. Getting right down to business, Jackson asked with all sincerity, “What haven’t you done, Lily?” It figured that Jackson would want to rectify anything lacking in her sexual repertoire. Immediately. Instead of answering, Lily pressed her lips against Jackson’s shoulder. She slid her hand down his chest, over his abdomen, and toward the growing bulge in his worn, faded jeans. His whole body tensed, and his grip on the wheel tightened. “Nervous, cowboy?” He smirked and stole a heated glance at her. “Try me.” She cupped his hard cock through the rough material, and he sucked in a breath. “Don’t swerve, now.” Ethan snickered. Scoffing, Jackson said, “I consider that a challenge, Lily.” “You should.” Lily pulled the tab of his zipper down, and his cock filled her hand. She loved that he went commando. Quick access made her life so much easier. Not to mention she hated fumbling with extra clothing when it was not really necessary. Jackson pushed his hips up, making his shaft glide over her palm. He was hot and throbbing in her loose grip, and already his balls drew tight against him. “Fuck,” he groaned. Lily shifted her hips to the right and then bent at the waist. She let her breath brush the tip of his cockhead, and a thick, pearly drop of pre-cum formed at the end. Her pussy clenched in on itself, wanting the thick, hard club of his cock inside her, pumping away like mad. She felt so, so empty. She flicked the tip of her tongue into the slit at the top, and he sucked in a breath then let it out on a low, throaty groan. Then, he lifted his ass off the seat to push himself farther in. He tasted salty and slick on her tongue, and she wanted to give him

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more, to push the limits of his control. Then, wrapping her lips around the plum-shaped tip, Lily sucked him. Jackson groaned above her, and she relished her feminine control over him. She took him a little deeper, letting the thick vein on the underside of his cock brush over her tongue. Up and down, she sucked him in, then released him, repeating the process until she was able to take as much of his thick dick in her mouth as she could. Within moments, he was lifting his hips into her mouth, matching her slow rhythm. If his hands had not been on the steering wheel, they would have been in her hair, guiding her movements. But Lily liked the way he undulated under the control of her lips and tongue, the subtle lifting motions making her clit pulse. She wanted him—wanted them—with an urgency that bordered on desperation. Just as she thought she had control of the situation, Ethan skimmed his fingers up her thigh, lifted her right leg, and draped it over his own, opening her up. His palm slid up the fleshy part of her inner thigh and slipped under the tight fabric of her shorts, brushing against her sopping-wet panties. Ethan growled low in his chest. “Oh, Lily. Damn, baby, you’re so ready right now.” She mewed around Jackson’s cock and sucked him a little harder. “Shit, Ethan. Her mouth is so sweet.” Ethan pressed a finger inside her, swirled it around her G-spot, then pulled it out. “Mmm. So is her pussy. It’s delicious.” Her pussy creamed at his deep, guttural tone. And then Ethan’s fingers returned, spreading her slickness over her clit and her pussy lips. Her hips bucked and rolled under his skilled touch. The more pleasure she felt, the more she worked her tongue and her lips around Jackson’s cock. She wanted him to feel pleasure as she felt it. Ethan controlled them with the brush of his fingertips. How the hell did he manage to exert this much control over her? It was her secret she shared with them—that Ethan was like this in private, that

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he was the one who called all the shots when all their clothes were off. No one would ever guess that about him, and she relished in her intimate knowledge. He fucked two fingers into her without warning, and her ass bucked off the seat. “Oh, yeah, Lily. You’re so tight around my fingers. I can’t wait to replace them with my cock.” The sound of his voice and the image he put in her head made her clench around him, her pussy already pulsing with her gathering orgasm. She rode his fingers as they plunged in and out of her, pressing against her G-spot. He carefully avoided her clit, and she tilted her hips in hopes that she could steal a slight brushing of his fingers. He must have caught on to her game because he just chuckled and continued to finger-fuck her with hard, purposeful strokes. Jackson’s silk-and-iron cock slid between her lips, somehow growing harder and thicker with every pass of her tongue. Then Ethan pushed the shirt up her chest and ripped her bra away. Her breasts tumbled into his hands, filling them. He pinched her swollen nipples, and the sensation throbbed through her, intensifying the almost painful sweetness of his touch on her clit. She screamed, closed-mouthed, around Jackson’s cock, and he stiffened. “Fuck, Lily, stop. I’m going to come.” In response, she gripped the base of his cock and trailed the flat of her tongue along the underside of his shaft, then traced the blunt edges of the head with the tip of her tongue. “You want me to stop?” The truck swerved, and Jackson cursed. “Damn it, Lily.” She smiled to herself then wrapped her lips just around the head and flicked her tongue inside the slit. “Shit, shit, shit. Where the hell did you learn to suck cock like that, Lily?” “Pull over, Jackson,” Ethan commanded, “we’re here.” The truck lurched to the right then came to an abrupt stop. Jackson looked down at her, dark playfulness in his face. He tucked his cock

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back into his jeans. “Nice try, babe. But you’ll get paid back for every second of that.” Lily straightened her clothing, but she shivered at his words. She hoped so. She jumped over Ethan’s lap, letting her breasts brush against his chest, and crawled out of the truck first. She waltzed over the grass and stones toward the lake, her boots crunching with her steps. It might have been rude to leave them there after she had thrown down the sexual gauntlet, but she needed a moment to get her head back on straight. She was flying high right now. She had found the strength to stand up to her brothers, and she had embraced the dormant sex goddess inside her and seduced her men for a change. She stared into the calm water, her mind quickly running over all the events that had led her to this very moment. She knew where this new version of herself had come from, and knowing that her time with them was going to come to a close soon, she wanted to seize every moment she had with them before she had to tell them what was really going on. Ethan’s sure, purposeful steps sounded behind her, and she turned around. Now was the moment. Now was the perfect time to tell them about her plans. But when she looked at him, her words dried up on her tongue. Instead, she said, “This was where it all started. Remember?” Ethan jammed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I do.” “I was so mad at you. I think I thought I hated you. And all that time went by, and neither of you ever apologized or told me why you did it.” His gaze met hers, and she saw his expression tighten. “I wish we could take that back. It was stupid and thoughtless, but we weren’t thinking about the consequences at the time.” “I feel like all of those years we wasted in hating each other. Avoiding each other. And now—” She slapped her mouth shut before

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the words came tumbling out and she told them everything about her plans, about her leaving Liebling and not coming back. “Y’all can make it up to me now.” “That’s what we had in mind.” Ethan’s voice came from right behind her. Startled, she whipped around and came face-to-face with his chest. She tilted her head back. “So just how do you plan on...making it up to me?” He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close. “First things first, we need to show you just how precious you are.” Lily’s heart swelled with his words and the open expression on his face. He hid nothing from her, and she felt like a liar. She should tell them. Now. But looking up at him, Lily found the words drying up on her tongue as desire fired up inside her. “Precious?” “Oh, yeah.” He grinned then bent his head and kissed her neck. His lips, warm and soft against her skin, were her undoing. He came to her gently, with the utmost care and tenderness, yet his animalistic side burned just beneath the surface, clawing its way out. Lily loved the soft way he handled her, but she wanted more. She wanted him wild. Reaching up, she cupped his hard jaw in her hands and forced his lips to meet hers in a searing kiss that made her toes curl. They battled for control, his hands boldly roaming over her hips and ass, pressing her against his thick, rock-solid cock. Yes. That was what she wanted. She ground herself into him, thrilling when he groaned into their kiss. Ethan growled. “You asked for it.” His dark tone and the erotic light in his eyes promised all sorts of naughty treats that afternoon. And to start it all off, he gripped her shirt and pulled. It ripped down the middle and floated off her arms and to the ground. The heat in his gaze made her shiver, and he stepped closer. “You cold?” She shook her head. “No.” He skimmed his fingertips up her arm. “But you’re trembling. You know, the remedy for that is to conserve body heat.”

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“Oh, really? And how do you suggest we do that?” He pinned her with a glance and started unbuttoning his shirt. The lower his hands traveled down his torso, the more of his tanned, rippling flesh he revealed. The thrumming in Lily’s clit went into overdrive at the sight of his biceps flexing as he balled up his shirt before tossing it to the ground. “Getting warmer?” “Mmmhmm.” Ethan grinned devilishly. “Good.” Then he struck, quick as lightning, and did away with the rest of her clothing, yanking her shorts off her hips and down her legs. “Lily,” he whispered when she stood naked before him, “so beautiful.” He looked at her with a combination of deep, dark heat and tenderness, and she came to the conclusion that she could get used to that look. It did a girl a world of good to be looked at as if she was the only beautiful thing that existed. He wrapped his arms around her and caged her against his chest. His scent enveloped her just as much as his touch, and she let herself drown in him. His lips crashed onto hers, and she tasted his desire, his primal urge to mate with her. Lily’s sensitive skin rubbed against his, and his heat suffused through her, warming her in more than a simply skin-deep manner. He surrounded her with himself, with his touch, his kiss. She sensed Jackson coming up behind her before she heard his boots crunching over the grass. Now the moment was complete. No matter how much she wanted each man individually, she wanted them both to be with her when her desire skyrocketed beyond her control. Settling his hands on her shoulders, Ethan turned her around, her back to his chest, exposing her naked front to Jackson. Ethan’s forearm across her ribs and belly held her in place as his fingers dipped down between her legs. “You look so lush, Lily. So ripe.” Jackson dropped the bundle he

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had been carrying and closed the distance between them. “Your breasts are so high and full.” He grazed his fingertip over them and swirled it around her nipple, making it peak. “So pink.” At the same moment Jackson bent to lick her turgid peak, Ethan’s thick fingers spread her pussy lips and brushed over her aching clit. Glide, circle. Glide, circle. Jackson worked his tongue around the very tips of her nipples, sending jolts of sweet, sweet pleasure through her while Ethan’s callused fingers worked her with intimidating skill. Lily’s entire existence centered around the dual sensations throbbing through her that fed on each other, building higher and higher until her whole body quivered in Ethan’s embrace. “Ohh,” she groaned. Her knees started knocking together, but Ethan just held her against his hard, solid body. She used him to anchor her to reality as she started chasing the orgasm that eluded her, thanks to their finetuned awareness of her responses. It drove her out of her mind. She was close to coming, her whole body going still under the gathering force of her orgasm. Then Jackson pulled away from her breast, leaving her aching and desperate. “Wha—” How the hell did they know just the right moment to back off? “Always wanting to get right to business when there’s so much good stuff to be had.” Jackson’s tone was faintly mocking, and it would have pissed Lily off had she been in a state to care. “Good stuff?” she asked, her voice wavering. Ethan’s fingers slipped from her pussy, making her groan. “Oh, yeah, Lily. Lots of good stuff.” Without warning, Jackson pulled her from Ethan’s embrace and spun her around, making her cling to him to keep from toppling over. She heard rustling behind her, and then she tipped over, Jackson rolling under her to catch her. The bundle he had been carrying turned out to be a blanket, and it made a soft place for her to land when he

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rolled again, this time on top of her. He felt so male, so heavy and strong. His body dwarfed hers, though she never considered herself a particularly small woman. He nudged her thighs apart with his legs, and his cock brushed between her engorged folds. “You’re burning for me, Lily, and your pussy is weeping for me.” His harsh, gritty voice sent shivers through her. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the slick way his cock brushed against her intimate flesh, teasing her without mercy. Heat bloomed under her skin, and beads of sweat popped up along her hairline. She skimmed her palms up his arms, tracing the deep crevices of his triceps and shoulder muscles. She thrilled at the feeling of his warm solidity. He was so big his shoulders blocked out everything but the sight of the trees arching over them, almost as if in an embrace. The sun filtered through the leaves, creating little pockets of light that danced over Jackson’s shoulders. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. His lips were warm and firm, and she sighed into him. Then his long, thick cock pressed into her, forcing her to stretch around him to accommodate his size. She sucked a breath between her teeth, and her fingernails dug into her skin. “Jackson...” Her voice trembled, but her body heated up as if it were in fire. “Yes, Lily. Take me. That’s it.” Jackson’s arms shook, and his neck muscles corded out, but he held himself in check although she could tell it took all of his control. He pressed in a few more inches, and the pain turned into overwhelming pleasure. She moaned and rocked under him, and he slid a hand under her ass and tilted her hips up. “Shit.” Jackson groaned deep in his chest as he slid the rest of the way inside her, filling her to capacity. Already, Lily was on the verge of climax, her swollen, throbbing clit rubbing against his pubic bone. Heat burned through her and radiated outward until even her toes tingled. Her pussy gripped his

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cock as if it never wanted to let him go, her nipples brushed against his chest hair, and her thighs strained to fit around his big body, exposing her clit to his every touch. Pleasure overwhelmed her with its shocking intensity. She was so full, so alight with sensation. Jackson pulled out until only the crown of his cock remained inside her then thrust back in. Hard. The force of his stroke made her hips buck up off the ground. And then he did it again, fucking her in hard, smooth thrusts. He drove her out of her mind. His cock was so thick, and his aim was so precise that the base of it pressed against her clit every time he thrust home. He set her off, wailing, as she quaked around his dick, thrashing and screaming and scratching as she fucked herself on him. Her cries of pleasure made her throat burn, but she kept screaming, unable to contain the ecstasy that burst out of her clit and pulsed through her entire being. She bucked underneath him, milking each and every throbbing, swirling sensation. Then he shifted his hips and fucked back inside her, and his cockhead hit her G-spot. “Jackson!” Her eyes popped open, and she gaped up at him in utter shock. Their gazes clashed, and he looked down at her in utter triumph as he did it again, pushing her over the brink. She hovered there for the interminable span of a single heartbeat, and then she fell over. Or up. She could not decide. All she knew was that her body flew apart, raw orgasmic ecstasy making her blind, deaf, and dumb, sending her to a place she had never been to before. When the pulses subsided, she realized that Jackson held himself still above her undulating body. She had been using him to break herself against, her hips crashing into his like a wave on an unmovable rock. Jackson pressed a kiss against her damp forehead. “You all right?” Unable to utter any words, she simply nodded. The next moment, Jackson grasped her wrists and pinned them above her head. Then, holding her gaze, he pumped himself in and out of her. She could do nothing but wrap her legs around his lower back,

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hang on for the ride her life, and let the sensations flow over her. That must have been the point all along because she came like a wild woman, having one orgasm right after the other, one sparking the beginning of the next. He just grinned down at her, and then her world spun as he rolled so that she sat astride him. It made his dick sink even deeper into her cunt, and she let out a hoarse cry. She fell forward, her fingers biting into his pecs. Jackson gripped her waist threw his head back. “Damn, Lily.” He gritted his teeth, and his jaw muscles clenched. She felt so much pleasure she was sure her eyes crossed, but she could not find the will to care. She was so limp from coming so hard that she could barely hold herself up. She shifted her hips, and she felt how wet she was. She was almost embarrassed, but with the way Jackson looked at her, so fiercely sweet, she decided he liked her just the way she was. “I’ll hold you, Lily. Don’t worry.” Jackson was true to his word. He gripped her hips with his hands and pumped her up and down his cock, slowly, using only the strength of his arms. His biceps and shoulders bulged, throwing shadows under his muscles. Falling forward, she planted her palms on his defined chest and let him guide her. Her pussy juice coated his cock, making her movements easier. He knew exactly what to do, knew her body well enough to position her just right. Lily bit down on her lip and tried not to cry out. “None of that, Lily,” Ethan commanded from behind her. “I feel you holding back. There’s no one out here, so let it all out, babe.” Heeding him, Lily let out her soft cries and her panting breaths, her “Oh, God, Ethan” and, “Touch me, Jackson.” Suddenly, a big palm gripped her right ass cheek, and she looked over her shoulder. Ethan knelt behind her, a hungry look on his face. “You want me to take this ass, Lily?” His words, honeyed with dark passion, made

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her pussy clench. Jackson thrust up into her in response, and she toppled forward, overwhelmed and on the brink once again. Ethan spanked her. “Yes or no, Lily? Do you want me in your ass?” “Yes!” she cried. He caressed her rump where he had spanked it, spreading the heat. “You have the sweetest ass, Lily. So ripe and full.” Ethan spread her ass cheeks wide. “I’ve never seen a prettier hole.” Her face grew hot with embarrassment and jealousy. “Thanks for reminding me you’ve seen so many.” “Aw, sweetcheeks, don’t get mad.” Jackson pressed a kiss on her neck, right above her madly beating pulse, a male claiming his female. She shivered. “He did say it was the prettiest one,” he said into her skin. Ethan shifted behind her, and she felt the press of his engorged cockhead against her asshole. She groaned deep in her throat, anticipating his entrance into her body with every single breath she took. She wanted both of them inside her, claiming her. She wanted to be surrounded by them. Ethan forged his tip in, and she tightened down on him. ”Ohh, Lily. Don’t move. Don’t move.” His voice sounded like caramel over broken glass. His fingers bit into her flanks, holding her in place. Every little movement of his hips stretched her around him a little more, readying her ring of muscles to accommodate his entire girth. And he had that in spades. He pumped in and out in short, shallow strokes, only the first six inches of him filling her and retreating. Even with only two-thirds of him inside her, she was so full, so completely stuffed. She squeezed her eyes closed. “That’s it, Lily,” Jackson crooned, though his voice was tight. “Breathe. In and out. Yeah, like that.” He pushed his fingers between their joined pelvises and stroked her clit. In just a few touches, she started riding his cock—their cocks—in slow, rocking motions of her hips.

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“Shit, Lily. Yes. Just like that, baby. That’s so damn good.” Ethan followed the pace she set, driving the rest of himself inside her ass. Lily cried out in giddy delight, her body full to bursting. She relished in the way she stretched around them, in how she felt so complete. There was not a part of her, body or soul, they had not touched, and she was overwhelmed with that knowledge. They would leave her a broken wreck in the aftermath of their passion, but she had every confidence they would put her back together again. “More,” she groaned. “I need more.” “That’s our girl,” Jackson said between violently clenched teeth. “We’ll give you all of us,” Ethan whispered into her shoulder. They did just that. She loved it, every single wild moment of the way they loved her. **** Still on cloud nine, Lily ran up the steps of The Sweet Spot as her men waited for her in their truck. She wanted to borrow a few toys and see if she could convince Jackson to try out those nipple clamps again. She suspected he’d be more open to the idea if she suggested they used them on her. Lily’s satisfied cunt ached at the thought. If it was possible for a vagina to smile and have ears, she knew Ethel would have been grinning from one vagina ear to next. As she pushed open the door, Lily ran smack into Edie on her way out. Edie let out a gasp. “Sweet Mary, you scared the crap out of me.” Edie held her hand to her chest and panted. “What’s the rush?” “I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure if you or Lena would still be up.” “Those brothers of yours had a long night at the bar with some rowdy customers, and I’m finally going over to see them.” Edie yawned. “Really, I should be going to bed to sleep, but you know how men are after a night of macho roughhousing.” Lily smiled and nodded. “Oh, I do know. Actually, I came to see if

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I could borrow some toys.” Edie looked over Lily’s shoulder at the waiting truck and grinned as recognition hit. “Ah, I see. It’s certainly about time. Well, it’s good that you caught me. I actually have something for you. I was planning on giving it to your brothers to give to you, but since you’re here.” Edie dug into her oversized hemp purse, the height of “boho,” ecoconscious fashion. She pulled out a large envelope and handed it to her. “I don’t know why it was sent here, but it’s a letter from New York City.” “Oh, um…thanks.” Lily instantly knew what it was. She had it sent here for fear her brothers would find it if she had had it mailed to her house. Well, apparently that plan wasn’t as fool-proof as she had thought. It was a good thing Edie intercepted it. It was the letter she had waited all summer for, but now she wasn’t quite so eager to see what it contained. She took the envelope as Edie gave her a quizzical look, clearly expecting some kind of explanation. “It’s nothing.” Lily pushed passed her, avoiding eye contact, and went to the closet that held The Sweet Spot’s supply of fresh sex toys. “Okay, whatever you say. Feel free to anything in there, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which pretty much leaves your options wide open.” Edie chuckled as she closed the door behind her. Lily stared at the assortment of toys, her enthusiasm dampened by what she held in her hands. “Lily, where are you? How long does it take to pick out some toys?” Lily’s heart leapt at the sound of Ethan’s voice, and she shoved the envelope into her bag. “There’s a lot to choose from, okay?” She tossed random toys into her bag, burying the envelope in the process, and forced a smile as she peeked her head out of the closet. Outside, Jackson honked the horn. Ethan walked toward her and hugged her from behind, pulling into his arms. She sighed against his body, savoring this moment. “Come on, beautiful. Jackson’s not the most patient of people, and he’s not above laying on his horn in the

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middle of the night.” “You’re right. Let’s get going.” She laced her fingers with his and let him lead her back to his twin. “Damn, woman. It took you long enough,” Jackson said with a grin as she hopped into the truck and sidled up next to him. He leaned over and gave her a tempting kiss on the lips. “The question is, is it gonna be worth the wait?” “I think the question is, has it been worth the wait. I certainly think it has,” Ethan said, a look of pure bliss and adoration etched on his face as his deep blue eyes ate her up. “Lily, what do you think?” “Yes, definitely.” Lily nodded, surrounded by the love from these two men she had waited nearly her entire life for, and she couldn’t have been happier. And yet, she couldn’t deny the knowledge that in her bag was a letter that could change everything, that could make her dream of being a successful designer in New York City come true. She couldn’t help but think maybe that was her intended reality, and being with the Stone twins was actually the dream, something too good to be true. The idea pained her to the core. She quickly brushed a tear away before Ethan or Jackson had a chance to see it. She settled between her two men and assured herself that at that moment, dream or not, this was exactly where she wanted to be. Whatever reality that envelope contained could wait. For now, she would love her men and let her men love her.

End of Part 1: The Chase To be continued in Part 2: The Taming

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