Dangerous Flirtations

The Callens 4

Dangerous Flirtation Hot architectural designer and new employee Tracey Redman hits it off with her hunky construction manager, Colby Stone, because he, too, shares her passion for mountain biking. His powerful legs, excessive stamina, and total fitness level light a flame inside her. His naturally accepting and warm nature opens her heart to the possibility of loving again. When the innovative company owner, Dustin Callen, asks her to spend a few days at a green conference, she's captivated by his business prowess, his adventurous spirit, and his unique ability to listen. The chemistry between them ignites. Now she's unsure how to handle falling for two men. When she learns that Colby is an ex-con, she freaks. As much as she yearns for him and loves the person he's become, he's forbidden fruit as far as her family is concerned. How can she be in a ménage relationship without alienating her parents? Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre Length: 46,599 words

DANGEROUS FLIRTATIONS The Callens 4

Melody Snow Monroe

MENAGE EVERLASTING

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

DANGEROUS FLIRTATIONS Copyright © 2012 by Melody Snow Monroe E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-750-3 First E-book Publication: June 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Dangerous Flirtations by Melody Snow Monroe from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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

DEDICATION To Cheryl Mansfield. Thanks for all your help with the construction lingo!

DANGEROUS FLIRTATIONS The Callens 4 MELODY SNOW MONROE Copyright © 2012

Chapter One “What’s she like?” Colby Stone leaned his elbows on the bar and drank his beer as he scanned the crowd. His boss smiled. “Hot.” At that description, Colby refocused his attention back on Dustin Callen. “Willing to share any details?” The last architectural designer had been married with three kids. Dustin swiveled sideways on the stool and gave him a hard look, one that said he was debating how much to reveal. “Tracey Redman is from Seattle. She has six years of design experience and knows marketing. Her portfolio is the best I’ve seen. Good enough?” Hardly. He wanted the important statistics, the least of which were age, eye, and hair color. Intrigue, Wyoming, didn’t have a lot of women, and Colby was always on the lookout. “She single?” Dustin laughed. “She never mentioned a husband, but if you’re thinking she might be the sharing type, you’d be wrong.” He didn’t like sound of that. Ever since he moved back to where he’d grown up, he and Dustin had shared a few women, but none of the ones they’d chosen wanted anything permanent. Neither of them were getting any younger, and now at thirty-two, they’d both decided it was time to settle down. “Did she say something to indicate she was

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against a ménage arrangement? After all, Intrigue’s permissiveness is well-known. ” Dustin cocked a brow as he peeled the paper off his beer bottle. “The topic of sex never came up during the interview. I must have been slacking.” There was something he wasn’t saying. His boss could get any woman he wanted if he set his mind to it. After all, he had an Ivy League education, owned his own construction company, and was, according to every woman in town, the most devastatingly handsome man alive. “When does Tracey start work?” “Monday morning.” “Good. There’ll be no downtime. I really need her at the construction site as soon as possible. We just finished framing today.” He liked to be sure what the men built matched the architectural design. Mistakes early on could be costly. Dustin had pounded into their heads that they couldn’t afford to mess up this one. It was the big break Dustin had been hoping for. A high-end green developer had hired Callen Construction to build all the homes. “I’ll stop by the office first thing Monday morning and take her to the site.” Dustin laughed. “You do that, but remember she is an employee.” Colby couldn’t believe his best friend would say that. “Like I’d sexually harass her or something? You know me. The women make the move on me, not the other way around.” “From the way she holds herself, she’s a bit self-conscious about her looks. I don’t see her coming on to you.” “I thought you said she’s hot.” “She is, only she doesn’t realize it.” Colby finished his beer. “I’ll bet you she’ll sniffing at my heels in a month’s time.” That was unless someone tipped her off about his past. High-class women shied away from ex-cons. To them it wouldn’t matter that

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he’d only spent a few years in prison. **** Tracey pulled in front of Callen Construction and smiled. The parking lot might have been covered in gravel instead of asphalt, but the large, one-story building was beautifully landscaped and looked freshly painted. She rolled up her windows, eased out, and locked her car. She inhaled. The September air was still warm and dry, which was a nice change from Seattle. Being free from her ex and her last nightmare job made this place a dream come true. Once inside, a woman with dyed red poufy hair, big glasses, and an even bigger smile greeted her. “Welcome to Callen Construction. I bet you’re Tracey Redman.” She’d been about to look down to see if she still had her old name tag on, but instead looked this woman in the eye. “Yes. I’m here to see Mr. Callen.” “We call him Dustin. I’m Elizabeth Matthews, but you can call me Bessie. Everyone does.” The elderly woman motioned her to follow. Despite Bessie having trouble walking, she led her down a long hall without stopping and knocked on a door with no sign. She twisted the knob and pushed it open. “Ms. Tracey is here.” “Send her in.” Tracey straightened her shoulders and dragged her hands down her jeans. She’d met Dustin Callen when he’d visited Seattle on business. Due to a bizarre set of circumstances, she’d snagged an interview and landed this job. She still hadn’t been able to erase his sexy image from her brain. Not only did his broad shoulders, slim hips, and blond hair make him model perfect, the guy was as nice as could be. She bet, however, that during a business deal, he could be as shrewd as he was kind.

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As she approached his desk, he came from behind and shook her hand. “Welcome. Have a seat.” He leaned a hip against his desk instead of returning to his chair. Having someone this imposing tower above her didn’t help her nerves. At five foot six, most men didn’t appear huge. Dustin Callen did. He had to be a least six foot three and was about two hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle. She didn’t know why she was nervous, but after meeting him and hearing about the job, she wanted to please this man. She scanned his desk for pictures of a wife and kids but found nothing other than photos of a large family. “I wanted to welcome you into the Callen management team. Any and all suggestions will be taken into consideration. So, if there is anything you see that might need improving, please let me know.” Was he serious? From the job description, he acted like she’d play an important role, but to be considered part of management was very cool. “How many employees do you have?” The website wasn’t specific, and she’d been so desperate to get out of the state that she hadn’t asked. She twisted the family heirloom ring on her right hand then quickly stopped, not wanting Dustin to think she was an emotional mess. “We’ve just landed a huge contract that might take years to complete. Currently, I have twenty full-time workers, most of whom stay on the building site, but I plan to bring in another fifty men to speed up the process. That doesn’t include the subcontractors.” Impressive. “That’s quite a large operation.” “We manage. You can see why we can use your help.” He outlined again who would be doing what. “For the most part, you’ll be reporting to the construction manager, Colby Stone. All I’ll need from you is a copy of the requisition forms every Friday so I can pay the suppliers.” “Can do.” She liked how he broke her duties down into

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manageable bites. “I know it seems like you’ll be a bit scattered, but I try to keep the office staff to a minimum.” He slapped his thighs. “I think I covered the rest of your duties during the interview. Do you have any questions?” Only like a thousand. “No.” He smiled, and her gaze stayed on his white teeth before traveling up to his deep blue eyes. Wow. “Then let me show you to your desk.” She followed him out, and they headed back down the same hall. Instead of taking a right to reception, he opened a double door to a spacious room where there were four desks. “Where is everyone?” He chuckled. “Out in the field. They only come in when needed, but you’ll meet them soon enough. Have a seat, and I’ll show a couple of things on your computer.” She booted up, and he gave her the password. The large screen was a nice change from the seventeen-incher she had at her previous job. “The designer we had left on Friday, so I’ve e-mailed you the elevation drawings. Once you familiarize yourself with them, I’ll have Colby take you to the site to do a walk-through. He and I, along with the roof truss manufacturer, have already completed a walk-through. Once you’re up to speed, I’d like you to take a look.” “Can do. Do I have an e-mail address?” If the main form of communication was e-mail, she’d have to have one. “Yes. All the employees have their first initial, last name, then dot callen at gmail dot com.” “Perfect.” He rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Stop by if you have any questions. If you want to know the answers though, ask Bessie. She’s the one who really runs the place.” She laughed. How warm and friendly was that? She kept her gaze on his back until the door closed. As soon as

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she was alone, she sighed then pumped her fist. Leaving her hometown hadn’t been easy, but now she knew this had been the right decision. From her purse she set up shop. She placed two Naked berry blast fruit drinks on her desk along with her laptop. First thing she did was check out the programs on her desktop. To her delight, they had the most updated AutoCAD software. Yes! She could do her drawings beautifully with that. After downloading the plans for the house, she sent an e-mail to her mom and best friend at home to let them know this was day one of her new life. She printed the home plans they were building and studied the specs. Late in the afternoon, the door to the office opened, and a gorgeous, well-muscled man burst in, almost looking out of breath. He stopped in his tracks and ran a gaze down her length. He then strode over to her with a big grin on his face. “You must be Tracey.” Did she have a stamp on her forehead? “Yes.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Colby Stone. I’m the construction manager for Callen Construction. We’ll be working together.” Oh, my. How could she get so lucky to get to report to this hunky man and have a boss like Dustin? Where Dustin was fairer with dark blond hair, Colby Stone had black hair, tanned skin, and whiskeycolored eyes. He was a good four inches shorter but as impressively built. Despite the twinkle in his eyes, there was something about him that gave off a devilish vibe. She inhaled. “Great.” “I’m here to take you to the site. Did Dustin give you a copy of the drawings?” “I got them this morning.” She tapped the paper on her desk. Now she’d be able compare them to the actual site. If she needed to make any notations about some changes, she could. This aspect of her job was what she looked forward to the most. Being outside made her the happiest. She loved to ski, hike, bike, and

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ride horses. She’d arrived on Friday, and every moment since then, she’d been looking forward to hitting some biking trail. She hoped she’d have time this weekend to explore the area. No telling how long the weather would remain warm. Colby escorted her out. His new-looking truck had a Callen Construction sign on the side. In the back, she spotted a Yeti 575 mountain bike. Very cool. “You ride a lot?” That bike had to have set him back three grand. “Every chance I get.” “Maybe you can give me some suggestions on good trails.” She had a GT Sensor 2.0 that she’d saved two years to get. It cost almost as much as his ride. His eyes sparkled. “I’d love to.” She slid in the passenger side. The leather interior was a nice change from the usual grungy trucks she had to ride in at her old job. Colby started the engine. “Dustin might get you a ride of your own.” Her pulse jumped thinking about getting such a nice perk. “That would be great, but why?” “You’ll need to go to check on the properties, and it’s a good ten miles to there.” She’d put on close to thirty thousand miles last year running around Seattle in her car, which she had yet to pay off. Colby was a nonstop tour guide, pointing out where the mayor lived and other important people in town. “We’re building in Pine Crest Haven. It’s a high-end development on twelve hundred acres. So far, we’ve only built one home and just started another, but all of the homes will be using state-of-the-art green materials.” This was one of the reasons why she wanted to work for this company. She loved learning about the energy-efficient technologies. From the sound of it, their business was doing well. When the real estate market tanked a few years back, the construction company she worked for laid off so many workers, she had to do the job of three

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men and take a cut in pay. Perhaps Wyoming hadn’t been hit as hard. Colby turned down a dirt road. A beautifully landscaped entrance had a wrought iron sign containing the name of the development. “This is gorgeous.” The view of the mountains was spectacular. He pulled into the site that was situated on about four acres. “Everywhere in Wyoming is breathtaking.” He almost sounded wistful. “Have you always lived in Intrigue?” His gaze bounced to a pile of lumber then back at her. “I lived here until I was fourteen. Then my folks moved to Tucson. I came back about four years ago.” From the way his lips pressed together, he didn’t want her to ask any more questions. That was fine by her. No one needed to know her background either. She was here to make sure the workers put in the right number of rooms, electrical sockets, and light fixtures, and that was all. Colby introduced her to most of the men and then handed her a hard hat. “You probably want to get to work. Give a yell if you need anything. I’ll be around.” “I’ll be busy.” She unfolded the drawings. Her job was to make certain that the men were building according to plan. About fifteen minutes later, Colby came back and tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ve got to run to the store with Jorge.” He nodded to a short, stocky man. “We’ll take his truck. I should be back in less than thirty minutes, but if you need to drive anywhere, here are my keys.” He dropped them in her palm. “I have no need to go anywhere. This house will take a good hour.” She didn’t want to be responsible for them and handed the keys back. “I can keep an eye on your bike if you like.” “Why?” He hadn’t locked it or anything. “In case someone steals it.” “Around here? Nah. I trust these guys. They’re good men.” She wasn’t used to this attitude in the big city. His comment

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intrigued her. “Do you trust most people?” He took a minute before answering. “Most people are decent if you give them a chance.” He’d never met her ex-boyfriend. She’d given him tons of chances, and he’d abused them all. “So you don’t have much theft here? Now that I’m also in charge of marketing, maybe I could use this fact to the company’s advantage.” “Some, but not much.” “My former company had a real problem with people stealing things. You must screen all of your employees quite well.” Her old place claimed they did, but she didn’t believe them. If Callen Construction spent the money to get background checks, it would have been another plus for the company. “I know their backgrounds.” He looked down at the ground for a second. “I guess you’ll learn this at some point, but a few of our workers have a checkered past.” “What do you mean?” “A few have served time, but we wanted to give them another chance.” She really hadn’t meant for the gasp to escape. “Is that wise?” She glanced up at Jorge who was coming toward them. He shrugged. “They’ve paid for their transgressions. Do you have a problem with that?” Was he kidding? “No.” “You coming, boss man?” “Yeah.” She expected them to head back to the truck, but Jorge stuck out his hand. “I’m Jorge Gonzalez. You really our new architectural designer?” He whistled. His leer sent shivers down her spine. “Yes.” Colby edged toward her and faced Jorge. “Leave her alone. She’s here to work.” “No problema.” His smile exposed stained, yellow teeth.

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Colby leaned closer. “Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.” “I’m not planning on it.” He winked and headed back to the truck with the other man. Her heart did a little skip at Colby’s sexy overture. You’re here to work. Nothing more. She took photos of the house for reference, and then went room to room doing her comparison. The four-thousand-square-foot home was going to be a beauty. Right now, all that was up was the framing. Once the drywall was installed, the place would look more like a home. Colby returned forty-five minutes later just as she finished her job. Jorge passed by and winked. Goose chills slid up her spine. Colby nodded to her neatly folded plans. “You ready to head back?” “I am.” When they were halfway back to the office, he glanced over at her. “Would you like to go bike riding next weekend? I’ve got something planned this weekend or I’d go then.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Seeing where the trailhead starts is a lot easier than me describing the area.” Her pulse sped up. “I’d love to.”

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Chapter Two The next week was quite hectic, since she spent time getting the feel of her workplace as well as learning her way around Intrigue. The town was a lot larger than she’d expected given it only had a population of twenty-five thousand people. She still had a lot of shopping to do to get her apartment to where she liked it. Having local artwork would give her place that homey feel she loved. At work, she saw Colby a few times, but he was in and out before they had a chance to talk, and she ran into Dustin even less. Most of her day was spent familiarizing herself with the different architectural plans. The architect, Nate, showed up on Tuesday to see if she had any questions about the new elevation plans he’d sent over. According to Bessie, he’d been on vacation all last week, which was why she hadn’t met him before. From the dirt on his hands, he’d recently been at the construction site. His skin was a bit leathery, but his pleasant face was accentuated by really thick gray hair. He appeared open and knowledgeable and happily answered all her questions. She spread out a set of plans in which she’d drawn in the log exterior, along with her idea of the landscaping. “This is what I have so far on the Mountain View House.” He studied her efforts. “I like it.” They discussed possible changes. “I just spoke with the client and he’s changed his mind on the size of the front window. He also wants a pony wall instead of a full wall in one of the bathrooms.” He noted a few other custom changes. “I hate when someone does that this far into the project.” He chuckled. “You and me both, but when a client pays close to a

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million dollars for the house, they get what they want.” “It happened to me all too often at my last job. Drove me crazy.” “Be prepared to do a lot of reconfiguring. Just when you think you’re done, Dustin will need you to start again.” “I guess that’s the nature of the business.” “Amen.” As soon as Nate left, Colby breezed in, and her spirits lifted. Maybe he was here to set up the time for their ride this weekend. She’d been dreaming about getting to spend time with him. “Hi.” He smiled and pulled out a list. “Hey. I need you to put on your requisition hat.” “I can do that.” She extracted the order forms from her file drawer. “What do you need?” “An eighteen-gauge electric brad nailer.” He gave her the specs of the specific DeWalt he wanted. “Sixty boxes of one-and-a-quarterinch nails to be used with the nail gun.” She marked it down. “Anything else?” He glanced to the ceiling. “Nope. Oh, yeah.” He reached into his pocket. “Here’s some petty cash.” She pulled open her drawer and lifted the lid on the metal box. He dropped in four twenties. To her, petty cash was less than ten dollars, but she imagined every company had different policies. She wanted to ask about the weekend bike ride but thought that might have been too forward. Maybe he’d forgotten. “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” “You can bet on it.” He winked and walked out. It took a few minutes before her heartbeat slowed. There went one sexy man. Her thoughts jumped to another man who fit that bill, too. Dustin Callen. He was larger than life and oh so yummy, but the Dustin Callens of the world were impossible to land. Her mother always said it was just as easy to marry a rich man as a poor one, but in this case, this particular rich man was out of her league. Forget about him.

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She got back to work making the changes the architect told her about and had almost finished when Dustin came in. It was almost as if he were some genie that she’d conjured up. His hair was windblown and his cheeks burned as if he’d spent the whole day outside. She put her pen down and looked up. “Hi.” Damn, she wished her tone had been more professional and didn’t sound like she was in awe of him. “By any chance are you free for dinner tonight?” Any ability to move ceased, and her throat closed up. She lifted a finger to indicate she needed a moment. After a long inhale, she was able to answer. “Yes.” She hadn’t expected him to be such a fast worker. This was only her second week on the job. “We’ll be meeting with our most important client. He wants to discuss installing some new products that have recently come on the market. I thought you should be there.” The air in her lungs whooshed out. This wasn’t a date. Heat raced up her face for being arrogant enough to think he might have been interested. “What time?” “He wants to meet in Cheyenne at 7:15 p.m. Can you get ready by six? It’s an hour drive.” Get ready? She looked down at her attire. “I’m guessing that means no jeans.” He smiled. “I’m afraid not. A cocktail dress would be great. Nothing too revealing, just elegant.” “Sure. You want to meet here first?” He seemed to think about it for a moment. “That works.” “I’ll be ready.” Now where was she going to get something elegant? The not-revealing part she had covered, so to speak. “It’s close to five now, so you might want to get going.” She’d do anything to get out of this embarrassing situation. “I’ll take you up on that. I just finished the drawing, so the timing’s good.” Stop babbling. As soon as he left, she slinked down in her chair. There was no

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time to find a department store and buy something. She’d have to use her imagination to come up with an appropriate outfit from her meager closet. After she packed up her laptop, she rushed out of there. She’d have time to shower and wash her hair but wouldn’t be able to use hot rollers. That would take at least half an hour. Dustin would just have to see her for who she really was, which was a girl with long, limp hair. The shower was quick, and the blow-drying went even quicker. She rustled through her closet for something to wear, but nothing seemed to work. She wanted to attract Dustin, yet at the same time not make it look like she was interested. Besides, a client would feel uncomfortable if he had to sit through a dinner where the woman was putting the moves on the boss. What to wear, what to wear. She pulled out a well-worn, knee-length black skirt along with a white silk blouse. When she added some costume jewelry and a scarf, she was pleased with the combination. The only ring she had belonged to her grandmother. The large diamond solitaire was real and worth a mint. It added elegance to any outfit. Somehow, she managed to race back to the office with five minutes to spare. Dustin pulled into the lot right behind her. As much as she told herself she would not stare, she couldn’t help it. No man deserved to look that good in a gray striped suit. The red tie added an element of power to an already dynamic man. He smiled. “You look beautiful.” Her throat turned dry again. That was not what a boss should say to a worker, was it? “Thanks.” Dustin held open his passenger side door, and she slid in. Even though this was a business meeting, she was going to pretend it was a date. There was no harm in dreaming. She didn’t want to act all tongue-tied when he asked her a question, so she started the conversation. “What can you tell me about this client?”

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“Actually, he’s the developer. His name is Logan Smithfield. I’ve known him for years, and he’s a good guy.” So Dustin hung out with the high rollers. That didn’t surprise her. In the last few days, she’d had time to Google search him. His parents owned a twenty-five-thousand-acre spread on the edge of town and were involved in the community. He came from sturdy stock, as her mother would say. “Is Pine Crest Haven one of the first all-green developments in the area?” “I’m not sure whether it’s the first as others have used solar power, but it will certainly be the best. Logan is very interested in all the newest technologies. We’ve already planned to have the solar panels integrated in the roofs, but this meeting is more about the inside. I’ll let him tell you.” “I would have thought Nate would have been the best choice.” “He was busy.” Oh. So she was his second choice. That put the night into better perspective. “Since I’ll also be handling some of the marketing aspects, what can you tell me about Callen Construction?” He laughed, and the sound shot straight to her stomach and made it tumble. “Not much to tell, really. We always finish on time and rarely go over budget.” “Now that’s a real accomplishment.” “We try.” “Anything else?” “We’re innovative. That’s why Smithfield picked us.” For the next forty-five minutes, they talked first about Seattle then Intrigue. She was pleased the topic of the town’s permissiveness never came up. Having a discussion about sex would have made her very uncomfortable. The topic of his employees kept niggling at her. The only way to silence her concerns would be to talk about it. “Colby said some of the men were ex-cons. Doesn’t that bother you?” She assumed he

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knew. Nothing seemed to get by him. He pulled into the restaurant parking lot. “Not in the least. I trust Colby. He’s a good judge of character.” She guessed from that statement that he wouldn’t be interested in her opinion on the negatives of hiring men like that to work on such a high-end project. Dustin killed the engine and glided over to her side to open her door. Showtime! The inside of the steak house was elegant. It had the typical Western-style fixtures, but the lights were low and the candles on the table oozed romance. Too bad she wasn’t here for that purpose. The hostess said Mr. Smithfield was already there and led them to their table. The developer wasn’t what she expected. She believed a man who was able to buy such a large plot of land and build milliondollar homes would have been in his sixties. This guy only looked to be thirty to thirty-five. He was at least as tall as Dustin and almost as good-looking. He wasn’t sporting a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t married. “Logan, I’d like you to meet our new architectural designer, Tracey Redman.” They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Mr. Smithfield sat first. “Sorry to make you come all the way to Cheyenne, but I had a business meeting here, and by the time I got into Intrigue, it would have been late.” “No problem,” Dustin said. “I’ll get right to business.” He pulled out his iPad. “Our most recent client has requested electric skylights, while another wants those windows that have electric shades inside them. Apparently, his wife is very sensitive to light when she sleeps.” There was no way she’d remember all of this. “Do you mind if I take notes?” They both looked at her. “No,” Mr. Smithfield said. She pulled out her laptop that she always carried in her purse.

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Once she booted up, she jotted down the information. Smithfield went on to talk about home automation, recycling the gray water, a new innovation in ground-source heat pumps, and vertical wind turbines. “I found these new turbines to be almost silent. If I put a series of them at the back of the property, we might be able to provide mostly free energy to the homes.” “Wow.” She hadn’t meant that to slip out. While Dustin didn’t glance her way, the small tug on his lips told her he’d heard. She could only imagine his thoughts about the interruption. For the rest of the dinner, the developer kept her fingers busy. Both he and Dustin had wine with their meal, but she opted to go with unsweetened iced tea. If she got light-headed, she might let another comment slip out. It was bad enough that every time she looked up at Dustin, her heart skipped a beat. Her mind kept wandering to what he’d be like in bed. She’d lose her job in a heartbeat if she spoke that thought out loud. By the time the waiter cleared their plates, she was mentally and physically tired from trying to jot down all of Mr. Smithfield’s requests. The developer held up a finger. “There’s one other thing. I’d like you two to go to Denver next weekend to the green home show. It runs Thursday through Saturday. It’ll give you a good feel for the newest and latest technologies.” She glanced at Dustin, hoping he’d agree. He might, however, decide Nate would be a better choice. If she did get to go, she’d be able to spend more time with him and learn more about her field, which would make her more valuable to the company. That was winwin in her mind. “Tracey and I would love to go.” He looked over and raised his brow, as if he were asking for permission. “It sounds great.” She’d been to one such conference in Seattle years ago, and it had opened up a whole new world for her. Seeing the

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latest and greatest in manufactured siding had given her so many ideas. The men spent another half hour talking about the number of sites Mr. Smithfield had sold. It seemed like Dustin would be busy for quite some time. Close to ten, they piled back in the car. “I’m sorry Logan was so long-winded.” He started the engine and met with no traffic pulling out onto the main road. “I didn’t think he was. I enjoyed myself. Listening to you two discuss business fascinated me.” “What you’re saying is that you’re easily amused, huh?” If there had been more light in the car, she bet his eyes would be twinkling. The word amused shot her thoughts to the absolute wrong place. She had a hair-trigger pussy, or so said her ex-boyfriend. One lick and she bucked off the bed. She was sure Dustin wasn’t referring to that kind of amusement, however. “Of course not. I love to talk about building materials and the different design possibilities.” He reached over and touched her hand. “That may be true, but I had wanted to hear about your ideas on what Smithfield said.” How nice was that? Her former boss never cared about input from her. “I was busy taking notes, but I did have some ideas. I’ll have to do a bit more research before I see if they will work.” “Maybe we can discuss some of those when you’re ready.” He tapped the wheel. “By the way, I appreciated that you thought to bring your laptop. Your notes will come in very handy.” His compliment bordered on embarrassing. Wanting to talk about something other than her performance, she brought up Colby. “You and Colby seem really close.” “We are.” She swore he chuckled at the change in topic. “He said he lived in Intrigue until he was fourteen. Did you know him then?” She couldn’t really be sure since it was dark, but it did look like

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he raised his brows. “We were best friends. We did everything together from horseback riding to learning how to rope a calf. I remember when we were about nine, we decided to run away.” “No way.” “We weren’t very organized, I’m afraid. It didn’t occur to us to pack anything. I just thought we only needed money. I found some in my dad’s desk. The two of us hopped on the bus out of Intrigue. The first stop was Cheyenne.” He laughed. “We were so scared that we asked the bus driver if he could show us how to get back. Turns out his bus was returning to Intrigue.” “Did your dad ever find out?” “I told him about our adventure when I got home and couldn’t sit down for days.” She laughed, not able to imagine this big, strapping man ever being a little boy. “Did you keep in touch with Colby after he moved?” He didn’t answer for a moment. Maybe she’d stepped over the line. “Yes. I always believed we’d see each other again someday. When I graduated from high school, I flew down to see him in Tucson.” His voice trailed off as if the reunion wasn’t what he thought it would have been. “That happened to me and my best friend. After high school, she went off to college. We e-mailed for a while before her life got a bit hectic. She came back to visit about a year ago. It was really cool. I swear we picked up the conversation where we left off. It was as if no time had passed.” “That kind of happened with us, too.” Sadness filled his voice. She decided she’d done enough prying for one night. She certainly didn’t need to be one of those nosy, annoying employees who didn’t know when to stop talking. She leaned her head back and kept her mouth shut. If he asked her a direct question, she would answer.

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When they got back to the office, the stars were in full view and the night magical. For a brief second, she thought the romantic tug she’d felt throughout the evening would continue. Maybe he’d give her a hug, or dare she hope, even a light kiss. Dustin walked her to her car, opened her door, and closed it once she slid in. Darn. He waited until she’d driven off before getting into his car. About a quarter of a mile down the road, she spotted his headlights in her rearview mirror. Dustin Callen seemed to have a lot more layers to his personality than she first suspected. She wondered how long it would take to peel them away and learn what made him tick. **** Getting up the next morning had been a bit rough since Tracey hadn’t slept much. She kept revisiting the evening, trying to see if she’d missed any sexual innuendos. Dustin might have considered their time together merely a business meeting, but she’d loved every minute. He’d been a good listener and genuinely seemed to care about her opinion. Maybe he treated all of his employees with that level of respect, but she wasn’t used to such kindness. After she’d spent five hours tossing and turning, she concluded that Dustin was just a nice man who was a total professional. She needed to stop acting like an infatuated groupie and grow up. He probably had half the women in Intrigue after him. Mustering as much cheer as possible, she entered the front office. Bessie wasn’t at her desk, so Tracey went straight to her office. Once seated, she stifled her umpteenth yawn and drank her last Naked berry drink to give her some much-needed energy. If she didn’t find a place that sold these soon, she’d have to go around drained. No one was in the room at the moment, so she should be able to get a lot of work done. Her first order of business was to make sense of the notes she’d taken at the meeting last night.

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She read through them, amazed at the commitment Mr. Smithfield showed to green building. When she was sure she hadn’t misspelled any words, she placed the attachment in an e-mail to Dustin and pressed send. “Done.” She pulled out her drawing and got to work. She checked her email every few minutes, expecting Dustin to respond to the neatly organized notes, but she heard nothing. That was curious. His car had been in the lot when she arrived. Either he’d left right after she came in or he was very busy with something else. Close to noon, Colby charged in. The man seemed to only have one speed—fast. “Hey, Colby.” His demeanor was quite the opposite of the cool owner. Colby exuded excitement, whereas Dustin was more restrained. He pulled over his desk chair. According to Bessie, one desk belonged to Nate, the architect, and a second one belonged to him, even though she’d never seen him actually sit at his desk, and the third didn’t belong to anyone. Yet. “I need another nail gun and some more nails.” “Didn’t you just order one?” “Yeah, but we can’t find it.” That seemed odd in light of the fact he said they rarely had any thefts. She took out the pad of invoices and marked it down. He pulled out an envelope. “Put this in petty cash.” “Sure.” Since it was sealed, she didn’t bother checking the amount. The weekend was drawing near and she really wanted to ride. “Are we still on for riding?” His eyes widened. Damn, he must have forgotten. “Sure. Does 7:00 a.m. work okay for you?” He had to be kidding. It was her only day to sleep in. “Eight would be better.” Please be flexible. He grinned. “You like to lounge around in bed?”

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“Not lounge per se.” Unless she had a hot man next to her. “I just need my beauty sleep.” It was easy to flirt with Colby. Technically, she reported to him, but from his easygoing manner, she thought of them more as equals. To her, Dustin was the boss. “You have trouble getting shut-eye?” He sounded like he understood. “Too often. I dream of floor plans and elevations in my head.” Of late, her thoughts had strayed to sexy men. “I’ve made many a house in my sleep.” She loved how open he was. “So eight’s good for you?” He nodded. “You want to meet here?” “How about you come to my place? It’s closer to the trailhead.” Just because she went to his house didn’t mean she had to go inside and chance catching him walk naked out of the shower. “Sure. Give me the address.” He did. From what she remembered when she’d searched for an apartment, his house was in an exclusive part of town. She didn’t think managers got paid that much, but maybe he came from wealth. If he hung out with Dustin it made sense. He stood. “Can’t wait until Saturday. See you then.” She hoped she got some sleep between now and the weekend. Her mind would be in overdrive thinking about all the cool things that could happen.

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Chapter Three Tracey pulled up to Colby’s house and had to check she had the right address. The giant log cabin in front of her couldn’t possibly belong to a construction manager. The grounds were expansive and were mostly left in their natural state, which was probably why she got a cozy feeling from the home. Dustin’s car was parked next to Colby’s, which further confused her. Would Dustin be coming with them? That hadn’t been the plan. As much as she liked both men, she felt more comfortable around Colby. Perhaps Dustin would relax more if he were around his best friend. She wouldn’t learn the answer by sitting in her car. She inhaled and got out. As she neared the front, she spotted Colby’s bike in the back of his truck. She chuckled, thinking that even at his house, he left it unsecured. Squaring her shoulders, she marched up to the door and rang the bell. A minute later, Dustin answered. His eyes widened. “Tracey?” Uh-oh. He hadn’t expected her? Was this some kind of setup? “Colby said he’d show me the biking trails this morning.” His shoulders relaxed, and his lip lifted on one side. “Colby lives in the guesthouse in back. Come on in. You can cut through the house.” The pieces fell a bit more into place. However, she never would have guessed they were practically roommates. For a split second the image of the two men together formed. Nah. Between all the winks and smiles aimed in her direction, there was no way they weren’t straight.

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As she stepped past the foyer, she was speechless. There was a large open kitchen to the right and a comfortable living room to the left. Above the fireplace was a moose head. It wasn’t her style, but the masculine leather furniture seemed to fit the man. “This is nice.” “It needs a woman’s touch.” Now what did that mean? Did he want to settle down? “Watch your step.” The living room led to a sunken game room on one side and a dining room on the other. He led her through a sliding glass door to a screened porch. A large pool surrounded by ten-foot-tall boulders took up most of the space. “This is amazing.” “Nate designed it for me. I figured someone in construction should have a state-of-the-art home.” “It’s beautiful.” A small lawn separated his home from a guesthouse that looked bigger than any house she’d ever lived in. Dustin knocked. “Hey, Colby? Tracey’s here.” A second later, Colby ripped open the door. “You came.” He acted as if she might stand him up. “Nothing will stop me from riding.” Dustin rolled his eyes. “Just what I don’t need. Another fanatic biker.” “Don’t you ride?” He puffed out his chest. “Real men ride horses.” She laughed. “Why am I not surprised you’d say that?” He moved closer and her pulse raced. “Do you?” “As a matter of fact, yes, though I don’t get the chance as often as I’d like.” Dustin glanced first at Colby then back at her. “After you have your bike riding expedition, I’ll show you the real beauty of Wyoming by horseback.” This couldn’t be happening. She was sure the invite had nothing

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to do with her, but more about one-upping Colby. “I’d love that.” Colby took her arm and walked her past Dustin. “Don’t wait up for us.” When Dustin laughed, she relaxed, knowing they were joking. At least she hoped he was. She’d brought snacks but nothing else. When they got to the driveway, she unlocked her bike from the rack in back. “There’s no one here to steal your bike.” He said it with a smile but was clearly perplexed at her paranoia. “Dustin said you lived in Tucson.” “Yes.” “That’s a big enough city. Didn’t people steal things there?” A dark shadow crossed his face. “All the time.” He lifted the bike off the rack and placed her cycle in the back of his truck. “Hop in.” She made a mental note of yet another touchy subject. “Where are we going?” “There’s a mountain range to the west where there’s a real pretty lake. We’ll have to drive a while to get there, but it’s the only place where the hills are good.” She focused on only one word. “Hills? I still haven’t acclimated to being at seven thousand feet.” He looked over and smiled. “I’ll take it easy on you, but if you want to build up endurance, you’ll have to work at it every day.” “As long as you’re willing to give me CPR when I pass out, I’ll be good.” Oh, shit. She’d meant it as a joke, not that she was asking for his lips to be on her mouth. “What I meant—” Colby burst out laughing. “I got it.” Why did she always say something inappropriate? Because I’m not used to being with such self-confident men. About forty-five minutes later, the flat land turned into green rolling hills. She expected a sign to indicate this was a preserve or a national forest. Instead, Colby pulled off the side of the road. Since they hadn’t passed anyone in the last twenty minutes, she guessed it was okay to park there.

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“Time to see what you’re made of, Redman.” Oh, God. She hoped he wasn’t really thinking of this as a test. He lifted her bike from the back and she climbed on. From her backpack, she placed two bottles of water on the clips on her bike frame. Colby donned a pack, too, and hopped on. “You ready?” “Go forward, fearless leader.” He grinned. “The road is wide enough for both of us. Cars will honk if they need us to get out of the way.” She stood, pressed her foot to the pedal, and was on her way. This part of the road was flat, thank goodness, but the rolling hills to their right and left did imply the road could get steep. At least the trees gave a nice refreshing view from the expansive plains. Even though they were above seven thousand feet and there was a cool breeze, sweat began to form on her brow. After four miles or so, Colby motioned they take a left through the mountains. Both sides of the road became more heavily forested, and the slope increased, as did her heart rate. A forty-mile ride was a walk in the park when she lived in Seattle. At this elevation, she doubted she’d make the twenty miles he planned. Colby stayed by her side and talked the whole way. She might have responded, but she had a hard time getting air in her lungs. As if he could tell she was struggling to catch her breath, he pulled over. “Let’s take a break. I need a drink.” Bikers drank when they rode, but she appreciated his attempt to help her save face. Her legs wobbled when she stood. Without asking, he pulled both bikes off the road and walked up the fairly steep incline about fifteen feet to a flat rock. He patted the seat next to him. It took a bit of doing, but she made it up the short distance and sat. “I’m pooped.” “There’s no rush. I do have a destination in mind, and it’s only about seven miles from here. We can rest as long as you want. Do you want to try or head back?”

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She chuckled. “I’m good as long as it’s not straight up.” “It has its ups and downs.” She didn’t want him to think she was a wuss. “Give me a sec.” She drank her water and snacked on a PowerBar. “I’m good.” He lowered his chin and looked up at her. “You sure?” She tossed him a half smile and scrambled down the rocky path to her bike. She was mounted and ready to go by the time he got there. Colby took off and she followed. Most of the time, she could keep up with him, but sometimes she liked hanging back and riding behind him. She enjoyed not only being in his draft, but the view was spectacular. She particularly liked the play of muscles on his back and how his ass clenched with each push of the pedal. His calves were huge and pulsed with every pump. To keep from thinking about her exhaustion, she imagined what it would be like to have that lean muscle mass on top of her, pumping into her as powerfully as he drove his bike. About forty minutes later, he motioned it was time to stop again. The rest couldn’t have come soon enough. They dismounted. “We’re going to hike in the rest of the way. It’s pretty flat.” Thank God. “Works for me.” She was about to chain her bike to a tree but thought better of it. When in Wyoming do as the Wyomingites do. She prayed her prized possession would be there when she returned. “The first part is a little steep. Give me your hand.” Any assistance would be welcome. He helped her over a few small boulders. While her heart pounded in her chest, she was determined to reach their destination. Eventually, the terrain leveled out. Her head started to ache from the altitude. She really needed to get out more. To help lessen the effort of being so high, she drank more water. Only now her stomach grumbled. Good thing she’d packed some snacks and slammed down another bar. Within fifteen minutes, the grove of trees cleared and a large lake

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sat in front of them. Make that an incredibly refreshing and clear lake. “It’s beautiful.” Colby beamed. “Was it worth it?” “Yes.” She was sweating so much, a dip might be nice. Not that she would ever skinny-dip with Colby nearby, but perhaps she could wade in a bit. He took her hand and drew her near the shore. From his pack he pulled out a thin blanket and spread it on the ground. “Take a seat and let me serve you.” Those words were music to her ears. She should have offered to lend him a hand, but right now, her body was unable to find any energy to move. She lay flat and looked up the blue sky. The color reminded her of Dustin’s eyes. What’s wrong with you? She never thought of another man when she was with someone as hot and considerate as Colby. She blinked and Colby’s whiskey eyes came into focus. Maybe that was because he was standing over her grinning. She sat up and he handed her a Naked berry drink. Her heart nearly jumped. “Oh, my God. I might live.” She twisted off the top and guzzled half the contents. “This was my favorite drink.” “I know. I saw you had two of them on your desk when you first arrived. I had a heck of a time finding it anywhere.” She laughed. “I brought mine from Seattle. Where did you get these?” “There’s an indoor climbing wall place that has them.” When she’d dated her ex, never once did he think to get her one. Colby pulled a plastic box from his backpack. “Lunch is served, madam.” He handed her a roast beef sandwich. “I asked Dustin what you ordered at the restaurant in Cheyenne to see if you were a vegetarian.” This was unbelievable. He was too thoughtful. “Thank you.”

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The food never tasted better and was gone in a matter of minutes. She might survive after all. He picked up a smaller container. “For dessert, I brought chocolate-covered strawberries.” This was too good to be true. “Do you always eat this well after a hard ride?” “Only when I’m with a beautiful partner.” He was pushing the envelope with that line, but at the moment she didn’t care. She loved being treated like a princess. He picked one up one piece and dipped the entire strawberry in his mouth. Then he got mean and withdrew the fruit without biting it. He nibbled on the tip as if he was sucking on a tit. Her pussy got wet watching him seduce this dessert. Okay, two could play at this game. She grabbed one and slowly licked the outside so many times she wore the chocolate off. He groaned. A quick glance to his biking shorts confirmed she’d excited him. The power that brought got rid of the hint of a headache that was brewing. Or else, the food added the needed sugar to her system. She dipped the entire strawberry in her mouth. When he glanced away, she nearly laughed. Colby pushed up from the blanket. “I’m going for a dip.” Without asking if she wanted to join him, he whipped off his shirt. Her heart stopped for a good two seconds when she feasted on his magnificence. Next, he toed off his shoes and socks. Not wanting to be left out of this adventure, she removed her footwear. At the least, she could dip her toe in the water and watch him play. She hadn’t expected him to step out of his biking pants, however. He must have been desperate to go for a swim and didn’t want to ride back in wet bottoms. At this elevation, she bet the water would be close to freezing. At the moment that was the least of her worries. The air was warm, and she was sweating. Only in his boxer briefs, he strode toward the water’s edge. For

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the first few feet, the bottom appeared sandy. He trudged through the water, not even stopping to get used to the cold. When he’d gotten near waist deep he dove in. He didn’t surface for at least ten seconds before a head popped up fifty feet from shore. He waved. “Come on in. It’s fabulous.” Conflicting thoughts bombarded her. Her black jog bra and matching panties did look like a bathing suit, but the implication might mean she might be willing to sleep with him. Was she ready for that? Her pussy said yes, but the rational side of her brain that always believed she shouldn’t mix business with pleasure told her not to. As a compromise, she stuck her toe in the water while being fully dressed. The water was cool, but not as cold as she suspected, and the sandy bottom did massage her feet. She dared to go in a bit more until the water lapped at the bottom of her biking pants. Colby swam back to shore. When he stood, his cock was clearly outlined under the white material. Oh, my. “Normally, I charge for the view, but since you’re an employee, I’ll give you a discount.” Heat shot to every pore in her body. She immediately raised her gaze to his grin. He was loving this. Damn him. He stepped closer, took her hand, and pulled her deeper into the lake. The water was so refreshing that even if she got wet, because the humidity was so low, she’d be dry in no time. Allowing herself to let him guide her, she followed Colby into the lake. When the water reached her waist, her breath caught. There was a magical line above which her body felt the cold. As she was about to turn back, Colby scooped her into his arms, held her tight, and dove in. The cold water shocked her body. Fortunately, she held her breath as he swam underwater a few feet. Once they broke the surface, she burst out laughing. His impetuous behavior was beyond refreshing. Colby grinned. “You know what? You’re all right.”

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“You’re pretty cool yourself.” She hadn’t meant to bat her eyelashes at him, but the water had beaded on her lashes, and she’d had to blink to see. Stop rationalizing. You like him. “In fact, I like you a lot.” Before she had a chance to respond, he kissed her. Still enveloped in his arms, the security of his strength added to the remarkable experience. Not only did her pulse race at the excitement, but her pussy danced. Cold tingles raced up her back. Never breaking his hold, he lowered her legs, and her feet hit the bottom. She was surprised they could stand this far out. His fingers slipped under her tight racing top. She should have stopped him, but at the moment no reason entered her brain. She wanted him to touch her. After watching his body flex and pound, she had the urge to know him intimately. She opened her mouth to get more of him, and his tongue darted in. When she wrapped her hands around his back, they slipped. Content to keep her balance by clasping his biceps, she held tight. The kiss deepened, and he threaded his hands through her hair, stimulating not only her scalp but everything between her head and her toes. When he leaned back, he inhaled. “To the blanket.” That was what she’d been thinking. Instead of wading back, they planted their faces in the water and swam to shore. The warm air caressed her the moment she stepped out. She was dripping wet and needed something to dry off with. Colby pulled two hand towels from his backpack and tossed her one. While it was small, it would help. The problem was the wet clothes. Since he’d already touched her tits, she saw no reason to keep her shirt on. Once she removed it, she warmed immediately. Her pants came off next. Colby had been smart to undress before he went swimming. He held out his hand. “Hand me those, and I’ll put them some place to dry.” Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for him. She ran the towel over her body and, except for the part her bra and panty covered, she

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was good. Colby returned and swiped the towel over his torso and legs. She’d been about to offer to help dry his back, but thought that might have been a bit forward. Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted to have sex with him. “Need someone to dry the rest of you?” “I was wondering when you’d ask.” He tossed her the towel and turned his back to her. Yum. Carefully, she polished him dry. His thick muscles flexed under her fingers. The lower she went, the more her gaze fixed on his quite visible butt cheeks. When done, she held out the towel. He turned around and his cock had expanded. Her gaze remained as he slipped his shorts off. Jesus, but that was one big cock.

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Chapter Four Colby advanced. “I like what I see.” Tracey swallowed hard. “So do I.” Her body was shaking, not from the cold, but rather from the fact she might have been crossing that invisible, you never can go back line. “You have goose bumps.” He rubbed her arms. “You’ll be warmer if you get out of that wet top.” What he said was true, but if she did, there’d be no turning back. Aw, hell. Sooner or later, she’d give in. She bet no woman could resist him. Why not go for it now? She’d come to Wyoming to start fresh, but she never imagined she’d be working with someone as hot as Colby Stone. “You want to help?” She raised her arms. She prayed he couldn’t see her beating heart through her chest. His warm hands slid under the bottom of her bra and cupped her tits. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his thumbs over her distended nipples, and his callused palms brushed against her sensitive skin. Nothing had ever excited her more. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze traveled to his massive cock. Images of wild coupling made her pussy wetter. He raised his hands, dragging his palms along her skin. He lifted the top over her head and let it drop to the blanket. “I’ll get that later.” She didn’t care if she left it there. All she could think about was having his hands and mouth elsewhere. As if he read her mind, he kissed her once then trailed kisses down her throat. Chaotic whorls of need sliced through her. She wanted his hands on her tits, but he seemed interested in exploring her waist and back as he captured her

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heart with his tongue and sent her spiraling. To keep from falling backward she clasped onto his hips, or was it because she wanted her hands closer to his cock? Her thumbs itched to move inward and test his thickness and texture. She closed her eyes and leaned back a bit, sticking out her breasts. Colby seemed the type to take what he wanted, and take he did. He sucked hard and fast. One hand returned to her other breast and tweaked the nipple. The erotic pain doubled. “More.” “Easy, sugar.” She slipped her hands to his ass and pulled him closer. She wanted to feel that thick shaft between her legs, and not just this one time. Colby was the type of man a woman wanted forever. Without warning, his mouth disengaged and he dropped to his knees. “I have to taste you.” A gust of cold air swirled around her, but heat from his body warmed her. He looked up as if asking for permission, something she bet he didn’t do often. “Yes.” Her mind was still numb from where he’d licked and played with her nipples. He pulled her panties down to her thighs, leaned in, and sucked on her. Dear God, the man’s tongue was nirvana. She clasped his shoulders and inhaled to control the pulses racing up and down her body. His thumbs pulled open her lower lips and he clamped down hard on her pussy. She moaned from the ecstasy tunneling through her. She tried hard not to come right away. She wanted this thrill to last. “Come down here.” He reached up and held on to her waist as she bent her knees. When she was kneeling, he kissed her softly. Their tongues mated, and he tasted almost sweet but definitely sexy. Increasing the pressure, he placed a hand on her back and lowered her to the blanket. She slipped her panties off one leg and lay down. The thought of making

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love to this man made her weak. She cupped his face. “I really hope you brought some protection.” He grinned and managed to reach for his backpack while still kissing her. Then he sat up and pulled his wallet out of the side pocket. The foil was rather crinkled. “Don’t worry. It’s still good. Just a few months old.” Did that mean he hadn’t had sex in that long? Not him. He probably had a stack in his bedside table. “Can I put it on?” “Sure.” He handed her the condom. She pressed on his shoulder for him to get on his back. The moment she straddled him, his eyes darkened with desire. His cock twitched and the vein that ran down his leg throbbed purple. She ripped the package with her teeth, the whole time keeping her focus on his beautiful whiskey-colored eyes. She’d never been the temptress type, but Colby brought out urges that must have been dormant. Being with him was like walking on a high wire with no net. This was uncharted territory she wanted to explore with care. She pulled the condom from the foil and placed it on the tip. “I think it goes on better when the cock is wet. What do you think?” She looked up through her lids. “Absolutely.” His grin dimpled his cheeks. He couldn’t get any cuter. She slid to her stomach. In order to get the best access, she needed his cock to stay upright. Since he was on his back, she lifted his member toward with her two forefingers. He laughed. “You can grab it. My dick doesn’t bite.” A bit of heat raced up her face. Having him guide her wasn’t a bad thing since she’d never quite put a condom on like this before. Using all four fingers of her right hand, she pulled his cock toward her mouth and ran her tongue along the base. His moan was her reward. She drew a few swirly designs near the base before returning to the head. Already covered, she wondered if

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she could push the latex down his length with her mouth. The scent was mint and she hoped it tasted as good as it smelled. First, she licked the top. Hmm. Not bad. Getting into this exploration, she used her teeth to lower the condom. She made some progress but feared her teeth might rip the latex. “Do you need help, babe?” Now she laughed. “I’ll figure it out.” As much as she wanted to take her time, her pussy demanded some attention. Since his cock stretched the condom to the max, she used her hands to finish the job. Damn. She should have sucked him a bit more before she put this on. Next time, she’d have more patience. Once she finished, he flipped her onto her back. “Now, I get to torment you.” The fact that his eyelids were half-closed and his mouth was partly open implied he needed her as much as she wanted him. He spread her thighs, dropped between her legs, and nipped her clit with his teeth. Electric pulses fantailed in every direction. As his tongue stabbed in and out of her pussy in rapid succession, her fingernails dug into his shoulders. When he threaded a finger into her opening, waves of contractions rumbled down her channel. Her climax built too quickly. “That’s so good.” “I’m just getting started.” She wouldn’t last. He added a second finger, and the friction against her walls made her clamp down on him. With his free hand, he reached up and pressed on her nipple. She arched her back for more contact. Her body heated with every stroke and every pinch. As much as she loved his fingers in her pussy, she wanted his cock. “Don’t you want me?” She did sound desperate, but right now, all she could focus on was him. “Babe, that’s all I want.”

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She waited for him to pleasure her in a different way, but he continued his agonizingly slow seduction with his tongue. Between the licking, sucking, and nipping, she was a bundle of nerves in need of release. When he crooked his fingers and hit another spot, her rocket exploded. Her climax thrummed through her so hard, she lost her breath. She panted as she squeezed his fingers tight. When the delicious explosions slowed, she relaxed. Colby pulled away. “That good for you?” “Oh, my. There are no words.” He grinned and slid up her body as if he’d been waiting for her to give in first. His kisses began on her closed lids, traveled over the bridge of her nose, and finally landed on her mouth. She groaned at the sensual nature of his affection. When his knee nudged her thighs open, she rejoiced she’d finally get to experience the wonderful Colby Stone. His cock slid right into her entrance. She expected him to plunge harder, but he stopped as if to give her time to accommodate his size. She milked his cock with a few pumps. “You better be careful. I’m a hair trigger away from coming.” His tone was laced with desperation. The idea she could bring someone like Colby to his knees thrilled her. She lifted her hips and then dropped them to get him to continue his trip down her wet canal. Clasping his head, she opened her mouth to explore him. He matched her tongue thrusts with the slow movement of his cock. “Harder.” His eyes twinkled. “Remember, I’m trying to hold it together to give you a better ride.” Could he have said anything better? Not that she wanted the image of her ex to enter her mind, but unlike Colby, the ex was a slam bam thank you ma’am type of guy. Colby trailed his kisses to her ear and sucked gently on the lobe. Shivers of delight pulsed down her neck. His hips began to pick up speed, and her breaths matched the pace. She dropped her head back

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and ran her hands over the planes of his chiseled body. Ripples of muscles covered every inch. He pressed her knees to the ground, which changed the angle of penetration. Every time his cock rubbed against his clit, fingers of pleasure stroked her. Her climax was building again, leading her to the edge. She wanted to jump but held on for him. “Babe, babe, babe!” He buried his face in her hair. His warm breath almost tickled, but his increasing thrusts distracted her. She lifted her hips to meet him. He groaned. She squeezed his cock over and over again until the diameter increased, stretching her. “Yes. I’m coming,” he nearly yelled. She let loose, freeing herself of all bad thoughts. Waves of ecstasy slammed against her. Heat seared her as he jettisoned his cum into his covered cock. He continued to pulse for a good minute while she caught her breath. Had she really just come to Intrigue only a few weeks ago? Never would she have thought she’d have found someone as wonderful as Colby, nor would she have believed she’d be having sex outside. That was a first. Colby peeled himself off her and the cool air swept in. “I’ll be right back.” How he was able to move, she didn’t know. He swiped the towel from the ground, jogged over to the water, and dipped the end in. Returning, he knelt and wiped her clean. “Thanks.” Reality entered. “Now I have to get into wet Spandex. Ugh.” Then she’d have to ride all the way back to the car. That wouldn’t be fun. He chuckled. “If you need help, let me know.” Her mind shot to all sorts of fun they could have. Too bad she was too sore to try again. If she’d brought an extra set of clothes, she’d have been tempted to take another dip. With some effort, she got to her knees then stood. Colby brought over her pants and top, which

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were slightly damp. After getting dressed, she pulled out the rest of the snacks she’d brought. “Want some crackers?” He took one. “You robbed me of all my energy. Good thing the ride home is mostly downhill.” She huffed out a breath. “Downhill is good. My legs are rubber.” “If it’s too much, you can always stop and I can get the truck and pick you up.” That was the sweetest offer, but she didn’t want to appear weak. “I’ll suck it up.” Once they finished their snacks and picked up their gear, they hiked back to their bikes. Not that she thought anyone would have taken them since they’d placed them behind a bush, but one never could be sure. As promised, the ride back was much easier. In fact, for half of it, they coasted. She was sure Colby normally would have ridden hard the whole way, but he was aware she was trying to acclimate to the altitude. When she spotted his truck, her relief was audible. He put the bikes in the back and she climbed in the cab. Her muscles were screaming, but she’d never been happier. The trip back to town seemed short, and she didn’t want the day to end. He glanced over at her. “You want to see where I grew up?” Learning anything about him would have been wonderful. “I’d love that.” Since he was living in a nice place now and was best friends with Dustin, she assumed they were on the same socioeconomic level. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Not that the house was a total shack, but the current owner had junk scattered over the yard. She guessed the small, wood-frame house couldn’t have been more than twelve hundred square feet. The sagging porch and cracked driveway implied this owner hadn’t kept it up after Colby moved away. The rest of the neighborhood was also in need of a large infusion of cash. “Not what you expected, was it?”

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“No, but it kind of looks like my old home. Actually, my mom and dad still live there.” He stopped the car across the street and faced her. “I pictured you as a private school gal.” She laughed. “Hardly. I’m just a hard worker. My mom came from a wealthy family though.” “What happened?” “She was a fashion photographer making good money and married one of the male models. Dad did well for a while, but eventually he got old. By that time, I was about three or four. He tried getting a job, but his heart was never in it. My mom had to take a second job just to support us.” “They’re still married then?” “Yes. She could never leave him. She loves him despite his faults.” She chuckled. “My mom always warned me that there are a lot of men out there. Find the one that won’t drag you down. You don’t need the aggravation.” “Smart woman.” She expected to see a smile, but instead his brows creased. “I love my dad with my whole heart, but sometimes I wished she’d taken her own advice.” He slapped the wheel. “I’m still hungry. There’s a small diner around here that I used to go to. Want to stop in? The place is less than a mile from here.” “Sure.” “I’ve been back in Intrigue four years, but I haven’t been up for stopping by.” “Too many bad memories?” “Believe it or not, living in Intrigue was the best part of my life.” “Is that why you came back?” “Mostly.” A small smile lifted his lips. “I used to come to this diner every Friday after school to have blueberry pie and a glass of milk.” He turned left off onto the main road. “I even got a paper route

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so that I could pay for my meal.” “So how did you and Dustin get together?” “We did live on opposite ends of town, but at the time, Intrigue only had one school. We played football and baseball together in middle school. We just clicked. It didn’t matter to him that I came from the other side of the tracks, so to speak. Dustin has never held anything I’ve done against me.” That said a lot about his friend. Colby pulled in front of a rundown diner, cut the engine, and got out. She followed. As soon as she stood, her legs nearly gave way. Colby was by her side in a flash. “You okay?” She wiped her forehead. “Just tired, I guess.” “Let’s get some food in you.” There were only two other customers inside seated at a booth. Despite the place being old, there was a charm to the chrome countertops and red leather stools. Colby clasped her hand and led her to a booth at the end of the diner. He faced the front door. “Is this where you sat as a kid?” “How did you know?” She smiled. “We’re all creatures of habit.” A tall woman in her late sixties came over, wearing a pink uniform and holding a pad in her hands. “What can I get you two?” Colby’s eyes widened. “That you, Gladys? It’s Colby Stone.” Her grin swept across her face. “Colby? Oh, my gosh.” He stood and gave her a hug. “It’s been a long time.” “I’d say. Close to twenty years. You here for some blueberry pie?” “You bet.” He introduced her to Gladys. “Blueberry pie sounds great to me, too.” “Coming right up.” Colby leaned back in his seat. “I never expected her to be here. Wow. It’s like I’m fourteen again. I can’t believe she remembered

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what I used to order.” “You made an impression on her, I guess.” “Maybe so.” She was happy to see such life back in his eyes. If she blinked, she could picture the young, idealistic boy Colby must have been. By the time they finished eating, the sky was beginning to darken. They’d been out all day. Even though it wasn’t even six, she could use a long, hot shower and a nap. Colby’s house was less than ten miles from his former home, but the two worlds couldn’t have been farther apart. She could relate. Considering where she’d lived in high school when things had financially gotten bad to where she lived now, she understood that if a person put his mind to it, he could rise above anything. Colby pulled into the drive in front of Dustin’s house. Had Dustin not offered her this job when he did, she never would have experienced Colby in his purest form. She got out and helped him secure her bike to the back of her car. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “I had a great time.” Her heart sang. His sincerity rang true. “We’ll have to do this again.” “Count on it.” The front door opened just as Colby leaned over to kiss her.

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Chapter Five Dustin was on his way out the front door when he stopped in midstride. He hadn’t expected to see Colby in a clinch with Tracey. He had to smile at the picture. When Colby first returned to Intrigue, the women he took out bordered on unacceptable. Then again, Colby’s self-image was shot to hell after spending those four years in prison. In that time, Dustin’s standards had risen. He’d given Colby his first job, which consisted of cleaning up the construction sites. The dip in the real estate market had put a big dent in his profits. He hadn’t been hiring, but he found something for Colby to do. After what he’d been through, he had every right to complain or slack off. The opposite happened. In no time, he had the men clean up after themselves. When Dustin saw the effect he had on the crew, he promoted him. In the meantime, Colby went back to school and got his certification and license to work construction. Once Dustin realized that Colby never squandered any advantage he’d been given, they tried sharing women. That worked out well, since Colby left the finding of the women to Dustin. For the next few years, they had some good times and some great times. But they understood that neither was ready for a longterm relationship. However, once they both turned thirty, a switch in his head lit up. He wanted what his parents had—a large family who were close. Growing up, his backyard had been endless. While his current fifty acres could never be used for ranching, he always thought he’d build a barn and buy a few horses.

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Colby’s lip-lock ended. He glanced up and smiled. As long as Dustin had been spotted, he might as well say hello. He pushed off and ambled toward them. “You guys have a good time?” He tried to gauge their experience from Tracey’s expression. Her long, brown hair looked a bit tangled, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that he’d seen when he and Tracey had been in Cheyenne. What else had they done on the bike ride? “Yes,” they said in unison. Colby turned back to Tracey. “Get some rest. I hope I didn’t wear you out.” She laughed, and the sound resonated deep in his chest. “Thanks again.” Colby watched as she drove off then turned to him. “Got a minute?” He’d been about to check on one of the building sites, but it could wait. “Sure.” Colby followed him inside. “I think I have a problem.” “Need a beer?” “Yeah.” Dustin had an idea what might have been bothering his best friend. “I take it your background never came up?” He got them beers and placed it on the island. Colby sat on one of the stools. “I tried to tell her, but the words wouldn’t form.” Colby told him about his day, including visiting the diner. “It was like I’d gone back in time, before the gangs took over my life.” “So when are you going to tell her the truth?” “I don’t know. It’ll kill her. When I told her we hired some excons, her reaction was typical. She thinks ex-cons steal. There’ll be no sympathy.” He felt for his friend. “People often mistrust those who’ve been in prison, but she’s met you. If she sees the real you”—he tapped Colby’s chest—“and what’s inside, she won’t care that you did two stints.”

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He looked up to the ceiling and blew out a breath. “I think she might be the one. When I’m with her, the world seems to stop.” Dustin leaned on the counter. “You’ve known her only a couple of weeks. How can you be so infatuated?” Fact of the matter was he, too, was smitten. Colby shrugged. “I don’t know, but if you spent any time with her, you’d know. She’s perfect for us. She loves and understands the business. She’s beautiful, and she makes love like a siren.” Dustin laughed. “I’ve not seen you move that fast before. Did she seduce you?” Usually, he picked the women. “No! That’s what I’m telling you. I’m no longer the kid who got caught up in a gang. I’m free when I’m with her. She makes me laugh.” His friend had it bad. “I like her, too.” Colby downed half his beer. “You’re taking her to Denver on Thursday. Maybe you could test the waters to see if she’d be up for sharing?” “Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself? You need to tell her about your past first.” “You tell her. It’ll make the betrayal easier to take.” Dustin picked up his beer and brought it into the living room where he could pace. He’d like nothing more than to enjoy Tracey. Hell, who was he kidding? Since the moment he’d interviewed her, she’d been on his mind. Every night he’d dreamed of her sweet ass. “I’ll talk to her at the home show. Having you here, and us there, might be the separation she needs after she learns the truth.” Colby waved his bottle. “That’s perfect.” “If she freaks, then what?” He stabbed a hand through his hair. “You take her. I want you to be happy.” “I want to share. That’s what we decided.” Colby moved over to the sofa and sat down. He propped his feet up on the coffee table. “She’ll come around. We connected on such a

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deep level. She just needs time to adjust.” Dustin cocked a brow. “I guess we’ll just have to see.” **** Tracey must have checked the clock ten times each hour, willing Sunday to go by. She couldn’t wait for work tomorrow as she might see Colby again. She thought he might call just to chat, but when he didn’t contact her, she told herself he liked to play it cool. He might have fibbed about the condom being old, but somehow she believed him. When she’d arrived home after their ride, she’d almost hated to wash his touch off her skin. If she could have bottled his masculine, sexy scent and put his face on the label, she’d have been set for life. Then there was the green conference in Denver. She’d be spending three whole days with Dustin, getting to know him better. Why the excitement hadn’t dimmed in light of being with Colby, she didn’t understand. How could both men thrill her so much? During her many trips to the local stores, she’d seen a lot of women with two men. She’d read about more and more towns in the West, from Montana to as far south as Texas, being open to ménage relationships. She could almost picture herself with two men. Actually, she could only picture herself with these two men. They did more or less live together. She wondered if they’d ever shared or even considered it. When Dustin had seen her kissing Colby, he hadn’t acted jealous. That could be either a good thing or bad. If they did share, Dustin would be happy to see she liked his friend. On the other hand, he might be happy not to have to deal with her flirtations. Yeesh. Only time would tell. Finally, Monday morning rolled around. When she drove into the lot, only Dustin’s truck and Bessie’s beat-up Volkswagen were there. She went straight to her office and pulled out the plans she was in the

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middle of drawing for the marketing brochure. About an hour later, Dustin came into the workroom. He waved a piece of paper. “I’ve been looking over this invoice. I think maybe you’ve made a mistake.” His tone wasn’t accusatory, so she didn’t tense. “Let me see.” She looked over the paper. “I don’t see anything wrong.” “I know it’s small, but did you really mean to order two nail guns? We haven’t hired anyone new yet.” She smiled. “Colby asked for them.” “Why?” She chuckled. “I don’t know. He just ordered them.” His brows furrowed. “You think there’s been some theft, and Colby didn’t want to bother you?” “Why don’t you look over the invoices for the last year. There’s a folder on your desktop labeled invoices. I’m a bit worried something’s going on.” “Surely, you don’t suspect Colby of doing anything illegal.” His eyes darkened for a moment. “Not him. Check the invoices for any other discrepancies. Go back a year, though I can’t imagine I wouldn’t have picked up the theft. I’ll ask Colby to get his take on it.” His gaze shot over her head, and then he strode out. Surely, he had to realize that when a company hired ex-cons, theft was always a possibility. She immediately pulled up the old invoices and went back one year. With care, she checked each one but nothing popped out as being unusual. Not convinced something bad wasn’t going down, she decided to find out when each of the employees had been hired. Bessie was probably the person to ask. The receptionist was on the phone when she stepped into her view. Bessie held up a hand. “Uh-huh. I sure will let him know, Mr. Rogers. You have a nice day.” She hung up and smiled. “What can I do for you, hon?” “Dustin and I have found some issues with some order forms. He wanted me to check back a year. Do you have a list of when each

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employee was hired?” “A list? No, but I think I can recall. Who do you want to know about?” “Colby said a few of the men he’d hired are ex-cons. Do you know how long they’ve been on the job?” She leaned back in her chair and looked to the ceiling. “Well, Raphael Sanchez has been with us for over a year, but Jorge Gonzalez came to work maybe a month ago.” “Thanks.” “That’s all you need?” “Yup.” While she had no proof that Jorge Gonzalez was a thief, she’d warn Colby to keep an eye out for him. She might just have been prejudiced because the man gave her the creeps. She’d been about to give Colby a call, but Nate, the architect, came in and handed her a few more sets of drawings. “Things are moving pretty fast around here. If you need help, just holler.” “I will.” He worked at his desk while she got to work on the drawings. Having Nate nearby made it difficult to have a conversation in private. Tomorrow would be soon enough to solve this mystery. It was past six before she realized the time had flown by. She was a bit disappointed that Colby still hadn’t called, but maybe he realized that mixing business with pleasure might not have been smart. She’d gotten her heart crushed often enough to know he might be right. She and her ex worked at the same firm. This gave her proof that when things went south, one often needed to move on. As she was getting in her car, Dustin came out. “Glad I caught you.” Her heart sped up looking at him. “What’s up?” “I got adjoining rooms at the Hyatt in Denver for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. While the doors open at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, I see no reason to rush over there. In case I forget to tell

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you on Wednesday, how about meeting here at eight Thursday morning?” Did he really think he’d forget? She found it odd that he’d chase her down in the parking lot, but anytime she got to see him was good for her. “I’ll be ready.” She forced the enthusiasm out of her voice. Going someplace with the head of the company was quite different from bike riding with the construction manager. She had to remind herself that Dustin Callen was absolutely off-limits. Or was he? **** Tracey had spent all last night packing for the convention in Denver. Not only did she put in a bathing suit in case she wanted to get in a swim or sit in the whirlpool, but she’d also tossed in two workout outfits, as the Hyatt would have a nice gym. In case Dustin wanted to meet with a client, she packed her black skirt and white blouse. For the rest of the time, she’d be wearing jeans. When she arrived at work, both Dustin and Bessie were there. Why she was nervous to spend two and half hours driving in the car with one of the sexiest men alive, she didn’t know. He was her boss and her thoughts needed to stay away from him. Colby was amazing and seemingly available, though his lack of contact after their incredible Saturday ride did bother her a bit. Perhaps Dustin could shed more light on his good friend. Her hand was on the door handle to get out of her vehicle when gravel crunched in the drive. She glanced in her rearview mirror. Colby pulled up and her pussy jumped. He jumped out and shot straight to her car. She rolled down her window. “Hey. You’ve been a stranger.” Damn. She shouldn’t have gotten on his case. That was uncool. “I’ve been busy. I’m sorry. I should have called.” He leaned in closer and winked. “I hear you’re going to be spending three days and

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three nights with Dustin.” What was that wink about? He sounded happy. “It’s for business. I would never sleep with the boss.” She looked up at him. “Besides, I thought we had a thing.” Being this forward wasn’t her style, but she needed to know where they stood. “You got that right, but I’m a generous guy.” “What does that mean?” “Dustin and I like to share women.” Her heart nearly stopped. “Share?” She knew what that meant, but she hadn’t expected him to come out and state that fact. He grinned. “Ask Dustin about it.” He tapped the hood of her car. “I’ll tell Dustin you’re waiting.” He swaggered inside. Had he been serious about this sharing stuff? He’d admitted they had a thing going, so unless he wanted to share, it would make no sense for him to be happy about the upcoming trip. Before she could wrap her head around the whole idea, Dustin bounded out. He was laughing, as if he’d just finished talking with Colby. Colby stuck his head out the door and waved. She exited her car and removed her two suitcases from the back because she needed to have something to do after Colby dropped the sharing bomb. If Dustin thought she’d overpacked, too bad. She didn’t want to be caught without the proper attire. He’d told her very little about their plans other than they were going to a green home show. Dustin jogged over and slipped her suitcases from her hands. “Let me.” They sure did raise men to be polite in this town. She piled into his front seat, which smelled of rich leather. This man knew how to live right. He got in and pressed the on button, and the engine roared to life. Everything about Dustin was larger than life. He looked strong, powerful, and in control. Colby’s words about sharing came to mind.

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The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced it was a joke. No way would someone like Dustin want a low-level architectural designer like herself. Hell, she only owned two pairs of high heels and not one long dress. He probably attended formal affairs all the time. And why share when he could have the woman all to himself? Within ten minutes, they were on I-80 heading south. “You excited about the show?” She didn’t have to lie. “In fact, I am.” “Our first order of business will be to look at the windows and the central vacuuming systems. I have list of new technologies Logan talked about at dinner. I spoke to him yesterday, and he really wants us to incorporate the new and latest in the next few homes.” “I really appreciate you taking me along.” He must have had a lot of contacts in town and could easily have found people to socialize with. He didn’t need to be stuck with her for three days. “It’ll give me a chance for us to get to know each other better.” His smile heated up her body. Surely, he wasn’t suggesting anything by that comment. “I’m looking forward to it.” Oh, God. Had Colby told him they’d made love? Dustin had seen them kissing. Perhaps he thought she’d jump in the sack with him. Well, he’d be sorely mistaken. Dear Lord, this was going to be an uncomfortable three days.

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Chapter Six When they arrived at the hotel in Denver, Dustin insisted they get a cart to bring up their luggage, even though she said she could carry her own cases. “Think of this as a kind of mini vacation. Take advantage of the nice amenities.” He smiled and handed her the key card. “I’ll be next door. Unlock the adjoining room door so we can communicate with each other. ” How did one respond to that? “Sure.” All she could think of was not hearing his knock when she was naked in the shower. He’d come in to see if she was okay at the exact moment she was walking out with a towel around her head and one around her body. The towel would somehow slip and she’d be standing ready to be ravished. “Tracey? Did you hear me?” Oh, crap. “I’m sorry.” “I said I got us box seats to the Denver Broncos game tonight. They’re playing the Seattle Seahawks.” Holy shit. “No way!” He grinned. “Colby said you were a sports fan.” “You could say that. I grew up on the Seahawks. I think I’ve watched every game.” “Then you’ll have something to look forward to. We do need to go to the convention center. Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?” “Absolutely.” She could be ready in one if he needed her to. She ducked into the room and pressed her back against the door. To see a game in person was beyond her wildest dreams. To get to go

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with someone like Dustin Callen would be spectacular. Colby said they both played football in school, so he’d appreciate a good play, too. She tossed her bag on the bed and wanted to change into something nicer for the conference. Not that the attendees would care, but she wanted to look good for Dustin. She brushed her teeth and refreshed her makeup. A few minutes later she knocked on the adjoining door. His response came out muffled, but she assumed he said to come in. She opened up, and he stepped out of the bathroom. “Ready?” He’d changed his shirt. Maybe he was expecting to run into people. She doubted the sexier look was for her benefit. Since the conference was across the street, they walked over. It was almost noon, and the place was rather crowded. Dustin pointed to the brochure. “I’d like to see the window vendors first. Smithfield is big on his fancy windows.” “They help make the design of a home.” “I couldn’t agree more.” They spent the next four hours checking out the windows. Afterward, they looked at air quality systems, home automation, radiant heating, and ventless fireplaces. Standing and chatting to each vendor made her back hurt. What she really wanted was to sit down and relax. Dustin gently placed a hand on her waist and pulled her out of the crowd that was watching a demonstration on window strength. “I’m famished.” “Me, too.” She hadn’t wanted to take him away from the job. They passed a few stands serving hot dogs and other fattening foods. “You mind if we troll the street for something a bit healthier?” She’d noticed he often brought his lunch from home. Anyone as fit as Dustin wouldn’t be the kind to eat fast food. Greasy food upset her stomach, too. “You paying?” She wanted to keep the conversation light.

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“Are you using me, Ms. Redman?” She placed a hand on her chest. “Never.” He laughed and increased the pressure on her waist. She could barely breathe with him so near. Outside, they walked a few blocks until they came to a cute outdoor café. “This good?” Anywhere Dustin wanted to eat would be good for her. “Sure.” They sat outside and studied the menus. “You want to make a wager on the outcome of tonight’s game?” She loved her Seahawks, but their performance in the last few years had been erratic. “What would that be?” “If Denver wins, we get to play hooky tomorrow. I haven’t seen Central City or Georgetown in years.” “What’s there?” “Both are old mining towns. The architecture is wonderful, and they also have a casino in Central City.” That sounded awesome. “I’d love to see it.” “Georgetown is a Victorian town nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. There are about two hundred restored buildings. I’ve never taken the train, but I’ve heard the view of the mountains is spectacular. We could also take an optional mine tour.” “Are you sure Mr. Smithfield won’t mind if we skip out?” He laughed. “We’ll have Saturday to check out the conference if we feel guilty.” She leaned back in her seat, enjoying this game. “What happens if the Seahawks win?” “You get to pick what we do.” An inappropriate and thoroughly erotic thought crossed her mind, but she quickly squelched it. She’d been adventuresome with Colby, but she’d never suggest she and her boss share a bed as a bet. “It’s a date.” Dustin ordered grilled salmon and broccoli, and she chose lean baked chicken breasts with a side of zucchini. She loved a man who

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watched what he ate. If he always dined like this, he’d be fit in fifty years. When they finished, they slowly walked back to the convention center, mostly discussing architectural choices they’d seen. Since the game didn’t start until eight, they decided to put in another two hours at the conference. Despite wanting to spend every minute with Dustin, there were areas that she needed to check out, while he had other interests. He took out his phone. “How about we meet back here in one hour? Will that give you enough time to explore?” “Absolutely.” She loved that he always seemed willing to compromise. She headed toward the manufactured siding area. Dustin wanted to see the new advances in LED lighting. “Anything good?” She jumped when he came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. Tingles of pure lust radiated up and down her spine. She needed to stop reacting like this. Colby was her man! You could have both. She’d been so caught up in looking at what was or would be available soon to the consumer, she’d lost track of time. How Dustin found her she didn’t know. “Yes. Look at this. It’s a synthetic rock that won’t wear or crack like real rock.” They could either use it on the side of the home or as a patio material. “Nice.” He checked his phone. “I think we should head on back. I know we ate a few hours ago, but I need a meal before I watch the Broncos kill the Seahawks.” She slapped his arm. “Seahawks are so going to win.” “They’re the underdog by fourteen points.” “Ouch.” ****

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The oddsmakers had been correct. The Seahawks went down but not without a damned good fight. They only lost by one field goal, which to her was a victory. Dustin seemed to find every opportunity to place a hand on her shoulder or hug her when the Broncos scored. At first, it seemed like a natural reaction to touch her, but when he wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked down the hall to her room, she got the feeling he might kiss her good-night. She’d been dreaming all during the game about what his lips would be like. Hell, she knew. His kiss would take her to heaven and back. “How about I give you a wake-up call at 7:30 a.m.? By the time we catch a bite to eat, it’ll be nearly ten before we get to Central City. Bring a jacket. If we go into the coal mine near Georgetown, it’s really chilly.” “Sounds good.” She’d come prepared for all kinds of weather. They each slipped their key card in the door and entered. Damn. She swore he’d been this close to kissing her. From all the touching he’d done, it would have been natural for him to end the night on a high note. Is that what you want? One kiss would lead to two. Tomorrow, those kisses could turn into something far less innocent. Maybe he thought kissing an employee was not a good idea. She couldn’t blame him. After her ex and she called it quits, for the next few weeks, work had become really uncomfortable, especially when they were in meetings together. He kept staring at her. Not that Dustin would do that, but what if he dumped her? Could she go into his office and ask him questions? No. It was better to keep her distance, though damn, she wanted him. She dropped onto her bed and flopped an arm over her eyes. How could she fall for two men at the same time? Colby was wonderful and Dustin was an unknown. Well, he was kind of an unknown, though her body sure did react to being around him.

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Grrrr! If she was going to spend the day with him, she needed to shower to wash off the smell of beer and crowd grime. The moment she was naked, she stared at her image wondering if he’d find her small breasts appealing. Being an exercise nut did have its disadvantages. Sure, she had a flat stomach, but her butt was small and her hips too slim. “He’ll never see you naked anyway.” At least Colby hadn’t complained. She dunked her head under the warm water and groaned at the relaxing pulses cascading over her body. After she lathered her hair, she washed her body. When she got to her pussy, her hand lingered too long. So what? She closed her eyes and tried to imagine her fingers were Dustin’s. She pinched her clit then flicked it back and forth. Shards of delight rippled up her body. One hand found a slippery nipple and squeezed until the pain turned erotic. It was only when she heard Dustin’s voice that she jerked out of her reverie. The knock on the closed bathroom door registered. She turned off the water. “I’ll be right out.” “I’m sorry, Tracey. I didn’t realize you were in the shower. When you didn’t answer, I got worried.” “I’m good.” Physically she was fine, but mentally she was a royal mess. “Take your time. When you’re done, come to my room. I want to discuss something with you.” “Okay.” Discuss something with him? Was that code for wanting sex? She turned the water back on and picked up the bar of soap. It slipped from her hands and bounced on the tub floor. She was a mess. The moment she bent over, more carnal thoughts blasted her. She wasn’t that naïve that she didn’t understand how a ménage worked. One man would be in her pussy while the other would be fucking her ass. She’d never had anything other than straight sex, but except for maybe

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Colby, her partners had been the vanilla type. Her juices exploded thinking about making love to both men. Was that what Dustin wanted to talk to her about? Wouldn’t he want to make love to her first? Stop procrastinating. She finished scrubbing her body then stepped out of the shower. After quickly drying off, she lightly brushed her long hair. She’d have to dry it or chance dripping all over his bed. I mean his desk chair. It was late, but jeans seemed the most appropriate attire. No way would she go into her boss’s room in baby-doll pajamas. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was wearing. She finished drying her hair but didn’t put on any makeup. That would look like she was trying too hard. Inhaling, she knocked on the door between their rooms. Dustin opened up a few seconds later. Standing this close to him made her blood boil. Say something. “Your room or mine?” He smiled. “Come on in.” Why did she have to act ill at ease at all the wrong moments? “What’s up?” He motioned she take one of the two chairs by the window. “I wanted to talk to you about Colby.” Oh, shit. He knew they’d made love. Had she not read the fine print in her contract? Had she missed the line that said any relation with another employee would be grounds for dismissal? The blood drained from her face. “What about him?” “You like him, right?” This wasn’t the direction she thought he’d take the conversation. “Sure. He’s great.” She kept her tone noncommittal. “Do you always sleep with men you merely find okay?” What was he getting at? “I don’t follow.” “Colby and I have no secrets.”

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Her pulse skyrocketed. “So you know about our adventurous bike ride.” “Yes. He said it was the most amazing sex he’d ever had.” Her head swam. “Really?” Dustin crossed his legs at his ankles and leaned back. “Yes. However, there is something you need to know about him.” “He’s gay?” Dustin burst out laughing. “Hardly. You should be able to testify that’s not true. No. It’s about his background.” “He showed me where he grew up.” She smiled when she remembered how the waitress remembered he liked blueberry pie. “We even visited the diner where he’d go after school.” Dustin nodded. “I’m not talking about his time in Intrigue.” “Then what?” “Colby had wanted to tell you himself, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to form the words.” Her stomach lurched. “Whatever happened in his past is just that. It’s his past. It needs to stay there.” Dustin blew out a breath. “I hope you still believe that after I tell you about him. Remember what he’s like today.” He was talking nonsense. “Shoot.”

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Chapter Seven “Colby was in ninth grade when his dad lost his job. Since his mom’s relatives lived in Tucson, they moved there.” “That must have been hard on you. You two were best friends.” “It was, but it was harder on Colby. Without much money, they rented a place in the bad part of town. Colby worked every day at the Dairy Queen to help with the expenses, but it wasn’t enough. His mom also got a job cleaning at the local school, but then she got too sick to work.” She didn’t hear anything that would change her mind about Colby. In fact, it elevated her opinion of him. “There’s no shame in being poor. Hell, my family didn’t live much better.” He leaned forward, spread his legs, and dangled his fingers from his knees. “Let me explain about Tucson. It’s full of gangs. Colby would e-mail me almost every day about how hard it was to stay out of trouble.” She’d never personally known a gang member. “He couldn’t just walk away?” “You don’t understand. He’d be on his way home and six guys would be following him.” Her stomach lurched. “Were they there to beat him up?” “Kill him is more likely. No matter how good you are at fighting, or how brave, when it’s six against one, you have to do what they say. They told him if he didn’t join their gang, either they would kill him or the opposing gang would.” She sucked in a breath. “That’s terrible. Couldn’t he go to the authorities?”

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Dustin huffed out a laugh. “Darlin’, there are over eight hundred gangs in Tucson alone. The few cops they have weren’t enough to stop the violence.” She slumped back in her seat. She wanted to defend his actions. “So he joined a gang for protection. He had no choice. I get that.” “I’m glad you see it that way. You’re right. If he wanted to stay alive and not have anyone harm him or his mom, he had to join a gang.” From the way his jaw tightened, he wasn’t finished with the story. “But there’s more that happened.” “Much more. When you’re in a gang, you do what you’re told to do, or that gang will turn on you.” The breath she took got stuck partway up her windpipe. “Did he commit a crime?” “You have to understand that Colby is a good man.” The image of him placing her wet clothes on the rock to dry came to mind, as did his care in making sure she was always safe and happy. “I know.” “He’d just turned eighteen when his gang leader told him to drive another gang member to a nearby convenience store. His passenger said he wanted to get a pack of smokes but for Colby to wait in the car. He’d be right out. The guy was only in the store for a few minutes, but he came out with a lot more than a pack of cigarettes.” “Oh, my God. The guy robbed the store?” “I’m afraid so. The owner ran out as Colby raced away, but the manager got the license plate number. That resulted in Colby spending two years in prison.” The injustice cut a hole in her stomach. “But he didn’t do anything.” “That’s not the point. He was an accomplice. He was an adult in the eyes of the law.” She closed her eyes and tried to image what torment he must have gone through. The poor kid was a victim. She opened her eyes. “I’m

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guessing there’s more?” He nodded. “Once he got out, his status in the gang rose. They insisted that he was old enough to handle a gun.” “Dear Lord.” “Tracey, you have to understand that when your life is in danger, as well as your family’s, you do anything to survive.” “I’m sure.” “He didn’t give me many details, as he didn’t want to lose my friendship, but he was arrested again. Apparently, a few of his friends had been gunned down by rival gangs and he wanted revenge.” She slapped a hand over her heart. “Did he kill anyone?” “No, but I bet he wanted to. Some altercation occurred. He spent another two years locked up. When he got out he said he was tired of his friends getting killed.” “Why didn’t he tell his parents to move?” “He tried. His dad got sick with cancer, and since his mother’s relatives lived there, she didn’t want to leave. Besides, her health had deteriorated, too. After his first prison sentence, she was too sick to move.” The pieces fell into place. “So he came back to Intrigue after his release.” She looked down at the floor. “That’s what he meant when he said that living in Intrigue had been the best part of his life.” “He waited until after he buried his parents before coming here. Colby refused to leave as long as they needed him.” His loyalty seemed unparalleled. Had Dustin not told her about his past, she never would have guessed. “Colby seems so happy and outgoing. I can’t picture him as the gang type.” “That’s my point. We have preconceived notions about what gang members are like. Colby was never really one of them. He appreciates every break he gets.” Tears streaked down her cheeks. He stood and opened his arms. It was exactly what she needed. She’d made love to an ex-con and wasn’t sure how to handle that. She stepped into Dustin’s embrace.

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He’d showered and smelled lemony, like the hotel soap. “Don’t hold it against him,” he pleaded. His comforting hug meant the world to her. “I’ll try.” Her mother’s words came back to her. Why would you want to marry a man with a past when there are so many other men to love you? Think of your children. Do you want them to go through life having to defend their father for what he did? Her mom had been right. She stepped out of Dustin’s embrace. He’d only offered his chest as a friend, but what she wouldn’t give to have fallen for him first. She looked up. Her tears had dried on his shirt, but more were about to fall. “Do you have any skeletons in your closet?” He smiled and held her out at arm’s length. “All families have things they don’t want to reveal. On the surface, however, my life is quite predictable.” “That’s good.” She swiped the liquid that dripped down her cheek. “I think you should get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow.” She wanted to crawl into bed with him and have him hold her all night, but that would never happen. “Yeah.” As she reached their adjoining door, Dustin pulled it open. He gently turned her around, leaned over, and kissed her on the cheek. “Sleep tight.” Now how the hell could she do that dreaming about something more? **** As soon as Tracey got to her room, the tears fell again. Giant sobs racked her body. Part of the distress was for poor Colby. He’d left Intrigue a sweet, innocent boy and ended up a criminal. The other part stemmed from the fact that she was falling for an ex-con. As soon as she returned home, she should end the relationship. If she told him she couldn’t see him again, he’d surely understand.

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But you like him. The connection she’d felt with him was like no other. Damn. Did it really matter what he’d done in the past? She might be able to get over it, but her parents would freak, as would all of her friends back home. On the plus side, it said something about his character that he wanted her to know about his prison time. Most men would have tried to hide their darker side, but not him. Still, getting involved with him would only end in heartbreak. Once people found out about his past, they’d shun them as a couple, which would drive a spike between them. No, it was better to end it now. Focusing on Dustin seemed the smart thing to do. Believing she’d settled the argument, she set her alarm for 7:00 a.m. She wanted to be up and ready by the time Dustin knocked on her door. Morning didn’t bring out the best in her. In the hopes the flickering light would put her to sleep, she clicked on the television. It didn’t work. She couldn’t turn off her brain. She spent the next few hours rehashing the wonderful football game, and then the Colby discussion. She might have dozed off by four, but the alarm sure came quickly. She shut off the annoying sound, got out of bed, and headed into the shower. She stood under the hot stream until her brain cells started to revive. While she was really looking forward to today’s adventure, her stomach still hadn’t eased after learning Colby’s traumatic upbringing. Tracey had to force herself to finish getting ready. The knock on her adjoining door came at precisely 7:30 a.m. She stepped out of the bathroom and opened up. “Hey.” “You’re up, I see. How much longer do you need?” “Ten minutes?” “Come on in when you’re ready.” Seeing Dustin helped her mood. She needed to bury her attraction

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to Colby and move on. Today is a new start. Today is a new start. Today is a new start. She could have said that phrase a hundred more times, but the affirmation wasn’t working. A part of her still wanted Colby. Showing her depression wouldn’t reflect well on her, so she painted on a happy face and went into Dustin’s room. “Ready for breakfast?” She wasn’t hungry. “Sure.” They ate downstairs in the hotel then headed west toward Central City. Dustin seemed more upbeat than yesterday. Maybe the thought of having to drop the Colby bomb on her had been weighing on his mind. “Wait until you see the architecture. Most of the buildings are two-story and quite ornate. I think you’ll really like the old town.” Her malaise started to lift as he discussed how wonderful this place was. It took them less than an hour to get there. Dustin pulled to the curb in front of a general store. “Let’s stretch our legs and walk around. If you see a place you fancy, we can stop in.” She got out and looked around with awe. The mostly brick buildings had been wonderfully renovated. “You said there’s gambling here?” “Yes. At one time, there were only about a hundred residents, but when the state allowed gambling, the town took off.” “Can we go in?” She’d never been to a gambling casino. “Sure. Are you a gambling girl?” From the sparkle in his eyes, she thought he might not have been referring to her willingness to part with money. “For the right person, I might be.” He laughed. Dustin wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked toward the casino. There appeared to be an old section of

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town, and a new part that was laced with modern hotels and newly built condominiums. Gambling appeared to be quite profitable. The Reserve Casino & Hotel was a modern brick building that housed the casino. When she walked in, she was amazed at the lights, colors, and density of gambling equipment. He pointed toward the middle of the room. “Those are the blackjack tables, and over there are the computer gambling games.” While the place wasn’t crowded, she bet they did a swift business at night. He took her into the slot machine room. “Would you like to try the slots?” he asked. “I’d love to.” She pulled off her backpack to get some money. “I’ll be right back with some coins.” She would have argued with him, but he was gone before she could see how much change she had. Only two other people were in the room. So far, they didn’t seem to be having much luck if their near-empty buckets were any indication. Dustin returned with a bucket of coins. Her eyes must have widened. “Oh, my. That could take us forever to spend.” He smiled. “Let’s see how much damage we can do.” They sat next to each other and began to feed the machine with money. After each pull, she’d watch her machine, but she also kept an eye on his, too. The slight tinkle of coin fell into the tray when he got some combination of cherries and an odd-looking picture. Then the real competition began. They shoved in money to see who could pull the lever faster. Soon, they began laughing and making ridiculous bets with each other. After ninety minutes, only half of the bucket was empty. She blew out a breath. “My arm’s tired.” “How about I cash this in? I think it’s time we head over to Georgetown. I want to take that radical train ride. We can catch a bite to eat and then enjoy the day together.” “Sounds wonderful.”

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They went over to the cashier and exchanged the coins for bills. She loved his sense of adventure and willingness to explore new places. When he took her hand, she really felt like he considered this whole day as one big date. She probably should have asked his position on coworkers going out with each other, but she thought that was a bit too soon to be questioning his motives. When they arrived in Georgetown, the place was already alive with pedestrians. They stopped at the tourist center and got all the information about the train. Dustin bought two tickets for the twentythree mile ride over Guanella Pass. “The train leaves at two. That gives us enough time to catch a bite to eat.” “Can we walk around for a few minutes? This place is amazing.” She couldn’t get over the decorative molding or the beautiful colors on the buildings. He squeezed her hand. “Anything.” The fact that the town was nestled in the foothills of the Rockies was enough to make her love the place, but the Victorian detail made her want to come back and study everything. She walked around mesmerized by the authenticity. “This place look good?” he asked. Even though he was holding her hand, she hadn’t been paying to attention to where they were going. The quaint diner appeared clean and cute. “Sure.” They got a table at the window and could see the crowds pass by. Once the waiter took their drink orders, Dustin watched her. “What?” “Just trying to figure out your mood.” What an odd thing to say. “I’m good.” “Are you?” He raised his chin and glanced down at her. “Why shouldn’t I be?” His brows rose. “You just found out that a man you seemed attracted to was a criminal. When you’re looking at the architecture or

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I’ve got my arm wrapped around your waist, you’re fine, but the moment you have a few seconds to think about things, you seem to drift elsewhere.” That was almost creepy, like he could see straight into her heart. “I will admit I’m disturbed by Colby’s past.” “Did you ever wonder why I stuck with him throughout thick and thin, so to speak, given that he had a criminal past?” She had wondered why someone as morally focused as Dustin would stand by Colby. “It had crossed my mind, but Colby said you were childhood friends.” “You don’t remain in contact with someone long after they’ve left town just because you rode your bikes together.” “I guess not.” “We communicated for years because Colby is an amazing human being. Despite all he’s gone through, he’s kept a positive attitude. I’ve seen a lot of prejudice aimed against him for being a gang member, yet he never treated these naysayers with anything but respect. Somehow during all his life trials, he had the strength of character to believe that people would see him for who he really was.” “He is a good man.” She meant that. “In all honesty, it’s not Colby that I worry about. It’s how others will treat me for caring about him.” He leaned forward on his elbows and locked gazes with her. “Is that so?” She didn’t think he’d understand. “When my parents find out I’m dating an ex-con, they might disown me.” She held up a finger when his mouth opened to speak. “More importantly, if we have kids, what would they think? I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I really like him. If I spend the next few months getting to know him, I can see myself falling hard for him.” Her pulse shot up with that confession. The waiter came back for their food orders. Dustin waved him away. “Give us a sec.” Dustin nodded at the menu. “You know what

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you want?” You and Colby. “I’m still confused.” She picked up the menu and scanned the items. The wood-fired tilapia looked good. “Intrigue is a unique town in that people don’t seem to judge others very harshly. I’ve lived outside of Seattle, and any hint of scandal would make you an outcast.” Dustin smiled. “Then I guess you’ll have to stay here.” She laughed. “Maybe you’re right.” Her parents did love her. Eventually, they’d forgive her. Maybe. Once they ordered and ate, Dustin checked the time. “We need to get to the train station. You ready?” “Yes.” Excitement sizzled through her. Since the train would be going over a deep gorge on an old rickety train, she hoped they kept up the inspections. As if they were a couple, Dustin clasped her hand and together they headed to the Silver Plume train depot. Their tickets were waiting for them, as was the train. They took seats in the middle of the first car. “Sit by the window so you’ll have a good view.” At 2:00 p.m., the steam train started its one-hour journey. It took no time before they were going over the bridge. Not that she was afraid of heights, but why look down if one didn’t have to? “What’s wrong?” Dustin’s brows pinched. “My neck hurts looking to the side.” She wasn’t going to tell him the real reason. He chuckled, as if he knew why she looked away. “Here.” He turned sideways on the seat and pulled her against his chest, so she faced the window without turning her head. “Great.” At least if the train fell through the rails and they plummeted to their death, she’d die in Dustin’s arms. His body heat seeped into her back. When he leaned over to point out an old shack on the side of the mountain, not only did his

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pectorals flex, but his cheek brushed against hers. This was no bossemployee relationship. Her pulse raced. She should turn around right now and insist they sit side by side. You like him, too. Yes she did. Then the image of being in Colby’s arms flashed before her. Despite his background, she wanted him, but she liked Dustin, too. Damn. Colby’s face came into view. We like to share. She wasn’t at that stage yet to make any kind of decision. She inhaled and decided to take one day at a time. Right now she was with Dustin, and she wanted to enjoy every minute of their time together. Happy, she leaned back to appreciate the ride. Less than fifteen minutes later, the train pulled to a stop, and the conductor came through the car. “If you’ve signed up for the mine walk, you’ll want to get off here. There will be another train to take you the rest of the way.” She was glad Dustin wanted to see the mine. She did, too. He slid into the aisle and helped her up. She gathered her jacket and followed him out, ready to explore the West.

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Chapter Eight Dustin loved how everything about the mine fascinated Tracey. She must have asked more questions than anyone. She leaned closer. “Look at that rock. It sparkles. What if it’s real?” “Even if it were solid gold, it would cost more to get those flecks out than they’re worth.” She clasped her hands together. “Can you imagine what it would be like to know that at any moment you could be rich?” He laughed. “Money doesn’t always bring happiness.” “I know, but a lack of money is no fun either.” She scrunched up her nose as if to imply he was a spoilsport for not playing along with her fantasy. As they made their way deeper into the mine, the air turned chillier. Even though Tracey had a jacket on, she shivered. He rubbed her arms. At some point she had to wonder why he took every opportunity to touch her. There were a lot of things about her that he loved. It wasn’t just that they shared the same passion for architectural detail. It was the way she appreciated all things of beauty. He also liked that while she wore some makeup, she kept her long, light brown hair natural and loose. Her best feature was her smile, which was evident quite often. Tracey Redman was truly one of a kind. The only roadblock to taking her right now was her worry about what others might think about her dating an ex-con. Over time, he prayed that prejudice would disappear. Then there was the issue of her willingness to love two men. He was wearing her down, but what

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would happen if Colby showed up in their bedroom? Could she handle having two men love her? He needed to stop worrying about the future and concentrate on the present. An old coal car sat off to the side. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned her back against his chest as the guide spoke about how the rocks were removed from the mine. She seemed enthralled with every word. After they finished the tour, the group exited into the warm sunshine. She looked up and smiled. “That was really cool.” “I’m glad you liked it.” They waited for the train to return and take them the rest of the way to town. Tracey seemed more content on the trip back as if being outside for a while had calmed her. By the time they got off the train, it was 4:00 p.m. “Maybe when we drive back to Denver, we could catch a bite to eat and see a movie.” Her broad smile lit up her face. “That would be great.” This would give him a chance to have his arm around her shoulder, whisper in her ear, and watch her reaction to the events as they unfolded on the screen. The big question was if she’d come into his room tonight. To keep that option open, he’d make sure to keep his side unlocked. The trip back to Denver seemed all too short. They parked at the hotel and decided to find a restaurant nearby as they wanted to make the earliest showing possible in order to get back before midnight. There were several options. They had yet to decide which movie to see. Throughout dinner all he could think of was how to get her into bed without scaring her off. Colby had given him scant details, but from his excitement, the experience had been heady. Colby had mentioned that Tracey and Dustin might end up in bed during this trip, and that he was all for it. His friend said that if they had any chance of sharing her, they both had to get her to trust them. What better time

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than when they were on the road? To his delight, she chose an action adventure movie. The fact she picked one that starred Tom Cruise didn’t surprise him. During one particularly harrowing scene, she clasped his hand. Inwardly, he smiled. His need to protect even surprised him. While Tracey acted sophisticated when she talked about music, the outdoors, and aesthetics, there was an innocence that he wanted to delve into. As they walked back to the hotel, they discussed what they liked and didn’t like about the movie. He tried to say something insightful, but all he could think about was making love to her. When she went to her door, he knew it was either time to make his move or walk away. He stepped over to her door. “I’ll enter through your suite.” Her mouth narrowed for a bit then turned into a smile. “Sure.” All he had to do was bid her good-night, disappear through his door, and hope she came knocking. What if she didn’t? He’d be kicking himself for not getting one taste. He’d always lived by the rule that to date a coworker was stupid, but there was something about Tracey that interrupted his thinking. He ran a hand down her shoulder, needing to touch her once more. “I had a great time today.” Her green eyes sparkled. “Me, too.” Maybe he was imagining it, but he swore she looked willing. Just do it. He pulled her close and kissed her. His whole body tensed, waiting to see if she would push him away. When she leaned into him, he inwardly smiled. The green light flashed, but he didn’t want to be too hasty. After all, she was new and needed to get her balance. When she opened her mouth, his mind blanked. Their tongues met and his dick got rock hard. Flashes of her naked urged him on. She smelled fresh and windblown. He ran his hands through her silky hair, which only made him harder. If he didn’t stop now, he’d never be able to keep his distance. He

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pulled away. Her lids were half-closed and her lips partially swollen. God, but he wanted her. He’d intended to take her to bed, but she needed time to adjust to Colby’s past and their new relationship. “I’ll knock tomorrow at seven thirty again.” She licked her lips as if she wanted to savor the kiss. His heart nearly burst, but he had to restrain himself. “Sure.” Before he did anything else, he slipped into his room and locked the adjoining door. Tracey might want to come in and talk about Colby. If she did, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. **** Tracey ran her fingers over her lips then licked the tips. Dustin Callen had kissed her. She hadn’t expected the same explosion to happen inside her body as it had with Colby. Oh, shit. Colby. He might be hurt that she wanted to be with Dustin, except that he had mentioned he liked to share. She was so confused, she couldn’t think straight. A hot shower might help clear her head. If it weren’t so late, she might even call her mom and ask her opinion. Her mother had married her dad for love. Sure, there were some regrets later on, but those two never talked about divorce. She tossed off her clothes and turned on the water. While the water warmed, she brushed her teeth. Dustin had been sending clues all day that he was interested, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up that he was interested in her on a permanent basis. The kiss had been full of passion, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t just looking for a good time in bed. Couldn’t he tell she was a marriage and kids type of woman, and not one to want a quick roll in the hay? From what Bessie told her, the Callen family was tight-knit. Maybe Dustin would want a family of his own someday. How soon

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was the question. Did his parents preach that he needed to find a girl of equal financial status as him? She’d be out of luck in that case. The shower relaxed her muscles, and by the time she got into bed, she fell asleep right away. Her dreams were erotic. She pictured Dustin crawling into bed every night after a tough day and making sweet love to her. He’d hold her tight before bestowing kisses all over her body. The kisses seemed so real that when she opened her eyes and saw Dustin leaning over her, she almost jumped. “Dustin!” He chuckled. “When you didn’t hear my knock, I’d figured you’d forgotten to set your alarm.” She leaned over and checked the time. “I swore I set this for seven.” She picked up the clock and realized she’d never pressed the button. “I’m sorry.” He sat on the bed. “Don’t be. We have all day to look over the convention items.” She groaned. “What?” “I think I’ve seen every piece of technology imaginable. I almost believe I could build an all-green home.” He laughed. “I’m with you. We could cancel tonight’s reservation, and I could take you horseback riding at my parents’ ranch today.” She pushed up on her elbows. “Really? I miss riding so much. That would be wonderful.” He kissed her forehead. “Get ready and come to my room when you’re set.” She clapped her hands. “I’ll be quick.” Dustin smiled and left. Her heart was beating fast, enabling her to move into high gear. She got ready in record time. After she packed, she tapped on the connecting door and went in. His eyes widened. “That was fast.” “You have sisters, I take it?” He laughed. “Three of them. Except for Sam, who’s the oldest,

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they all would spend forever fixing their hair and deciding what to put on. April’s the second oldest, but Jenny is in a league by herself. Fortunately, she’s nine years younger than me, so we didn’t conflict too much in using the bathroom.” “How nice to have a big family.” “It is. While most of us live in Intrigue, we’ve all moved out of the house. It’s just my mom and dad at the ranch. When we get there you might get to meet my brother-in-law. When he’s not playing in the Cheyenne Orchestra, he’s handling the horses.” “That’s a cool combination of talents.” “That’s only half of it. Come on. We’ll get some breakfast. On the drive home, I’ll regale you with all the family secrets.” By the time they pulled in front of his family’s ranch, her head swam with the details of the siblings. Sam ran a kind of dude ranch, the twins, Max and Ian, had their own spread on the family land, the second-oldest brother, Cody, owned the town newspaper, April was a middle school science teacher, and the youngest daughter, Jenny, was trying to decide if she wanted to come home or go to med school. “I’d love to meet them. They sound so interesting.” “They are.” He held open her door. “Let’s see if my mom is about.” Meeting the parents was such a big step. “I’m not exactly dressed for a first meeting.” Oh, crap. Why did she always jump to conclusions? He wasn’t bringing her there to meet the parents. Dustin just wanted to say hi to his mom. He tugged her closer. “You look beautiful.” Dustin pushed open the side porch door that led to the cozy living room. While there were a lot of sofas and seats, the place looked like a person could put one’s feet on the rough-hewn cedar coffee table. Off to the side sat a piano. “Do you play?” she asked. “Mom tried to teach me, but except for Jenny, we’re all failures.” His mom came out of what she suspected was the kitchen. She

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was looking down, wiping her hands on her apron. She stopped when she spotted them. The smile on her face lit up her eyes. “Dustin! This is such a nice surprise.” He kissed his mom then introduced them. His mom glanced to Dustin first. “This is a first. How long have you two known each other?” A first for what? Didn’t he bring home dates? “I just moved here from Seattle.” “She took over Martha’s old job.” “How nice.” Her mouth formed an O. “So you’re the girl Colby spoke of.” Heat filled her face. “Depends on what he said.” “You and he went on a long bike ride, ended up at Emerson Lake, and went for a dip.” “That’s me. Does Colby stop by here often?” “When he can. He’s like a member of the family.” That surprised her. She looked over at Dustin to see if he was hiding anything. He lifted her chin with his finger. “See? Mom knows about his past, and she’s good.” “Oh.” Now she felt small for being so petty. “I promised Tracey I’d take her riding.” “Well, have a good time. It’s such a beautiful day.” Dustin must have been really excited to show her around because they practically ran out. When they got close to the barn, instead of going in through the doors, he pulled her to the far side of the barn, out of view from the house. “I am so sorry. My mom isn’t usually so outspoken.” “It’s okay.” It was better that his family knew that she and Colby were attracted to each other. With her back to the barn, he kissed her. There was nothing tentative about it. Deciding that she wanted him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back with all the hunger inside that was bursting to get out. When he pressed his body against hers, his cock was hard. Oh, my.

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Chapter Nine Only after Dustin pulled away did the sound of the horse’s hooves register. He looked up and waved. “That’s Randy, my brother-in-law. Let’s see if he can fix you up with a horse.” Damn. “Sure.” If Randy hadn’t come along, there was no telling what they might have done. Her pussy was so wet she would have ravished him right there in the open. He adjusted his jeans, as it was clear his hard-on was causing him some discomfort. At least the kiss had excited him. Randy was dismounting when they walked in. The hugely muscled man strode over and shook Dustin’s hand then hers. He smiled. “I’m Randy.” “Tracey. I work with Dustin.” Randy cocked a brow but didn’t add any further comment. Had Colby spoken with Randy also? She hoped the relatives didn’t think she was loose. That would be impossible to live down. Dustin looked at Randy. “I’m going to saddle up Champion, but could you get Flash Dancer for Tracey?” She almost giggled. “Flash Dancer? That’s such a cute name.” “She’s feisty, but if you’ve ridden a lot, you’ll love the ride.” She followed Dustin to his stall and watched him expertly toss on the saddle and adjust the straps. As soon as he brought out his horse, Randy walked Flash Dancer up to her. “In case you want to stop some place comfortable, I rolled up a blanket on the back.” He faced her and winked. Wonderful. Who didn’t know about her escapades with Colby? Did Randy think the ride today would end on the ground? Not likely.

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Dustin would never cross the employee-employer line. His moral compass aimed due north. She wished she could toss some magic magnetic dust his way and alter his path. Dustin nodded to a small refrigerator next to the entrance. “Got any bottled water in the fridge?” “Sure.” Randy retrieved a few bottles and handed them to Dustin. When Dustin was happy with the gear set up, she mounted. To be able to ride again thrilled her. “Ready?” Boy was she. “Yes.” They walked the horses out to warm them up. The air was clean and comfortable for this time of year. Mountains rose above the horizon in the distance and large forested trees ran for miles to the west. “You up for a faster pace?” he asked. “You bet.” Dustin kicked Champion in the flanks and his horse took off at a trot. He was a natural in the saddle. She kept up, loving the air in her face. The lines that had marred his forehead seemed to disappear. He needed to get out more often. They must have ridden twenty minutes before they came to a long line of trees. Dustin pulled to a stop. “Let’s take a break.” He dismounted and tied his horse to the tree. She did the same thing. “That was awesome.” He pulled the blanket from the back of her saddle. “How about carrying this, and I’ll grab the waters?” “Where are we going?” “You’ll see.” They wended their way through the tall pines until they came to a glen. A small river, maybe four feet wide, gurgled across flat stones and bordered this slice of heaven. She looked up at the blue sky. “This is beautiful.”

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He placed the blanket on the ground and helped guide her to the ground. “This was my special place when I was a kid. I would come here to think.” “I don’t see you as the kind of kid who was troubled.” He huffed out a laugh. “You’d be surprised. I might have had horses to ride, but being the eldest son of one of the most successful men in the state wasn’t easy.” “Did your dad want you to be a rancher?” “Among many things. He also wanted me to play basketball like he did at University of Wyoming. For one, I didn’t want to go to college in town, and two, I was accepted to Princeton. Who would turn down that opportunity?” “Wow. Was your dad willing to pay for such an expensive school?” “Yes, but only because he got a lot of bragging rights saying I went to an Ivy League school.” She leaned back on her elbows, enjoying getting to see the real Dustin Callen. Gone was the powerful and in-control man. In its place was someone who had scars, just like the rest of the world. “I was the only one in my family to go to college. My parents were really proud, but they couldn’t afford to pay for any of it. I’ve been paying off my student loans ever since.” He dropped onto his back and wrapped his clasped hands under his head. “Do you regret anything in your life?” She hadn’t expected the intensely deep question. “At thirty, I’ve not lived enough to have a lot of regrets. Okay, maybe choosing my last boyfriend wasn’t the smartest choice of potential mates, but other than that, no. You?” He shrugged. “At times I feel like I’ve wasted my life. Sure, I own a successful construction company, but I’m thirty-two with no kids to leave my estate to.” Her heart nearly exploded. Was he fishing to see what she wanted, or was he sincere in his melancholy? “If I can ever afford it, I want a

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lot of kids, too.” His eyes sparkled. He rolled over and leaned up on an elbow. He reached out with his free hand and placed the errant, windblown strands behind her ear. “I really had a great time this weekend.” He guessed his take on wanting kids was now a closed subject. “Me, too.” In one fluid movement, he pulled her to his chest. Her body burst with excited anticipation. His blue eyes turned a molten gray and his lips parted. When he leaned forward, she knew he was going to kiss her and opened up. Their tongues tangled and her pussy exploded. She never expected he’d ravish her so. It was as if the floodgates had opened and he couldn’t wait to devour her. When he rolled on top of her, she nearly lost her breath. The way he looked at her with such dreamy eyes made her have hope that he really cared. He lifted his head and rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. “You are so beautiful. I love how your eyes match the color of the outdoors.” No one had ever told her that, but she loved the analogy. She wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, but when she silently rehearsed the words, they sounded too feminine. His hands dipped to her waist, and before she realized it, he slipped his hands under her shirt then beneath her jog bra. He touched her breasts, and it was as if he’d branded her. Desperation clawed at her as her pussy went into overdrive. Since he was pressed against her, she couldn’t touch his glorious cock. Some things just weren’t fair. His lips left hers and left a trail of wonder down her neck. “We need to get rid of this shirt. I have to taste all of you.” He rolled to the side and slipped off not only her top but also her bra. He didn’t stop there. In seconds, her boots came off and her jeans slipped down to her ankles. Since she wanted to move, she withdrew one leg. “How come I’m the only one naked?” “Be my guest.” Dustin knelt and pulled off his shirt. “Oh, my.”

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Here she thought Colby was muscled. Dustin was not only four inches taller, but his shoulders were broader. His pecs and abs had a bit less meat on them compared to Colby, but Dustin’s body was enticingly wonderful. She got on her knees and unsnapped and unzipped his jeans. Dark gray boxer briefs appeared, and her imagination ran wild. “We can get to those later. Right now I have to taste you.” He leaned over and drew her nipple into his mouth. Blasts of erotic pleasure spread over her chest. She clasped his shoulders and squeezed, enjoying the play of his muscles under her fingers. He slid a hand down her stomach. She urged his palm to go lower. Her pussy throbbed, eagerly awaiting his touch. His large cock pressed against her opening. Threading a hand into the back of his pants, she massaged his tight ass and pressed him closer. She bet the power he could unleash would defy description. He switched his attention from one breast to the other. At the same time he slid his fingers lower and separated her pussy lips. She bucked forward. “I need you to touch me.” Why was she so desperate? Hadn’t she had fabulous sex with Colby a few days ago? The words we like to share came back to her. Right now if Colby stepped through the forest, she’d welcome him. Dustin slipped a finger into her pussy and all hell broke loose. Her body sizzled with intense lust as he worked his way against her pussy walls. With his thumb, he pressed on her clit and she groaned in delight. “You are so sensitive.” “It’s your fault,” she panted. He dragged her back down to the blanket. He chuckled then slid between her legs. Even she could smell her own perfume in the wind. When his mouth clamped down on her pussy, she nearly came. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t touch him, but she didn’t have the

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presence of mind to complain. If he stopped what he was doing, she might self-destruct. He scraped his teeth over her bundle of nerves, and she clamped hard on his shoulders to help control the urge to burst. She wanted more, but she wasn’t sure she could stop the climax for much longer. With his other hand, he slipped three fingers into her pussy. While not as big as a cock, the tips danced inside her, pressing hard and hitting every possible nerve. “Enough.” As if that meant stop to him, he pulled back. “I need to suck your cock.” “There are some requests I’ll never deny.” He sat, rocked back on his heels, then stood. He pulled a foil packet from his wallet and divested himself of his boots and jeans. Her gaze latched on his gigantic cock. She sucked in a breath. “That’s not going to fit.” He laughed, and the rich sound infused her body with joy. “I’ll make you so slick that I’ll slide in just fine.” She hoped he spoke the truth. “To be sure, I better get you wet, too. Can you lie down?” He was on his back in a second. Straddling him, she leaned over and licked just the tip. He moaned. Good. She liked making him desperate. She ran her tongue along the puckered edge of his mushroom head then sucked on the top. “Jesus. I’m already on edge.” “Hold on.” She scooted backward to get a better angle. With one hand, she cupped his sac and rolled the balls in her hands. They hardened under her fingertips. The power made her want to tease him more. With one finger, she dragged it along the pulsating vein, pressing inward every once in a while. “Touch me with your hand.” His voice cracked. She grabbed hold of his cock near the base then drew his dick into her mouth. He tore off her ponytail holder and threaded both hands

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through her hair. He pressed her scalp tightly as if any movement by her would make him come. “Surely, you’re made of sterner stuff, Mr. Callen. Real men can control themselves for hours.” Too bad she wouldn’t be able to last if she spent any more time sucking on him. He certainly didn’t seem like he wanted to wait either. Something akin to an ugh escaped from him. She slowly lowered her mouth over his length, tightened her lips, and lifted back up. She loved how his rippled skin played across her tongue. He sat up and scooted her off him. “Enough is enough.” He picked up the foil packet, tore off the top, and donned the condom. Without saying another word, he moved behind her and positioned her on her hands and knees. He leaned over and twisted her nipples. “Oh, yes.” The tension brought excruciating pleasure. He leaned his lips close to her ear. “I want you to beg.” He let go of one nipple and used that hand to grab his cock. He dragged the tip over her opening, and her pussy sang at the thought of what was to come. “Fuck me.” He chuckled. She expected him to dive right in. Instead he dipped two fingers into her pussy. His thumb strummed her clit. With each flick, her body heated with molten desire. She pressed her hips backward to get more of him. His other hand continued to play with her tits. He’d roll the swollen tip between his thumb and forefinger then pressed tightly. His entire palm then covered her breast. “You are the perfect fit.” She’d always been embarrassed about her small size, but both men seemed to like her the way she was. His hand deserted her breast and cupped her chin. When he leaned over to kiss her cheek, he removed his fingers from her pussy. She panted for relief. “Please.”

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He must have been at his outer limits, because he charged into her wet channel. Instead of traveling the entire length in one push, he stopped halfway. His breath was ragged, as was hers. “I love how you feel. Jesus, but I’m working so damned hard to give you pleasure.” Her heart melted. He was waiting for her to come before his own release. “Then fuck me hard.” That must have been the right phrase, for he pressed inward. Her mouth dropped open at his size. Both men were huge and thick. He reached around her with both hands and continued the tit assault. He gently palmed both breasts then scraped his callused palms across her skin. He leaned over again and inhaled. “I love the way you smell. You’re so fresh and pure.” She thrilled at his sincerity. Men who only wanted to have sex wouldn’t be so caring. He ran his hands down her belly and found her eager pussy. He pressed on her clit. Spasms rolled down her insides, and her climax continued to build. While he played with her pussy, he must have recovered some of her juices because when he slipped his hand up her divide, her juices lubed her crease. He leaned back, and with both palms, massaged her ass. “God, but you are gorgeous.” He pulled her cheeks apart. It didn’t matter that he was talking about her rear. She loved hearing him tell her how wonderful she was. His finger slipped into her dark hole, and she automatically clenched. “Take it easy. Relax and let me love you.” She wanted that, but she didn’t think she’d be any good at it. “I’ve never had a cock in my ass before.” “I’m glad. I want to be the first. But not today. I only want to get you ready.” Did this really mean that he and Colby would share her? She had to let them try. “Okay.”

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As he pressed his finger into her puckered hole, he continued to drive his cock into her wet pussy. Waves of lust slammed into her, allowing her to almost forget what he was doing to her ass. Then he added another finger and really stretched her out. On one of his passes, her nerves began to come alive. She wasn’t sure if it was her pussy rejoicing or if the combination was what caused her body to heat to epic proportions. “Yes, yes!” “You like that?” She barely could catch her breath, so she nodded. He slipped his fingers out of her ass and clasped his hands on her waist. When he removed his cock, she froze. Had she done something wrong? “Dustin?” “Roll over. I need to kiss you.” Clasping his hands on her waist, he placed her on her back. Using his feet, he spread her legs wide. He rubbed his fingers on the blanket to clean them. With the speed of a jaguar, he pounced. His cock pierced her pussy as his lips captured hers. Their tongues tangled. She dragged her hands through his hair and inhaled his musky scent. He was all male. The horses huffed in the distance and the tree frogs croaked. The fact they were outside made their mating more special. It felt primal in its newness and its intensity. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. Streaks of ecstasy rained down on her, filling her with so much passion she was ready to explode. Taking hold of his arms, she dug her fingernails into his skin. Her moans filled the air as his cock nearly split her in two. She bucked and screamed as her climax shot her to the sky. He dropped his head and buried his face in her neck as he pumped into her. A moment later, heat seared her. His jism stream pulsed and throbbed. He held her close until their pulses slowed. Dustin rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had anything that spectacular before.” He closed his eyes.

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She kissed his eyelids, his forehead, and then his lips. Unable to hold herself up anymore, she dropped her head on his shoulder, needing to catch her breath. He wrapped his arms around her. She must have fallen asleep, because Dustin tapped her shoulder. He rolled her off his chest and got up. He picked up his underwear and headed to the stream. After he dipped them in the water, he cleaned her up. “Come on. We need to get dressed and head back. I don’t want Randy wondering where we are.” She laughed. “From the way he looked at us, I think he knows what we were doing.” He glanced to the sky. “I bet I’ll hear about my indiscretion from my mom.” Her worry about what others would think blasted her. “Do you think she’ll be upset that you’re with me?” “I’m afraid she’ll bake a cake to celebrate.” She fell in love with his mom at that moment.

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Chapter Ten At around eleven on Monday morning, Colby dashed into the office. He slid a hip on the edge of her desk and smiled. “So how was it?” She was convinced he knew that she knew about his past, yet that didn’t seem to bother him. From his enthusiasm, she suspected he might have been talking about the lovemaking session by the stream, but until he gave her details, she’d play dumb. “I saw some amazing siding.” His brows furrowed for a moment. “The home show! I was talking about the Callen ranch. Isn’t it grand?” “Absolutely. Flash Dancer was a dream to ride. We had a ton of fun exploring.” He leaned closer. “How was the stream and your interlude with Dustin? As good as us?” She refused to compare them. “Are there no secrets between you?” “Sugar, I told you. We like to share. Secrets have no place in a relationship.” Before she could respond, Nate strolled in. He dragged his chair out and the legs squeaked against the hardwood floor. Colby coughed into his fist. “I came by for some more building materials.” He handed her a list. She didn’t bother looking at it. “I’ll take care of it right away.” “By the way, I heard you thought someone might be stealing nail guns.” He grinned. She looked around him at Nate and lowered her voice. “Yes.”

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“No one has. It was a big hoax. I just came in so I could see you. I needed an excuse so I ordered a nail gun.” She leaned back in her chair. “That cost Dustin money.” “No it didn’t. I would get the nail guns, return them to the store, then put the money in the cash box. Take a look. The amount will cover the cost of the last two guns I ordered.” “No way.” His cheerful expression disappeared. “Did you think I was stealing?” His mouth had gaped open. “No, but I thought maybe one of your men might have been. I’m glad that wasn’t the case.” Nate shoved back his chair. “Tracey? I hate to interrupt, but I wanted to let you know that we had to move a few sockets and change one wall. I’ve let the guys know.” “I got your e-mail and already redrew the plans.” “Super.” He nodded and disappeared through the open door. She prayed he hadn’t heard their whispered conversation. Colby lowered his chin. “We all good?” Now she couldn’t be sure if he was talking about his past or about the nail gun issue. The verdict was out on whether she wanted to fall in love with him, but she did trust him. That was the first step. “Yes.” “Good. By the way, the men and I are going out tonight to celebrate, since the roof is on and the Sheetrock’s installed.” They must have worked fast when she and Dustin were in Denver. “Great. Do you want me to do the walk-through this afternoon or wait until tomorrow?” “Right now would be good.” “Let me get the drawings.” She grabbed the new set of plans. This inspection was the most critical one of the two. A few wrong light switches and the client would be upset. Not to mention, if the workers didn’t make the pony wall or put in the right window. They both climbed into the truck. “What part of Denver did you

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like best?” She leaned her head back. The sex, the movie, the quiet time together. “I guess the coal mine.” “Really?” She recalled how she and Dustin had laughed when they were trying to best each other at the slot machines. “Or else the casino. That was fun.” “Did Dustin take you to the Hotel de Paris?” That sounded intriguing. “No. What’s there?” “It’s a museum. Many think it’s haunted.” “Like you’d believe in anything like that.” He shrugged. “You never know. A lot of bad shit happened in Georgetown a hundred and fifty years ago. A lot of people got rich, but I bet an equal number were killed for their fortune.” They hadn’t been in the town long enough to learn a lot about the town. “I’m glad I didn’t live back then.” “Too dangerous?” “Yeah.” “Maybe I need to show you how to shoot a gun so you can protect yourself.” Her thoughts went back to what Dustin said about the gang forcing Colby to shoot a weapon. “I’d like that.” She leaned closer. “Did you ever shoot anyone?” His jaw tightened. “Yes, but I only winged him.” He glanced over at her. “I know Dustin explained my life to you, but there are things even he doesn’t know. I try to suppress those memories.” She couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like to be him. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” “Yeah. Just so you know, when another gang regularly tries to take you out, it’s hard not to want revenge after someone you know gets shot. It changes you.” “You seem so normal.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has said in

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a while, sugar. I appreciate that. I thank God every day for all that I have. Dustin has been the best. That’s why I’d do anything for him.” “He said you were a hard worker.” He shrugged. “I try.” He pulled in front of the construction site. She mentally compared this structure to the drawing. “It’s really come along.” “Let’s hope the inside is as good as the outside.” She stepped out of the truck and a few of the men whistled, including Jorge. Colby stiffened. “Take it easy, guys.” “That’s okay. I’m flattered. It’s not often I get men whistling at me.” He sidled next to her. “You are with me and Dustin now. No one crosses the line. Hear?” She laughed. He sounded like a bad B-rated movie. “Go do your thing. It’ll take me a while to make sure they’ve incorporated the recent custom changes.” “I’m going in there with you. I want to speak with a few of the men.” They went inside. It was amazing what a little Sheetrock could do for a house. She began in the living room and compared the wall plugs to the placement on the drawings, noting which ones would have to be moved. Colby disappeared down the hallway. “We do a good job, chica?” She whipped around. It was him. That new man, Jorge Gonzalez, who loomed too close. She swallowed her fear. “So far, the work looks excellent. I’m only on the first room though.” “If we don’t do good work, Mr. Colby will kick our asses.” She did appreciate that Jorge seemed to respect his boss. “Let’s hope the rest of the house is as good.” She walked into the kitchen. Even without the cabinets and countertops, this kitchen would be a dream come true. The center island would have a sink in the middle. She’d love to live in a place like this. When she got to the spot where the stove should go, the

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receptacle was in the wrong place. They also had failed to make the window overlooking the backyard the new size. Damn. Jorge had headed down the hallway toward the bathroom. “Hey, Jorge?” she shouted. “Can you come in here?” He sauntered out. “Sí?” “I think there is a mistake.” “Not by me.” She held up her drawings. “Nate made some changes. He said he told you guys.” She tried to soften her tone so that she didn’t sound accusatory. “If you look here, the owner wanted a double stove on the other wall.” “Shit. I will fix it.” “Thanks.” When she turned around, he pinched her butt. She whipped back around. The instinct to slap him overwhelmed her. Her hand was in midair when he caught her by the wrist. “Pendeja.” From the sneer on his lip, that wasn’t a good name to be called. She tried to get free, but he held on tight. “Let go of me.” Her voice shook. Feet sounded down the hallway and Colby appeared. His teeth were bared and his brows pinched. He grabbed Jorge by the neck and shoved him to the side. Adrenaline flushed through her system. She clasped the site plans to her chest and backed up until her butt hit the island. Two more men raced to the scuffle. Before they arrived, Jorge slammed a fist into Colby’s face. Her heart lurched. It was almost as if he’d hit her. Colby countered with a punch to the man’s gut. Jorge grunted. Colby got off a few more hits just as the other two workers arrived. Jorge held up his hands in surrender. Colby dropped his fists by his side. “You’re fired.” He looked at the other men. “If anyone ever lays a hand on Tracey, they won’t work in this state again. Clear?” They all shook their heads. When Jorge took an aggressive step toward Colby, Raphael grabbed his arm. “Come on, man.” He half

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dragged him outside. Once they were out of sight, Colby rushed over to her. “Are you all right?” Pain laced his features. “Yes, but you aren’t.” She rubbed her bruised wrist. He swiped his lip. Blood streaked the back of his hand. “It’s nothing.” “You need to see a doctor.” He waved a hand. “I’m serious. Cut lips don’t heal well. You need to go. For me?” The blood dripped down his chin. “There’s a walk-in clinic back in town.” “Let me patch you up so you don’t get the seat all bloody. I doubt Dustin would approve.” Raphael came back carrying a first-aid kit. “Thought you could use this.” She lifted it out of his hands. “Thanks.” Colby touched his lip. “What was that about?” She blew out a breath. “I am so sorry. Things got blown out of proportion.” She told him about telling Jorge about the change of plans and that he hadn’t followed them. When I turned back around he pinched my butt hard.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me, but I wanted to slap the grin off his face.” “You should have.” “No. I overreacted. It’s just that when he caught my wrist and wouldn’t let go, I kind of freaked.” “That’s when I came in.” “Yes.” She opened the kit and extracted some cleaning pads. She ripped one open and dabbed his lip. He jerked at the sting. “This is my fault.” “Hold this to your lip to stop the bleeding.” He did so, then nodded to her wrist. “You should put some ice on that. It looks a bit red.”

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“I will.” Right now, that was the least of her issues. Jorge was one of the ex-cons. She really tried not to draw any conclusions, but she’d been brought up not to trust men like him. “I thought you said you knew him well.” “Apparently not. He’s a new hire. He knows his stuff though. I guess he got careless.” Colby took her hand. “Please don’t put me and him in the same category. Some of us do change.” Colby was one of a kind. “I know.” She just wished the rest of the world would see what a great guy Colby was. She pulled his wrist away from his lip. “I want to see if the bleeding has stopped.” It wasn’t gushing as much. She grabbed a few pads with her and closed the lid on the kit. She held out her hand. “I’m driving.” “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He winced. “Okay. No more talking except to give me directions. Let’s go.” Macho Man didn’t seem happy about having to leave the site, especially after the altercation, but even he must have been able to tell he wouldn’t get much work done with blood pouring out of his cut lip. He had to speak with several of the men about the job. “We’ll be back to finish the walk-through.” He put Chuck in charge while he was gone. Colby’s mood blackened as she drove back to town. Since she didn’t want him to talk and break open the cut, she kept her thoughts to herself. She’d wanted to do an I told you so, but what good would that do now? The butt pinching was bound to happen, especially on a construction site. The waiting room of the walk-in clinic was empty, but somehow it took an hour before he was brought back. While she waited, she thumbed through the magazines. Her cell rang. About the only people she knew in town were Colby and Dustin. Maybe Dustin had heard about the altercation. She picked up her cell. It was her mom. Conflicting thoughts raced through her. She was excited to hear from her, but there was no

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way she could tell her own mother that she was more or less involved with two men, one of whom was an ex-con. “Hey, Mom.” “Tracey! You haven’t called.” That’s because my life has been chaotic. “I’ve been busy.” “I really miss you.” Her mother had a tendency to live vicariously through her. “Me, too.” “Dad and I are going to come visit.” Her blood pressure dropped. “That’s a real long drive.” Drives cost money. “It’ll take two days. Your dad and I have always wanted to do some traveling.” She couldn’t exactly tell her parents not to come. “When would this be?” She hoped she’d say maybe at Christmastime. “We’ll be there by Saturday.” Oh, shit. “Great!” Their timing couldn’t get any worse. “I don’t know where you’ll stay. I only have a one-bedroom, and the sofa doesn’t pull out.” Maybe the cost of staying in a hotel would dissuade them. “We have air mattresses, dear. We’ll sleep on the floor and not be a bother to anyone.” Her heart sank. She gave her mom directions and told her to drive safely. Then she disconnected. Her blood pressure rose thinking about potential problems. At least when she was at work, her mom would have a blast taking photos. Dad would pose in front of every rock and tree, enjoying being the center of attention again. The door to the waiting room opened, and Colby came out. He had a few stitches in his lip, but it looked good. She stood. “How is it?” She got up close and inspected the work. The tiny stitches looked like they wouldn’t leave a scar. “Good. Can’t feel a thing.” That was because they shot him full of a numbing agent. She

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threaded her arm through his and led him outside. “You still want to go back to the property?” He cocked a brow. “Absolutely.” He held out his hand. She guessed he wanted to be back in control and drive. She fished the keys out of her pocket and handed them to him. “What’s wrong?” Was the pain written on her face? “Nothing.” He tapped his chest. “Hey, it’s me. You can tell me anything. You bothered by the fact that another ex-con did something bad?” For once that wasn’t the case. “No. I wish that were it. My parents are coming to visit.” “You’ve only been gone a month.” She thought they were being a bit ridiculous, too. “I know, but they miss me.” He smiled, but only one side of his lips moved. “What are they like?” “Dad’s still great looking at fifty-five. If he worked out more, I bet he could do some clothes modeling, but he likes to watch too much television. Mom is a workhorse. When she’s not photographing weddings and bar mitzvahs, she does daycare in her home.” Her parents were special, but they weren’t without their problems. “I’d love to meet them.” Dear God. That could never happen.

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Chapter Eleven On Thursday, Colby blew into the office. While his lip was healing, he said he had to keep away. If he got close to her, he’d want to kiss her. Then he smiled. “Notice anything different?” “You got your stitches out! I can barely see anything.” He was lucky or else he was a good healer. “Yup.” He moved closer, dragged his chair next to her desk, and sat down. “You know what that means?” “You can suck on my tits and kiss me like crazy?” He leaned back and laughed. “You are a bad girl for those thoughts. But that’s exactly what I was thinking.” Her pussy got wet contemplating what he could do to her body. “How’s the house coming?” Now that she’d come to terms about being with both men, it was a lot easier letting herself dream about both of them. The guilt was gone. “Great. In fact, the team is celebrating over at the Raging Bull saloon. After I got my lip cut, they delayed the celebration. Ever been?” “When would I have had the chance? Callen Construction and its managers have kept me pretty busy.” He took her hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb. Tingles raced up her spine. “That’s the way we like it.” “Who else is going?” He listed the men on the crew. Jorge Gonzalez’s name was missing, thank goodness. “Sounds like fun.” “Can I pick you up at, say, 7:30 p.m.? It won’t be a long night as we need to get to the site early.”

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If he picked her up, it would imply this was a date. “Will Dustin be there?” “If you want him to.” He cocked a brow. Maybe her imagination was running wild, but if both men were together, it might have been that he was asking if she’d be willing to try both men at the same time tonight. “That would be nice.” She was sure that if she chickened out, they’d be cool with that. “Until tonight.” He stood. “The Raging Bull gets a bit hot, so be sure to layer.” Layer? Was that a code word for don’t wear much? She chuckled. They were so different from any man she’d ever met. “Later.” He winked and walked away. She bet he knew she was staring at him, but she couldn’t help it. Tonight was going to be another great, new experience. **** Tracey didn’t know why she was so nervous. Okay, that was a lie. She’d basically agreed to have sex with two men at once. That might have been common in Intrigue, but it wasn’t common to this Seattle girl. Would they tie her up and lick her until she screamed? Would they spank her until she agreed to anything? She bet Colby would be a great spanker. With Dustin’s upbringing, she bet he could rope and tie her in a few seconds. Her damn pussy got wet thinking about all the possibilities. Focus. She put on a lace bra and a tank top. On top, she wore a flannel shirt. The jeans were tight and the boots polished. She couldn’t decide how to wear her hair, so she decided to pull it into a ponytail. She’d done enough line dancing to know the room would get hot and sweaty. She was dabbing on her lipstick when her bell rang. Her place was nothing like Dustin’s, but at least it had granite countertops and engineered flooring.

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She pulled open the door. There stood the two most handsome men in the world. Seeing them side by side had her heart pumping. “Gentlemen. Let me get my purse.” She skipped back inside and got her purse and a jeans jacket. Good thing they didn’t insist on coming inside. She’d be embarrassed by its small size. When she exited the bedroom, they were in the living room. Darn. “I’m ready.” “Nice place, but it seems a bit small.” “What can I say? I have a cheap boss.” Since the man who paid her salary was standing there, she assumed he’d take it as a joke. From his pursed lips, he didn’t. “I was only kidding!” This was not how she wanted the night to begin. She threaded her arm through Dustin’s, leaned up, and kissed his cheek. “Don’t start smoochin’ me.” He turned toward her and took hold of her shoulders. “Get too cozy and you’ll find yourself packed full of my cock faster than you say your name.” Decision time. Maybe she should skip the Raging Bull and take care of these two bulls right here. “Promises. Promises. I’d take you up on your offer, but if I recall someone promised me a line dance.” She glanced over at Colby. “You got that right, sugar.” Dustin smiled, acting like what he’d said was all a joke. “Fine, but you gotta promise me a bunch of dances.” “As long as I get to crush my chest to yours, I’ll be good.” “Let’s go before I change my mind.” He grinned, and her body melted. Dustin drove. She sat between the two of them and felt wonderfully protected. Colby kept rubbing her leg. Then he placed her hand on his crotch where the bulge was evident. She was beginning to regret her decision to go line dancing instead of staying home and enjoying these two. “I’m thinking of us later, sugar. I hope you’re ready to experience

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something intense.” Ever since Colby mentioned they’d go out tonight, it was all she’d been thinking about. That and her parents’ visit. She still hadn’t figured out how she was going to tell them about her men. She pushed aside her worries as soon as the festive saloon came into view. The place was so packed that Dustin had to park a block away. That was fine by her. She was happy for the walk. She inhaled the cold air, preparing for the heat inside. Since she didn’t want to hassle with carrying anything, she stuffed a twenty dollar bill in her pocket and left her purse and jacket in the trunk of the car. “Dustin wrapped an arm around her waist. “You don’t even need the twenty. Tonight, we’re taking you out.” “I appreciate that, but I like to pay my own way.” Colby laughed. “What Dustin forgot to tell you was that women drink free.” She turned around and punched him the arm. He didn’t flinch, but her knuckles rebelled. “Here I thought I was your date.” Dates paid. Dustin drew her near. “Darlin’, you are our date. No other man even has a chance to get near you. Don’t go flirtin’ and getting into trouble.” She loved when he talked with a Western accent. “As long as you two don’t go off with another woman, I’ll stay near.” Once inside, the crowd noise was rather loud, but the music sounded good. “What do you want to drink?” “Drinking and dancing don’t mix well with me. How about a Diet Coke?” He grinned. “One Diet Coke coming up.” He grabbed her hand, and they wove their way to the bar. She thought he’d fight the crowd alone while she talked with Colby. When they got to the bar, he waved to the bartender. The tall, handsome man smiled.

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“Dustin. Good to see you, man.” He introduced her to Jackson Slade. She wasn’t sure why she needed to meet the bartender, but she didn’t mind the eye candy. “Is my sister around?” Dustin asked. His sister was here? She’d love to meet another Callen family member. Before Jackson could open his mouth, a beautiful blonde girl came out from behind the bar. Both Dustin and Jackson waved. The girl burst into a smile, slid around the end of the bar, and rushed over to him. She wrapped her arms around her brother. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. Where have you been, stranger?” His sister shifted her gaze to Tracey. “Busy building houses.” He had to practically shout over the crowd noise. “How’s your class going?” She shrugged. “It’s a lot of work.” His sister faced her and held out her hand. “I’m Jenny, Dustin’s sister. I don’t know what’s wrong with my rude brother.” Tracey spotted the family resemblance. Both had beautiful blue eyes and fair skin, even though Dustin was quite tan. “Nice to meet you.” “Jenny is working on getting into medical school. She’s preparing to take the entrance exam in a few months.” Were all of the Callen family members high achievers? “That’s great.” Jackson tapped the bar to get Jenny’s attention. “Need some orders, darlin’.” She kissed Dustin on the cheek. “Gotta go. Nice meeting you.” With that, she hustled off. “She seems sweet.” The music ended and the noise settled a bit. “Yup. She’s the baby of the family. My folks aren’t particularly excited about her working here, but she wants to help pay her way. I admire her for that. She’s a driven woman.”

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Jackson placed three drinks on the counter in front of them, and Dustin tossed a ten dollar bill on the counter. He grabbed both beers and she took her drink. They went in search of Colby. He was right where they’d left him, only he was talking with two pretty women. A streak of jealousy shot up her gut. As soon as he saw them, he nodded to the pair and stepped over to them. “What took you so long?” She smiled. The women must have come on too strong for him. “I was meeting Jenny.” “Ah. She’s the smart one in the family.” Dustin handed Colby his beer but didn’t say anything. Another song began, and the dance floor filled with every combination of couples, from one man and one woman, to one woman with multiple men. She did spot two women dancing together, but that was rare. She hadn’t been to a place like this in so long, she wasn’t up-todate on her dance routines. She sipped her drink while she watched the people dance, trying to absorb the rhythms. The country music began to excite her soul. She tapped her foot to the music, enjoying the different attire the couples wore. Some danced very well, while others struggled. When the song finished, an announcer tapped the microphone and said that Craig and Lisa were going to teach the next line dance. Colby took her hand. “Want to give it a try?” She set her drink on the table. “Sure.” He steered her to the dance floor. To her delight, Dustin followed behind. She shouldn’t have been nervous, but she wanted to do well. Lisa was pretty, in her twenties, and had a killer body. Her partner, Craig, was at least forty, but he appeared fit, too. The female instructor stood in front of the crowd while the guy made his way to the back. She guessed that at some point, the group would be instructed to turn around and watch Craig. Lisa did an eight count of steps and the group followed. Well, most followed. A few might have had a bit too much to drink and lost

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count after the first few beats. Colby got it on the first try, but she took two. Dustin wasn’t as agile as she’d thought he’d be. After the third try, he completed the steps. Lisa repeated that eight count, and then added another set. Now, Tracey needed to concentrate. After eight more counts were added, Lisa started the music. At first, they took it slow. A couple of tries later, Tracey felt relatively confident she could do this. Then the group did an about-face, and they followed Craig. All of them missed steps at one time. Soon, there were more chuckles from the group as everyone wanted to get this right. “All right, y’all look great,” Lisa said. “Let’s give this a try.” Colby and Dustin flanked her. They turned back around to begin. Lisa cued the music. Tracey watched Lisa and tried to follow. She did pretty well for being rusty. Dustin was getting a bit frustrated, but she appreciated he wanted to try. They did a one-eighty and redid the steps. As soon as the music got in her muscle memory, she had more fun. When the song ended, they all clapped. Lisa took the microphone again. “I want the men on the outside and the ladies on the inside. When I say to move, the ladies will rotate one man to their right.” She wasn’t sure about dancing with someone else, but she wanted to be a good sport. Dustin lined up across from her to start. More women from the bar came onto the dance floor. The music started and they did a simple grapevine step to the right, then the same step to the left. Add in a few kick ball changes and anyone could follow. They spent no more than thirty seconds with each person. As soon as they changed, Dustin and Colby moved away from her. She got a few creepy guys who leered at her, but for the most part, everyone was well behaved. The dance ended when she returned one man away from Dustin. Dustin grabbed her hand and guided her off the floor. “I didn’t like having you out of my sight.” He sounded a bit overprotective, but that worked for her. “Me

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neither.” They hung out and talked a bit, but too often one of their friends would stop by and chat up a storm. First that acquaintance would ask her to dance. After the fourth person, she finally had to say her feet hurt too much. Colby nodded to Dustin, who suggested they go outside. The cool air and respite from the noise made for a nice change. “Did you have fun, sugar?” “Only when I was dancing with you two.” They grinned. Dustin clicked open the car door. “I’m hot and nasty. I say a shower is in order.” She didn’t have anything clean to put on for afterward. “Can we stop back at my place so I can pick up a change of clothes?” “Why?” That was a dumb question. “I don’t want to put this back on after I take a shower.” Colby kissed her hand. “We were hoping you wouldn’t put anything back on.” She laughed. “I have to go home sometime.” “She has a point,” Dustin said. He took her home, and they walked her in. “I’ll only be a moment.” She raced into the bedroom and grabbed not only a change of clothes, but tossed in her toothbrush. “I’m ready.” As least she hoped she was prepared for the new adventure. Thank goodness the men kept up the conversation the whole way to Dustin’s house. Even though they were a lot of fun and treated her well, she hoped she wouldn’t panic when both men wanted to have sex with her at the same time. She’d never even known anybody who’d had two men together before. It wasn’t like she had anyone to counsel her. Maybe if she’d had time to make a few friends, she could have found a knowledgeable woman to talk to. Guess it was too late now. Dustin parked and grabbed her small case from the back. Colby

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helped her out. Once they got inside she wondered if they’d go straight to the shower or try to relax her first. Stop it. Enjoy the moment. You love them. She stopped dead in her tracks. She loved them? While she hadn’t known them for a long time, these were good men. Her trust and love had grown from the first moment they’d met. Dustin stroked her cheek. “You okay?” She forced a smile. “Yes.” “Good.” He leaned over and kissed her. The moment their lips touched, her body relaxed. Colby slid behind her and nuzzled her neck. Her muscles slowly gave way until she realized she probably smelled of beer and a bit of sweat. She licked her lips to relish the taste of Dustin. “Didn’t someone mention a shower?” “That will require you to get naked. Can you handle that?” “I think so.” She grabbed Dustin’s crotch and gently squeezed. My God, his cock was already hard. Colby picked her up and walked into the bathroom. This was the size of her bedroom. “This is awesome.” He placed her on the fluffy bath mat. “Stand still. We want to undress you.” She wasn’t used to having anyone do anything for her. This was a nice change. Colby turned his attention to the top half, while Dustin took care of her bottom half. First came her boots and socks. Colby unbuttoned her shirt. He leaned over and kissed her neck as he slowly slid the flannel over her shoulders. His warm breath caressed her skin and sent tingles down her belly. Colby’s warm fingers slid under her tank and lifted it over her head. Dustin moved behind her, reached around her waist, and unsnapped her jeans. Once he unzipped her, he only slid her pants over her hips. She hadn’t expected him to drop to his knees and hug

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her tight. His rough beard tickled her back as his hands ran up and down her legs. The dual assault was driving her crazy. She reached out to help Colby out of his pants, but his hand stopped her. “Relax. Let us love you.” Love? No man had used that word around her. Even her own father, who she knew adored her, never said that word. Her breath got stuck in her throat until she realized it was just a phrase. Fool. Colby hadn’t said he loved her, just that they wanted to make love to her. She forgot her disappointment as soon as her tank floated to the ground and Colby unhooked her bra. His fingers captured her breasts. When his lids closed and he inhaled, she let herself enjoy the moment. Dustin slid her pants down. “Step out of them.” She held on to Colby as she lifted her leg. All that was left was her panties. Dustin’s hands caressed her stomach as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband. “I can’t wait to taste you.” Dustin kissed her back as he slid her panties down to her ankles and took them off. Dustin got to his feet and turned on both showerheads. Colby kept his gaze on her as he toed off his boots. “Can I help?” She wanted to strip them just as they’d done her. “I’m in too big a hurry.” He whipped off his pants and his cock jutted out of his boxer briefs. “I want you wet all over.” Shivers of delight spread over her. He divested himself of his shirt in a heartbeat. The moment he stepped out of his underwear, he stood before her gloriously naked. Dustin stepped behind her and took her hand. “Come on.” She glanced behind her. He, too, had shed his clothes. Heart pounding, she joined them in the shower. Both men dunked their heads under the water. Dustin stood behind her. “Bend over and Colby will wash your hair while I get the honor of touching your tantalizing body.” His voice came out smooth and sultry.

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Her pussy got wet thinking about what these men were going to do. Placing her hands on her knees, she lowered her head. Dustin’s hard cock slid between her legs. “Ooh.” “Get used to it.” He laughed. Colby used the handheld showerhead to rinse her hair. Then he must have poured shampoo on his palms because when he massaged her scalp, her hair lathered. He was gentle but demanding at the same time. His seductive fingers made her wish he’d lather the rest of her body. Just then, Dustin dragged his hands down her back before capturing her tits. “I’m liking these. I might have to spend extra time with them.” “Remember, I get equal time with you two.” Colby rinsed her hair and made extra sure every bit of soap was out. “Stand up, sugar.” She flipped her hair back. Facing Colby, her gaze shot to his enormous cock. “Oh, my.” She reached out and grabbed him. “I think he needs to be washed, too.” From the wall dispenser, she pumped a dollop of soap on her palm. She rubbed both hands together to create some suds then slid one hand down his length. With the other she cupped his balls. He inhaled. “Careful there. We don’t want any premature accidents.” That was one problem with teasing her men. Once they blew, it might take them a while to reload. As for her, she could come and come again with no problem. Dustin rolled her nipples and her hands stilled. She leaned her head back against his chest and enjoyed the pressure. Colby must have gotten control for he slipped a hand down her belly and began to soap up her pussy. His touch was so electric that she forgot about rubbing his cock. Every time he touched her clit, she squeezed his cock harder instead of continuing to slide her hand up and down. Only when Dustin washed her shoulders and arms did her mind

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resume its normal function. She let go of Colby’s cock and went about running her hands over his wonderful pecs and abs. “Time to turn you,” Dustin said. “You just want her hands on your cock,” Colby threw back. “Damn right I do.” She smiled. “No fighting. I’ve got two hands.” She giggled at her own comment. After applying more soap, she lathered up Dustin’s cock. Every time she lifted her hands, his jaw tightened or his eyelids lowered. It seemed as though he was using all of his control. Colby ran two fingers down her crease, and she jumped. “Easy, sugar. You’ve got a long way to go before you can handle the cock in your hand.” She looked down at Dustin. There was no way that was going to fit in her ass. She swallowed. “Hand me that water.” He chuckled as he removed the head from the hook and let her spray his cock and chest. She handed the wand back to him. The only way to get his cock in her mouth was to bend over. Never did she think about her position in relation to Colby. With her rear end inches from him, he slid a soapy finger in her ass. The pressure surprised her, but this time she merely clenched her cheeks once before remembering to relax. She wanted to be able to love both of her men and understood they had to stretch her out. She drew Dustin into her mouth. His thighs stiffened, as did another body part. And they claimed she was sensitive? Less than a minute later, Dustin lifted her shoulders. “I’m hanging on here, darlin’. What say we take this activity elsewhere?” Having sex in the shower could be dangerous. “If I get to dry you.” He opened the shower door and she stepped out. Colby followed and handed her a towel. Water cascaded down her body. She planted the towel on her head, twisted it around, and made a turban out of it.

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When she stood back up, she reached for a towel to dry the men. They intercepted her by licking her dripping wet tits. “I think a towel would dry me faster.” Colby stopped his sucking. “This is more enjoyable.” Dear Lord. Did they plan on licking all the water off her body? She wanted time to rub them down, but she was so turned on, she decided she’d rather drag them into the bedroom dripping wet. “Hurry.” Her pussy would never get dry. With every touch, she juiced up more. At least she wasn’t cold. Between their warm hands, hot mouths and all the steam, she was toasty. Colby trailed kisses up her neck just as Dustin dropped to one knee. When his tongue lashed out at her, she nearly blasted off. She grabbed his wet head and pressed her fingers into his scalp to keep from screaming his name. “You taste like sweet honey.” Dustin looked up at Colby. “Let’s get her dried and into bed. I’m ready to burst.” Out came the towels and the rough rubdown began. Her skin hummed from the polishing. “Now it’s my turn.” She reached for another towel, when they turned their towels on themselves. “There’ll be plenty of time for you to touch us.” She couldn’t believe the desperation in Colby’s voice.

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Chapter Twelve Dustin was the first to dry off. He lifted Tracey off her feet and jogged into the bedroom. He toed open the door and placed her on the bed. She couldn’t have felt any more like a fairy princess than if he’d placed her in a gilded, royal carriage. After being in the shower with them, the idea of making love to two men didn’t seem odd after all. Both men were so comfortable with each other that she, too, was at ease. Dustin slid next to her and pulled her on top on him, his hard-on sitting right below her opening. Her pussy clenched in anticipation as he fiercely kissed her. Her pulse soared as she opened her mouth to him. She must have been so absorbed into what his hands were doing to her back and how his kiss was setting her body on fire that she hadn’t realized Colby had come in until he dove on the bed and straddled them. He knelt over her rear. She laughed. “Colby.” “I’m here to save you!” He was such a funny man. He leaned over and dragged his cock back and forth across her ass. Here she’d thought Dustin was the one who liked to come in the back door. She had so much to learn about her men. “How is that saving me?” “Wait and see.” He leaned over and nipped her butt cheeks. While his teeth held little pressure, the tiny bites were like zaps of electric shocks across her buttocks. He traveled upward, paying attention to her back and shoulder until he nuzzled her neck and ears.

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“I want you.” His whisper pummeled her with a yearning that rocked her. He moved to the side and pulled her off Dustin. “I gotta have a taste.” Flat on his back, Dustin leaned up on one elbow and smiled. “I have plenty to keep me occupied on this end.” Colby slid between her legs and opened them wide. His thumbs made small circles on her thighs. She willed him to go higher, but he seemed content to only place kisses close to her desired location. With each bit of contact, pulses rippled down her pussy and drove her crazy. She lifted her hips to give him a hint, but he licked and sucked spots close to her lower lips, never quite touching her quivering clit. Dustin helped to distract her by rubbing his cheek against hers and stroking her breasts. He kneaded each tit, refocusing her attention away from Colby’s torture. She scooted her hips lower, but Colby’s thumbs tightened on her thighs to prevent her from moving any more. Damn him. He wanted her to beg. Meanwhile, Dustin moved his kisses lower until his mouth clamped down on her nipples. An erotic wave of heightened bliss bubbled up inside her. When he pulled the tip taut, she bucked off the bed. Right then, Colby must have had enough of not tasting her, for he moved closer and swiped his tongue across her pussy. His tongue flicked her clit. “Oh, God.” She was weak. She admitted it. The men alternated with attacking her pleasure centers. Her clit seemed to fascinate Colby. He sucked on the bundle of nerves over and over again until the pressure built to unimaginable proportions. When he dipped two fingers into her, her climax threatened to wash over her. Dustin kissed her hard. “Colby, roll her over.” They seemed to know exactly what to do because on that command Colby scooted up on the bed and flipped onto his back next to her. Dustin lifted her and sat her on Colby’s stomach. His cock pressed against her pussy, giving her some relief. She wiggled around

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to help control her urge to come. Dustin moved behind her and lifted her ass high in the air. He slipped two fingers into her pussy and dragged the juices up her divide. She expected him to delve his fingers into her ass, but instead, the pressure on the bed lessened. She glanced behind her to catch his movements, but Colby had other ideas. He drew her shoulders forward and kissed her. Needing to taste him, she opened her mouth and dove in. She loved how he parried with her. Their tongues would tangle and swirl. When they needed air, they’d take a breath and start again. Colby might come in hard and aggressive one time, and then soft and romantic the next. His change in moods kept her off-balance, but with each added kiss, her blood turned hotter. She pulled back to breathe and caught a whiff of mint. Something cold hit her dark hole, shifting her focused. Dustin clamped a hand on her rear. “Just relax, darlin’. I’ve got a real small glass plug for you to wear.” She knew what plugs were for, but it almost sounded like he was giving her a T-shirt to put on. Colby winked. “I’ll keep her occupied.” She liked that idea. He threaded his hands through her hair and pulled her head close. When his lips touched her again, bursts of wicked flames claimed her. She couldn’t get enough of him and kissed him with every ounce of passion. His soft lips stirred something deep inside her. Dustin pressed the cold plug to her rear. She concentrated on letting go of the tension in her ass, and the plug popped past the first ring of tight muscles. When it got in about an inch, he stopped, probably for her to get used to the new sensation. There was no discomfort, but the fake cock wasn’t in far enough to stimulate her yet. Dustin continued to rub her back while he rotated the glass object into her ass. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have

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something five times larger inside her, which was what she estimated Dustin’s cock to be. The smooth strokes assured her that this was an experience he truly wanted her to enjoy. She rocked her hips back and forth, almost forcing him to continue with the plug’s travels. Halfway in, he hit some nerve that surprised her. She hadn’t expected her dark channel to rejoice. “Ooh. Nice.” “It’s nothing like what it’s going to be when I pack you full.” “I can’t wait.” “Soon, darlin’. Soon.” Once the plug was fully seated, he pressed in on it. A sharp jolt shot down her ass, surprising her in its carnal intensity. “You like that?” “Yes.” She panted that one word. Colby partially sat up and pulled her hips forward so that she was on her knees with his cock at her entrance. “I want you to ride me like a cowboy on a bucking bull.” If her mind hadn’t been recently preoccupied with her ass, she would have laughed at his analogy. Dustin reached around her front and cupped her tits. When he pressed down hard on her needy nipples, she leaned back her head against his chest. Colby must have thought she’d forgotten him, for he lifted his cock and rubbed it against her wet pussy. She looked down and replaced his hand with hers. “You want something?” She drew in her bottom lip. “Don’t tease me like that, sugar. You know what I need.” He lifted a condom off the bed that Dustin had placed there and slipped it on. “Be quick.” Not likely. She threaded his cock halfway in her. Her slick walls helped ease his entry. She wanted to drop her full weight on him, but she let her body get used to his size. He pulled down on her hips and his cock nearly impaled her. She dropped open her mouth to get in

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some air as the size registered. When she fully relaxed, she slid all the way down until he was fully seated inside her. Dustin went to work on her tits. He pulled the swollen tips taut as he kissed her neck and inhaled deeply into her hair. He sucked on her earlobes and whispered, “I want you.” Her whole body melted. Her pussy gushed, and her desire for the friction of Colby’s cock took over her mind. She lifted up, milking him as she withdrew. His hold on her hips tightened. His grip was so strong that he now guided her up and down. The rhythm started out slow then built. The heat on her back disappeared as Dustin moved to the side. He offered her his cock to suck. “I’m going to burst.” She smiled. Her intention was to take her time with him, but when Colby increased the pace, her pulse raced, growing the inferno inside her with every powerful thrust. As her climax built to the breaking point, she sucked on Dustin’s cock hard. He groaned and clasped the back of her head. He took control of the tempo and pounded into her, careful not to go too far. He moved closer and dropped back his head. Swirls of electric shocks shot up her body as the vortex of ecstasy clamped down on her. With each thrust, her lust grew until her pussy burst with joy. Her climax slammed into her so hard, she almost lost awareness of where she was. “Oh, God. Oh, God.” She might have dug her teeth into Dustin’s cock. She couldn’t be sure, but a moment later, his hot jism filled her. He withdrew to allow her to swallow his salty brew. “Oh, sugar. Oh, sugar.” Colby held on tight and lifted his hips to thrust deep into her. Heat filled his covered cock. Their breaths matched in intensity. Time seemed to stand still as none of them moved. Finally, Dustin ducked into the bathroom and retrieved a wet towel. He cleaned her then plopped down next to her. “Darlin’, I have to say, you are one amazing woman.” He ran his

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finger over her nipples. The sudden cool air puckered the tips. Given her inexperience, she was delighted he thought she was good. “I’ve never done anything like that before. It was something I’ll never forget.” Colby moved closer. “I hope we get a repeat performance soon.” She rolled over and faced him. “I need to rest first.” Dustin swept an errant hair from her face. “Colby didn’t mean now. You tuckered me out.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead. “We need to get some sleep. We have to be up early for work.” Even though she’d brought a change of clothes, she wasn’t sure they wanted her to spend the night. “I guess I better be going then.” Both sets of hands stopped her. “You’ll do no such thing, darlin’. You belong in our bed.” She closed her eyes and inhaled. Was this really happening? It was almost too good to be true. “I’d love to stay.” **** Because she’d be spending the night, the men asked her to keep the plug in. While it was a bit strange to wear it while she slept, she eventually got used to the feeling. Even with the glass cock in her ass, getting to snuggle next to these two hunks enabled her to fall asleep right away. They might have snored, but she was too tired to notice. A hand woke her in the morning. “Time to get up, sugar.” She rolled over and groaned. “Tell the boss I’m staying home.” He tapped her butt. “Like that will ever happen.” Ugh. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and eggs encouraged her to move. Her travel case was by the door. One of them must have brought it in. She changed into her fresh clothes, dragged a hairbrush through the tangles, and brushed her teeth in record time. Lest they ask her to keep the plug in all day, she removed and washed it. Not knowing where to leave it, she placed it by the side of the sink. After she did what she could to her appearance, she sauntered into the

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breakfast room. Dustin smiled. “Sleep okay?” “Never better.” “Have a seat. Coffee will be ready in a second. You want your eggs fried or scrambled?” “Scrambled.” The service around here was fabulous. He served the food. “Where’s Colby?” He’d woken her up not more than fifteen minutes ago. “He had to head out.” She hoped she wasn’t keeping Dustin from getting to work early. It was only 7:30 a.m. He placed the food in front of her and sat across from her. It took less than ten minutes to finish her meal. “I hadn’t realized I was so hungry.” He dropped his dishes in the sink. “I’ll clean up later. I want to drop you off at your place so you can pick up your car.” She’d forgotten that they’d gotten her at her apartment. “I guess it wouldn’t look so good for the two of us to arrive together.” She raised her brows. “Intrigue is very open-minded, but we’d be crossing the line if we did that.” She cleared her plate and gathered her gear. When Dustin pulled in front of her house, he leaned her across the seat and kissed her. The smile in his eyes energized her. In fifteen minutes, she was in and out of her apartment and in her car on the way to work. The hardest part of the day would be if she saw Colby at the office and wasn’t able to kiss him silly. As it turned out, Colby must have been busy at the building site all day, because she didn’t see him at all. Even Dustin wasn’t around much. In a way, that was good because she needed uninterrupted time to get her work done. By closing time, other than one conversation with Dustin and Nate, she hadn’t spoken in length with either him or Colby.

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No one made plans for tonight, so she decided to use the time to get ready for her parents’ visit. Eating out for every dinner would be too expensive, so she’d have to cook. After work she shopped for food, and then set about cleaning the apartment. She’d been so busy that she’d neglected a lot on her to-do list. Once satisfied the place would pass her mom’s clean inspection, she did an Internet search for the best places to take photos. She wasn’t sure how long they’d stay, but she imagined her mom would want to go on at least a couple of day trips to photograph the scenery while Tracey was slaving away at work. Unfortunately, she’d told her mom that she was dating her construction manager, so she’d have ask Colby to join them for dinner. Her biggest fear was he’d let something in his past slip out. If her parents found out Colby had done time, they’d freak. Ask Dustin. She could tell them that her relationship with Colby hadn’t worked out, but that she’d gone to Denver with Dustin, and they’d just clicked. That worked. They’d barely notice that she switched one boyfriend for another. Happy with the solution, she cleaned the bathroom countertop and scrubbed the bathtub. It would be quite crowded with three people sharing this tiny bath, but there was no other option. It was time to fix dinner. Tomorrow, she’d work on the kitchen and vacuum the living room. Her phone rang, and her heart skipped a beat hoping it was Dustin or Colby. The caller ID said it was her mom. “Hey, Mom.” “Guess what? We’re in Twin Falls.” Her heart almost stopped. Twin Falls was only eight hours from here. “I didn’t think you were coming until the weekend.” “The scheduled photo shoot got cancelled. We were too excited to wait a couple of days. I hope you don’t mind.”

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“No. That’s great.” Too bad that would curtail any activities with her men. Damn. Just when things were heating up. “When will you be getting here?” Maybe they’d take a day or two to sightsee along the way. “Tomorrow. We’ll plan on getting there around dinnertime. We want to take you and your young man out to eat.” Shit. “Sounds wonderful. Call me when you get close to town and I’ll give you directions.” “Okay, dear. Dad and I love you.” Could this get much worse? Now she’d have to tell Colby that she planned on bringing Dustin instead. “Love you, too.” They disconnected and she dropped onto the chair. Her appetite had disappeared, but she knew she needed to eat. Tomorrow was going to suck.

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Chapter Thirteen Colby knew Tracey’s parents were coming into town. She’d told them about her and Colby’s relationship, and they said they were looking forward meeting him. He dreaded the confrontation. If they were judgmental, Tracey would be forced to defend him, which at the moment, he wasn’t sure she would. He couldn’t blame her. The old blood was thicker than water adage would no doubt be proved true. Dustin got up from behind his desk. “Do you want to talk with her?” “We have to. I’m sure she’s waiting for the right time to approach us. I’ve been so damned busy, I haven’t been in to see her.” “That’s bullshit. You’re afraid she’ll tell you to your face that she doesn’t want you to come to dinner.” “Christ. If she’s too embarrassed to tell her own parents, there’s no way we can be together.” His gut churned thinking about having to give up the first woman he truly loved. He swiped a hand down his unshaven chin. “You can have her.” If Dustin agreed, he’d have to leave Intrigue. Seeing her with his best friend every day would kill him. “More bullshit. You know we share. We’re a BOGO.” “Buy one, get one free?” Dustin laughed. “Something like that.” He stepped toward the door. “I think she loves both of us, but I’m wondering if even she understands herself how this threesome works.” Colby pushed back his chair. “Let’s go find out.” He shouldn’t have been nervous, but a lot was riding on how Tracey responded. Fortunately, when they walked into the big office,

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Nate wasn’t there. Tracey looked beautiful hunched over her drawings. He inhaled. “Hey.” Her smile came quick, but her lips wobbled a bit as if she had bad news. “I’m glad you stopped by. I needed to ask you something.” She glanced from him to Dustin. Dustin sat on the edge of her desk while Colby pulled up his chair. Being eye level with her gave him a bit more comfort. “Shoot.” She looked to the ground and clasped her hands. That wasn’t a good sign. “My mom called last night. Instead of coming this weekend, my folks are arriving tonight.” A few days early wouldn’t mess things up. The sooner they showed up, the sooner they’d leave. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” “Well, the thing is, I told them that you and I broke up.” Despite the pain slicing across her face, adrenaline blocked his rational thought. “Why would you tell them that?” He knew all too well why she had, but he wanted to hear it from her own lips. “You might let it slip you were an ex-con.” She sucked in a bottom lip, but he wouldn’t be swayed by her plight. He could barely hear her even though he was only three feet from her. He leaned closer. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Her eyes watered, but he wasn’t going to cave. “You heard me.” “I’ve lived most of my life with people being offended by who I am. I’m no longer that young, stupid boy, who was in a gang. Everyone deserves to make one mistake.” He leaned back, trying to calm down. “Don’t you think your parents might be mature enough to see that a person can change?” “Maybe.” Her voice came out weak. Dustin clamped a hard hand on his shoulder. “Just so you know, Tracey, you either accept us for who we are, or a future with us might be in jeopardy.” He let go of Colby’s shoulder. “This isn’t an ultimatum. It’s reality.” Her breath caught. “You won’t meet my parents?”

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He shook his head. “Not as a substitute. May I be frank?” The tears streamed down her face. Colby was having a hard time not holding her, but he knew that for all their sakes, she needed to come to grips with the seriousness of the situation. He couldn’t erase the fact that he had been in a gang. “Yes.” “You’ve spoken to me about how you worry what other people think when they find out about Colby. You’re worried what your children will have to go through when they tell their friends that their dad is an ex-con.” Colby’s head shot up. “You have?” Dustin held up his hand. “Let me finish. In my opinion, all that means is that it bothers you that Colby is an ex-con. If you’re comfortable with it, you won’t give a damn what others think.” She wiped a tear from her face. “That’s not true. I love both of you.” Her admission helped his roiling gut, but it wasn’t enough to let it go. “I need more than that, sugar.” He shoved back his chair and paced. “I know what it’s like to have people look at you like they’re afraid. At first, I’d defend myself against all the people who thought less of me. I then realized it was their problem. Not mine. I took every opportunity to make good on a promise. It wasn’t easy, but my workers respect me. I had hoped you would, too.” Her mouth opened, but then she shut it. From her unfocused gaze, she was trying to figure things out. He couldn’t watch as she decided his fate. When she said nothing more, he stalked off, his heart in two pieces. Dustin might try to talk him down, but only Tracey could help. For now, he’d bury himself in work and pray she came to her senses. **** Seeing Colby walk out on her made her heart bleed. She wanted to

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run to him and tell him that she accepted him, but apparently telling wouldn’t be good enough for him. She needed to show him. Dustin stared down at her. “If you love us, you’ll have to look deep inside yourself and decide how willing you are to put up with other people’s ignorance. They will always say mean things that aren’t true. If you know in your heart that Colby is a good man, their words won’t hurt you.” Easy for him to say. “Colby just walked out. Is that it? It’s over?” “It doesn’t have to be.” “What does that mean?” She sniffled. “It’s up to you how this ends.” He took her hands in his. “Look. We’re not trying to change you.” “Yeah, right. You want me to stop worrying about how others’ opinions affect me.” “Not exactly. We’re trying to release you from your protective shield.” She withdrew her hands from his. “What are you really trying to say?” He glanced to the ceiling as if looking for a way to explain his thoughts. “We’ve all been hurt at one time. That makes us who we are. It makes us special. To prevent us from getting hurt again, we put up an emotional shield.” “I’ve never had any dealings with ex-cons, so that doesn’t apply to me.” “It doesn’t have to be about ex-cons. It’s about trust. Can you tell me that no one you’ve cared about has ever disappointed you?” Her ex-boyfriend. “No.” “You see? When we put up a protective shield, we’re basically isolating ourselves to keep our heart safe.” He acted like that had happened to him. “I get that so far.” “To put aside that shield takes guts and a sense of adventure. You have both. That’s why we fell in love with you. We know that you see Colby for the good man he is. I can tell you see the real us when we

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make love. We see the real you from the way you love architecture and want to learn new things.” His speech messed with her mind. Too many thoughts raced through her brain. Was she putting up a shield? Was she afraid to be seen with Colby because she didn’t want to get hurt? Maybe she was using other people’s opinions as an excuse to pull away. Damn. Before she could come up with any conclusion, he strode away. Go after him. No. Think this through. She reached for the box of tissues and blew her nose. She needed to dwell on what he said, but her brain had fogged. She buried her head in her arms and cried, hoping Bessie or Nate didn’t walk in. Thank goodness the room was fairly soundproof. She used to love that there was no noise to distract her. Now, she felt isolated and all alone in the world. If only she’d taken more time to cultivate some friends, she could have asked them for advice. The paper in front of her seemed to mock her. Now how was she supposed to concentrate when her whole world had collapsed? Hoping to gain some clarity, she picked up her pencil and went to work on the drawings. Maybe if she focused on architecture, her mind would figure out the answer in the background. At exactly 5:00 p.m., she put the drawing away, gathered her gear, and left. Dustin’s car was still in the lot. Seeing it parked next to her car tore her up even more. How would she be able to entertain her parents with such a heavy heart? Worse yet, when she had to join Colby and Dustin on the next home site, could she keep her mind on the job? When she got home, she raced around the house to make sure everything was in perfect order. She sat down to catch her breath when her mom called. A heavy sludge oozed through her veins. “Hi, Mom.” Her greeting sounded sickeningly sweet even to her ears. “We need some directions.” Crap. They were on the edge of town. Tracey told them a longer

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route, but it was the most direct way to get there. “See you soon.” It seemed as if her parents arrived seconds later. Dad carried in their luggage. “Just put it in the living room.” Her mother looked around. “It is a bit small.” Tracey laughed. “Well, it’s all I could afford.” This was awkward. “Why don’t you wash up and we can head to dinner? I bet you’re starving.” She showed them the bathroom. Her mom came out first. “Where is your young man? I’ve been looking forward to meeting him. It’s Colby, right?” “Yes, we broke up.” Her comment was supposed to be a lie. Now it was the glaring truth. Her mom folded her into her arms. “There will be other men. You just got here.” “I know, but not like him.” Her mom pulled out the dining room chairs and sat. “Tell me what happened.” It was probably better to tell them here than at the restaurant. Dustin’s words came back to her. Was she the one who was embarrassed by Colby’s status, or did she only care what others thought? She loved him. Dustin and Colby were both right. If she wasn’t ready to defend him to her parents, she’d never defend him against others. “We have broken up, but that was after I told him I was embarrassed for you to meet him.” Her mother’s eyes widened. “Why?” “Because he did some time in prison.” There, she’d said it. Her mom’s hand went straight over her heart. “Oh, Tracey. How could you date someone like that?” She wasn’t at all surprised by that reaction. Maybe that was how she’d developed her belief system. She told them about the gangs and how he had to join one to protect his mom from harm. “He’s taken responsibility for his mistakes. When you’re fourteen, you do dumb

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things. Looking back, he knows he should have made a different decision.” Though what he could have done differently, she didn’t know. “He’s gotten his life back on the good path. He manages one of the best construction companies around. His boss thinks highly of him.” And so do I. Her dad happened to walk in at that moment. “What’s going on?” She told him about Colby being an ex-con. “Jesus, Tracey.” She didn’t need his rejection heaped on her, too. She turned back to her mom. “The sad part is that I’m crazy about him. He’s the kindest, most gentle man alive.” Her mom took her hands. “Dear, you know the hardship you’ll have down the line. Think of your children.” “I know.” She had been right in thinking his past would be a problem, but that didn’t help with her aching body. She slapped her thighs and painted on a smile. “You ready to chow?” Her mom’s brows pinched, and she shot a glance at Dad. “Yes, dear.” Dinner was good. Actually, it was more than good, in most part because the topic of Colby didn’t come up. Her parents caught her up on what all the neighbors were doing, along with a few people she used to work with. It was nice to chat with them about the comings and goings of Seattle, and not have to defend her love for her men. If she knew that Colby wouldn’t be at the construction site, she would have driven them there and shown them around. When they got back home, they set up their air mattresses in the living room, while Tracey retreated to her room. Her mom came into her bedroom. “Hon, don’t worry about us tomorrow. I did a search on the Internet, and I have all the places I wanted to photograph on a list.” “That’s great. When I get home, we’ll figure something fun to do.” How she would get through tomorrow she didn’t know.

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Chapter Fourteen While Tracey’s job at the first site was complete, she now had to do a walk-through with Colby, Dustin, and an engineer on a second home. This was going to be so uncomfortable. Dustin suggested they ride to Pine Crest Haven together. She’d been tempted to say she’d rather drive herself, but then he’d know she was trying to avoid any further uncomfortable conversations. For the first five miles, Dustin spoke only about the business. Her curiosity about how Colby was doing distracted her too much to hear what he was really saying. “How’s Colby?” He glanced over at her. “How do you think he is doing?” His tightened jaw indicated both men were hurting. “I never meant to hurt him.” She’d been doing a lot of thinking last night. Seeing Dustin right now confirmed that she was the one who was at fault. “If I wanted to come back, do you think he’d forgive me?” His brows rose. “Forgive you for what?” Now he was pulling her leg. “For telling him I didn’t want him to meet my parents.” “If you told him you were willing to accept him completely, including his past, he’d take you back in a heartbeat. He doesn’t want to change you, you know, but he’s holding his breath you’ll realize what you’ve given up.” “I do.” His chin jutted inward and a broad smile captured his face. “For real?” Her grin almost reached her ears. “For real.”

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“So when do we get to meet the parents?” Her euphoria disappeared. “We?” “Sure. As long as you want to be honest with them, you might as well tell them that you’re in love with two men. That way, when they come to visit us at my house, I don’t have to go away on business.” Oh, shit. She hadn’t thought of that. “Can I get back with you?” He chuckled. “Your folks are only staying another two days, right?” You can do this. Lies will only compound and make your life miserable. “Yes. I’ll tell them tonight about the three of us.” As soon as she made up her mind to come clean and tell her parents, her mood lightened. She actually looked forward to doing this walk-through. When she strode up to the house, Colby rushed out and stopped. His face looked drawn, but he still could make her heart race. Her love burst from her chest. She opened her arms and grinned. Before he took a step, he glanced to Dustin who was standing behind her. He must have nodded, because Colby bounded toward her. “Your parents are okay with me?” “Not yet, but they will be, I hope.” He pulled back. “I thought that you’d come to take me back.” “I have, kind of. Tonight, I’m going to break the news that I’m in love with two men. I know it will be a shock. If they’re unhappy with that fact, then too bad. It’s their problem.” He kissed her. “Good luck. Remember, if they cut you off, you always have us.” She smiled, but inside her gut rebelled. What would happen if they told her it was the men or her family? What would she do? **** When Tracey got home, her parents were still out on safari. Since

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she’d bought a pot roast and vegetables, she got to work making the best meal she could. The roast still had another thirty minutes in the oven when the doorbell rang. She answered the door and her parents breezed in. “I love Wyoming.” Her mom’s faced looked healthier than this morning. “You might not love it in the winter.” She was used to the rain, but she wasn’t sure she could adapt to the snow. However, if it meant she could get in a lot of skiing, she’d be happy. “Something smells good,” her dad said. “I’m making dinner. I need to talk to you about something while it finishes cooking. Have a seat.” She walked into the living room and took the chair opposite the sofa. Her hands were already sweating. “What is it, dear?” “After a completely sleepless night, I know I’m in love with Colby. I wish he hadn’t been an ex-con, but I fell for him before I learned of his past. I’m sorry if you can’t get past that.” She took a deep breath and kept going because they had a chance to respond. “I wish there was something I could say to change your mind, but I probably can’t.” No surprise, her mother’s mouth pinched. Her dad seemed a bit more accepting. “Are you sure?” “Totally. He’s a good man. Good men make mistakes. He’s learned a lot in ten years.” She waved a hand. “But there’s more. I’m also in love with Dustin Callen.” Her mom’s jaw loosened. “Isn’t he your boss?” Her heart was now in her stomach, threatening to dislodge her lunch. “Yes. He is also Colby’s best friend.” She never could explain to her parents how this ménage stuff worked. Hell, she wasn’t sure how it did. “So you can choose Dustin to be with, right?” She sucked in her bottom lip. “I’m not going to pick. I’m taking both men.” There. She’d said it. Her father’s face darkened. “That’s not right.”

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“This is Intrigue. It’s an unusual town. There aren’t many women here. A lot of the ladies have two husbands.” She waited for them to say something, but they didn’t. Her mom pulled her laptop out of her backpack and booted it up. “What are you doing?” Maybe she wanted to Google the town to see if there was any truth in what she said. “I’m downloading my photos.” Did that mean the discussion about her being in love with two men was over? Her dad stood. “Do you need any help in the kitchen?” She could take a hint. “Sure. You can make the salad.” Her dad loved to cook. She was sure his offer was to give her mom time to adjust. They both disappeared into the small galley kitchen. She pulled out the salad ingredients. “Do your magic.” He broke up the lettuce and chopped the tomatoes. “You’ve really upset your mom.” Couldn’t he even say that he, too, was upset? Was the world in denial? “It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t want to lie to her.” “Maybe it would have been better if you had.” She didn’t want to get into this conversation, so she kept quiet. The oven timer beeped and she removed the roast. She’d already set the table, so all that was left was to get everyone to sit. She brought out the roast, and then drained the vegetables. Her dad placed the salad on the table. When Tracey brought out the drinks, she noticed her mom’s backpack was stowed away and she was sitting there, staring. “Dinner’s ready, Mom.” “I’m not hungry.” She walked over. “I’m sorry I upset you.” She looked up with tears in her eyes. “Did I really raise you to be a whore?” The words cut so deep that her breath lodged in her throat. “I love

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both men.” Her mother stood. “Harold, I want to leave.” His shoulders slumped. “Sara, be reasonable. Tracey went to a lot of trouble to make dinner.” “She went to a lot of trouble to stab me in the heart, too.” “Come on, Mom. Aren’t you being a little dramatic?” Her mom was an artist and always was a bit on the sensitive side. “Just meet the men. You’ll see how wonderful they are.” “I’m sorry. Harold? Are you coming?” He lowered his chin and nodded. This couldn’t be happening. “Stay the night at least.” Her mom didn’t answer. She picked up her case and walked out. Her father gave her a hug and followed with the gear. When the door closed, she dropped onto the sofa and cried. **** The next morning, she called Bessie. “Callen Construction, how may I help you?” “Bessie, it’s Tracey. I’ve come down with a fever and feel terrible. Can you tell Dustin I won’t be in today?” “Sure, sweetie. You need anything?” How nice was that? “No, I’m good.” “Well, get some rest. We need you.” Lying went against her nature, but there was no way she could concentrate at work. She held out hope that her father would be able to convince her mother to forgive her, and maybe even come back. She’d picked up the phone ten times to call her mom, but each time she lost courage. The house was clean, so all that was left was to read. It was her favorite pastime, and since arriving in Intrigue, she hadn’t had much time. Going out wouldn’t do. If anyone saw her, she’d be in big trouble.

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At least she didn’t have to cook. She had enough pot roast, vegetables, and salad to last her all week. She finished her book, and once she finished eating, she decided a nice hot bath and a glass of wine was in order. She filled the tub and sprinkled in some bubble bath that had been a going-away present from her Seattle friends. As she lay in the hot, soothing water, her mind turned to Colby and Dustin. Colby sure had acted happy when she did the walkthrough yesterday. She wondered if they’d believe her if she told them that her parents had skipped town. Would they think that was an excuse not to get them together? There was only one way to find out—ask them. With the hurt all of them had been through, she needed to bury her face in their chests and ask for forgiveness. She’d basically forsaken her parents for them. She hoped they really were willing to take her back. Instead of calling, she got dressed up, packed an overnight bag in case she got lucky, and drove over to Dustin’s. When she saw both cars in the drive, she let out a breath. Since her parents loved wine, she’d bought several different kinds for them. Now that they’d abandoned her, she had a nice stock. With bottle in hand, she strode up to the door and rang the bell. Dustin answered. He was wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and was barefoot. She’d never seen him so casual. “What are you doing here?” Uh-oh. That wasn’t the greeting she expected. “I wasn’t sick today. Can I come in?” He motioned she enter. “Are you okay?” As soon as she handed him the bottle of wine, the tears came. He put the bottle on the counter and gathered her in his arms. “What’s wrong?” “I told my parents about the three of us.” He led her over to the sofa and made her sit. He continued to hold her. “I take it the conversation didn’t end well.”

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“You could say that.” The back sliding glass door opened and Colby came in. “Tracey?” Dustin held her tight. “She’s not sick. She played hooky because her parents ditched her.” Colby sat on the other side. “You want to talk about it?” She shook her head, but when Colby kissed her hands, the words poured out. She told them about how her mother called her a whore and then stomped off. “I’m sorry. You okay with that?” There was hope in his voice, as if he recognized that she’d forsaken her parents for them. She glanced up and swiped away the tears. “I want you two. So I guess if they want to stay mad at me for the rest of my life, I’m okay with that.” “Oh, sugar. They’ll figure it out.” Dustin stood, picked her up, and carried her into the bedroom. “As sexy as you are, you do look like hell, darlin’. Why don’t you get some sleep?” “I came for some loving.” “Not tonight.” Both Colby and Dustin removed her clothes, folded them neatly, and placed them on the chair. They both kissed her on the cheek and left. She wanted to get up and knock some sense into them, but her body had other thoughts. Before she could protest, she fell asleep. When sunlight streamed through the windows, she had to blink a few times. Sleeping all the way through the night was a first in days. Even through the closed door, the scent of bacon and eggs filtered through. She got up and put on her clothes. This outfit wasn’t fit for work. Good thing she had another set in the car. Both men were in the kitchen when she came out. They smiled. She must have looked better. “You sleep good?” Colby asked. “Too well. I need to go to my car. I brought a change of clothes.”

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Colby jumped up. “Give me your keys and I’ll get it.” He came back a few seconds later and handed her the case. In the bedroom she changed into her jeans. When she came back out, Dustin had dished up her breakfast. She sat down and ate every bite. “Are you up for giving us some details about yesterday?” Dustin asked. “Actually it was the day before yesterday. There’s not much more to tell. When I dropped the ménage bomb, she freaked.” Colby glanced to the ceiling. “I see.” He took her hand. “Do you really mean it when you said you wanted to be with me?” “Totally. Dustin made me see that I was the one with the problem to begin with. You truly have transformed your life. If anyone wants to give me shit about it, then I don’t need them in my life.” Colby jumped up from his seat and pulled her close. He gave her the biggest kiss ever. “I say we skip another day’s work and go bike riding.” She dropped her head back and laughed. “I don’t think the boss would approve.” Dustin tossed them a fake scowl. “You two aren’t going anywhere without me.” Colby snapped his fingers. “How about if we put in a short workday then spend the night camping?” That sounded so fantastic. “You have a tent big enough for all three?” “We have about three different sizes, but I think car camping might be more fun.” She ran a finger down his chest. “I plan on making a lot of noise, so we’d have to go someplace quite isolated.” Dustin waved the frying pan. “I know where we could go.” “Where?” “How about if we spread out some air mattresses and sleeping bags in the new house? The sides haven’t been framed in, but the floor and ceiling will keep us dry if it rains. No one will disturb us.”

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She grinned. “I love the idea.” Colby kissed her again. “To tonight!” “Do you mind if I come in a few minutes late to work? I want to pack a few things.” Dustin smiled. “Just don’t tell the boss.” “I won’t.”

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Chapter Fifteen “So what do you think?” Dustin asked. He’d blown up the air mattresses using a pump that plugged into his cigarette lighter, and then placed two open sleeping bags on top of them. He brought two more bags to be used as blankets. While he put the finishing touches on their love nest, she and Colby scrounged around for rocks to form a fire ring. There was a ton of extra scrap wood that they planned to burn. She couldn’t think of anything more romantic than sitting around a fire with the two men she loved. While Colby worked on getting the fire lit, she gathered the other supplies from the trunk. Dustin had three camp chairs that rested on the ground. He’d also packed dessert. In no time, their setup was complete. Being surrounded by over a thousand acres gave them total solitude. How wonderful was that? After a few curses, Colby managed to get the fire going. Dustin opened the plastic bag and withdrew three plastic cups and a bottle of wine. They sat around the fire. Dustin popped the cork and poured the wine. “To a new beginning,” he said. “To a new beginning,” she and Colby responded. They tapped their cups and leaned back to enjoy the fire. Colby stretched out his legs. “So tell me again what made you change your mind?” She wondered when that topic would come up. “The thought of living without you two was too much to bear. I finally had time to reflect on what Dustin had said.” The next part was hard to put into words. “I had to admit that I was the one who was leery of being with

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an ex-con. I had to learn to trust that some men, like you, are inherently good and were able to break free of their pasts. If someone attacks me because of you, I have to learn to ignore them.” “I’m not so sure about me being all good. There is a bad streak in me, which you might be experiencing tonight.” She laughed. “That’s one thing I love about you. Your positive attitude is inspiring. You don’t give a shit what others think.” He rubbed her arm. “I care what you think.” She looked over at him and smiled. “You’re sweet.” His mouth opened. “Sweet is about the worst thing you can say to a man.” Dustin laughed and lifted the plastic bag. “I say this calls for s’mores.” She clapped her hands. “I can’t believe you brought them. They are my favorite dessert.” “You’ll need some sticks.” He pulled out a pocketknife and handed it to her. “You want to whittle one for us?” “Sure.” With her flashlight in hand, she went in search of a thin stick. She didn’t have to go far. There were lots of tiny branches on the ground. She ripped off the extra stems and cut the end. She only made two, thinking they could share. When she returned, she handed the knife and stick to Dustin. The second stick she gave to Colby. “How about if I put two marshmallows on my stick and we can share?” “Are you a burner or a toaster?” Her question must have taken Colby by surprise for a moment. “I like to set mine on fire.” She smiled. “Perfect.” While the men cooked their marshmallows, she put the s’mores together. “I haven’t had one of these in years.” Dustin placed his stick over the fire. “I know how much you love the outdoors. I figured this was something you’d appreciate.” Could she have found two more perfect men? Her only regret was

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that her parents didn’t take the time to get to know them. If her mom had met Dustin and Colby, they might have seen how the two together made the perfect man. For the rest of the evening, they chatted about the construction and ways to make the process more efficient. The love of their job was very clear. She also liked how they solicited her opinion on possible future plans. By the time the fire began to die down, she was having a hard time staying awake. These last few days had been hell. She yawned. “Anyone up for a cozy sleeping bag?” Colby shot up. “Now you’re talking.” She laughed. Even at night, Colby was in fast mode. “We can leave the fire smoldering. It can’t hurt anything. Not unless dirt burns.” Dustin gathered the rest of the food and packed it away in the truck. Colby escorted her into the new home. The temperature had dropped to about fifty degrees, which was perfect sleeping weather, though she doubted she’d be getting to sleep right away. She was the first to crawl into their large bed. Dustin had placed the air mattresses lengthwise instead of next to each other, so that they could roll side to side unobstructed. He’d placed four cinderblocks on the corners to keep them from separating. She snuggled under the covers. Colby’s flashlight shone up to the ceiling, which lit the whole room quite well. They both stripped to nothing in seconds. “Your cocks are hard.” “Sugar, when we know you’ll be in our bed, that’s the way they’re going to stay.” She laughed at Colby’s way with words. She lifted the bag and they crawled in. Immediately, Colby pulled her close and kissed her. Dustin sandwiched her from behind. “Darlin’, I don’t think you’re in the spirit here.” He pulled her hair away from her face. “I took off my boots and socks.” She hoped they’d want to get her

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naked themselves. “I think you need some help with these shirts and pants.” “I do.” Colby dropped to the bottom of the bag and slid her jeans down her legs, while Dustin lifted both her sweater and shirt off in one sweep. All that was left was her panties and bra. Dustin clicked on his light and shone it up to the ceiling. The additional light turned the whole house brighter. He leaned close and ran a finger down her cheek. “I want to see your eyes when I suck on your tits.” Colby lifted his head. “I want to see her eyes when I fill her with my cock.” “I like the sound of that.” Dustin lowered the bra straps, and her pussy got wet thinking about what making love to these men would be like. Tonight would be the night, she hoped, that she’d get to love both at the same time. Dustin dipped his head and dragged his mouth from her lips to her throat. Using his thumbs, he traced the line where the strap had been, going lower with each pass. The anticipation thrilled her. “Are you cold, darlin’?” “Far from it.” Between the heat from the fire and the warmth from their bodies, she was hot. “Can I get rid of this top blanket for a bit?” “Please.” Cool air met her and helped wake her up. Not that she planned on going to sleep anytime soon with these two men stroking her body. Colby spread her legs and slid the silky panties to the side. She squeezed shut her eyes, knowing that what he was about to do would blow her mind. His warm breath blew across her opening, prompting her pussy to contract. The rush of air almost tickled until he rubbed her sensitive clit with this thumb. Sparks of need raced everywhere. She wanted him to suck on her, but instead he took his time, lightly rubbing her tender nub. The slow, lazy attack made her want more.

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She wiggled her hips to get him to lick her, but he seemed content to drive her crazy. She moaned and pressed down on the top of his crown. “Eat me.” “I’m liking this too much.” Colby must have been paying her back for the initial rejection. Dustin lifted off her bra, causing the chilly air to ripple across her tips, puckering her nipples. He licked one tip while he massaged her other breast. She had a hard time knowing where to focus her attention. Her pussy was vibrating with need while her tits wanted more. Dustin obliged by sucking hard on the nipple. The taut pressure drew a gasp. He stopped. “Did I hurt you?” “No. It was wonderful.” He smiled and returned to what he was doing. His teeth nipped the swollen crest. The tree frogs and insects made a racket outside, but her moans and groans helped block out the noise. One minute she’d realize there was an outside world, and the next they’d transported her to another universe where there was no noise other than her whimpers and sighs. Colby probed her with his tongue and her back arched. “You taste so sweet.” He licked her up and down, crashing against her clit over and over again. Each flick caused lustful waves to pummel inside her. Each time he stabbed his tongue into her pussy, her walls contracted. As much as she loved his tongue, she needed his cock more. Ever since the night they were all together, she’d yearned for the delicious friction. She needed to know she was alive and wanted one of them to thrust into her so hard she screamed. Colby rubbed his palms up and down her legs, warming her both inside and out. Dustin abandoned her tits and raised his head to capture her mouth. The first kiss was light. He lowered his head and sucked on her bottom lip then ran his tongue along her teeth. She cupped his face and kissed him back.

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When they finished dueling, tasting and exploring with their tongues, he lifted his head. “You are the sunshine of my day. I can’t put into words what joy you’ve brought to my life.” Her heart sang with those words. She would have responded had Colby not slipped two fingers into her pussy. “Oh, God. Colby.” Dustin smiled. Her lids closed, and she squeezed Colby’s shoulders. What he was doing should be outlawed. Maybe it was the combination of the clean air and the forbidden nature of trespassing, but nothing had ever felt more right. As if a signal passed between them, Colby pulled back. “Sugar, we need you to get on your hands and knees. “I’ll keep her tits warm,” Dustin offered. She was hot all over, but she wasn’t going to turn down his touch. “I need to get her ass hot for you.” What did that mean? The flat of Colby’s hand came down on her rear in one solid thwack. While the butt slap wasn’t hard, it surprised her. “Hey.” “Did I hurt you?” The worry in his voice warmed her. “No.” Hadn’t she imagined getting a spanking from these two men? “Give me all you got.” He laughed. “She’s goin’ to be a live one, Dustin.” “Want to change places?” “One more spank.” This time, he connected harder. The sting radiated down her rear and nestled at the apex of her thighs. The tingling bounced back up to where it started. Heat filled her pussy as the sting registered. In seconds, Colby shot next to her and his hands raced to keep her tits warm. Dustin got in position at the rear. He didn’t give her any warning either. The sting came quick, but morphed into pleasure in seconds. Now the pulses reached her pussy and she moaned in pleasure. “More.” “She likes it!” Dustin announced.

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Four more slaps descended, each one hotter than the previous one. Possibly to distract her, Colby rubbed her nipples. The twisting motion drew her attention upward, but her pussy still vibrated with need. “I want a cock.” On his knees, Colby presented her with the perfect opportunity to suck on him. She lowered her head and drew him into her mouth as much as she could. “Sweet Jesus.” For a few seconds, she balanced on one hand and cupped his balls with the other. Swishing them back and forth, she sucked hard on the head. One of his hands deserted her tit and found a new location on top of her head. His fingertips pressed down on her scalp, making her take in more of him. When his length reached the end, she lifted up and repeated the process. “That’s enough, sugar. I don’t want to lose it now.” His fast breaths implied he was on the verge. She dropped her hand to the ground, not even aware the spanking had ended. The smell of mint wafted around her and was followed by a greased finger making a circle around her anus. This time she didn’t clench. Dustin slipped his fingers into her puckered hole, and with the first press, her nerves shot to life. “Yes!” Colby lifted her shoulders until she was kneeling. He moved in and kissed her. Dustin’s fingers disappeared from her ass, but she held in her disappointment. Colby’s kiss was demanding but sweet. His love poured into her like a lifesaving breath. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her breasts to his chest. His warmth radiated down to her core. He drew back his head and their lips finally separated. “I want you to ride me,” he said. She grinned. “I can be your cowgirl. Do I get a crop?” “Whoa! Dustin, this one is a keeper.” He kissed her again. “Not

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this time, sugar.” From the way his eyes widened, she bet it would be never. She moved out of the way as Colby slid onto his back. He grabbed her waist and guided her over his cock. Dustin tossed him a condom. With his teeth, he tore open the packet and slipped it on. For a moment, she thought about how wonderful it would be to ride him bareback, but they had yet to discuss their future together. Dustin pressed his chest to her and slid his hands down her waist. He nuzzled her hair and inhaled. “You smell good.” “You’re smelling smoke.” He chuckled. “You are all that is the best of the outdoors. You’re sweet and fresh.” Colby pulled down her shoulders. “Make love to me.” She hovered over him. Her pussy was so wet that when she placed the tip at her opening, his cock seemed to draw her in. She stopped halfway to get used to the stretching. Colby pressed her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, adding to the whorl of emotions sluicing through her. Bubbles of pleasure burst outward, and her pussy sang from the added stimulation. She dropped down until he was fully seated. Her ass slapped against his balls. Life couldn’t get much better. Or could it? As she pulled up, delightful spasms milked his cock. His eyes closed as if he, too, was hanging on by a thread. Dustin placed a hand on her back and pressed her toward Colby’s chest. “I can’t wait any longer. I have to have you.” He nibbled her ear as he pressed the head of his cock against her tight muscle. She held her breath, not knowing if she could handle both cocks in her at the same time. “Relax,” he whispered. His fingers had stretched her out, and his condom-covered cock was slicked with more lube. She lifted her ass as high as she could and he entered her. He’d traveled an inch before he stopped. “Oh, my Lord.” Colby held her still, as if to let her adjust to

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Dustin’s cock. “There’s no room.” Colby rubbed her arms, which helped her let go of the tension. Dustin massaged her ass. “Breathe.” She inhaled and he slid in another inch. Colby tightened his grip on her hips. “Let me be the one to move. Just enjoy.” “I can do that.” The men were so calm that she was confident the experience would top anything she’d ever had before. Dustin reached around her belly and slid his hand down to her pussy. When he brushed her clit, a whole slew of juices flowed. She dropped back her head and tried to ride Colby, but his hands prevented her. “Let us love you.” Dustin withdrew a bit before pressing forward again. He drove in and retreated several more times until his cock was fully seated in her. Her walls screamed at first for release from the pressure, but in no time, her muscles accommodated him. Then Colby lifted his hips and filled her with his huge cock. Her breath caught as her pussy sizzled with delight. It was when they both moved at the same time that she clamped down on Colby’s cock. His fingers clenched her hips, indicating his release was near. Then they changed tactics. When one went in, the other pulled out. Colby drew her close and kissed her, forcing Dustin to remove his hand from her pussy. Damn. However, the change in angle made Colby’s cock hit her clit each time he thrust up into her. Spikes of electricity shot through her with every jab. Divine bliss bombarded her as their speed matched. Even their tongues got into the rhythm. Dustin was the one to change the pace. His thrusts became more demanding. Every inch of her ass lit up. Heat filled her as her pulse raced. Colby must have sensed the change, for he pressed her shoulders up a bit and pounded into her. Rolling spasms took her breath away as the volcanic waves of ecstasy made her lose all reason. “Faster.”

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She grabbed Colby’s shoulders and lifted her head. Her groans and moans were constant companions with each thrust. As Dustin ravaged her ass with his demanding cock, she spiraled higher and higher. Her climax built until she could no longer prevent her body from nearly exploding. “I’m coming. Oh, God.” Hips held tight, both men drove into her as if they were possessed. Molten torrents of divine pleasure slammed into her from all directions. Her climax grabbed hold and took her to heaven and back, leaving her heart in a gallop. She held her breath as the men’s love cocooned her. Both cocks expanded at the same time, jacking her climax up that extra notch. Mouth open, she shut her eyes, loving them both more than she ever thought possible. The pulses and heat seared her body long after they’d climaxed. They held her in silence until her ragged breaths slowed. Dustin was the first to disengage, followed by Colby. He pulled her close and held her tight. “I love you,” he whispered. “I want you.” “I need to rest first.” He chuckled into her cheek. “I meant, I want you forever. Just like this.” She smiled. “I’d like that.” Dustin covered them both with the sleeping bag. He got under the covers and placed her between them. “I need to get you clean.” “Yeah.” Her bones were almost liquid. She was so sated that even the simple act of cleaning took too much effort. He must have had a clean towel nearby because he wiped her dry. Both men removed their condoms and tossed them in the empty plastic bag. Her muscles gave up all hope of moving. She couldn’t if she tried. Colby turned on his side away from her. She cuddled behind him and Dustin did the same to her back. The human sandwich was more comforting than anything she’d ever known. If her mom could be inside her mind right now, she’d be smiling.

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Chapter Sixteen The next week was pure bliss. True, it was hard for her to concentrate when all she could think about was what wonderful lovers these men were, but the distraction was so worth it. She realized that what they shared was a lot more than sex. She could talk to both of them. They discussed not only their love of the outdoors, but politics and even music. While she was more into soft rock and Colby liked country, Dustin appreciated classical music. Given his mom had at one time entertained being a professional pianist, it made sense. Their differences made them who they were, and she loved everything about them. Dustin had traveled all over the world growing up and regaled them with stories of exotic places. Despite Colby coming from a poor family, he, too, was well read. While she hadn’t moved in, Dustin or Colby found some reason for her to come over to their house almost every night. They each had their own style of cooking and it was fun when all three of them cooked together. They made a great team. The only downer was that her parents wouldn’t return her calls. Eventually, she realized that it wasn’t her problem, but her folks’. She knew her mom was upset, but she wasn’t going to put aside the best things in her life to satisfy her mom’s prejudiced opinion. She was just about to close up for the day when Dustin came in. Her heart sped up. “Hi.” “Colby and I want to take you horseback riding tomorrow. Are you up for that?” That was a dumb question. She was always up for an adventure.

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“You know I am.” “I have a business meeting tonight, and some of the guys have been giving Colby grief for spending so much time with us, so he’s doing the town, so to speak.” “He needs to keep his workers happy.” “Can we pick you up at ten tomorrow morning?” “It’s a date.” Bessie knocked on the door and entered. “You have a call on line one. It’s Mr. Smithfield.” He mouthed, “Gotta go. Love you.” She let out a long sigh as soon as he disappeared. She loved being outside with her men. The weather might have been a bit cool, but that wasn’t going to stop her enjoyment. Since she hadn’t been home in a while, she was going to indulge in her favorite pastime when she was alone. That would include relaxing in a bath, drinking some wine, and reading a good book. Entering her small apartment was a bit depressing, but she was going to make the most of her time alone. She finished off the pot roast and cooked some vegetables. Next came the bath. The hot water nearly made her fall asleep. She got out and carefully dried her body, pretending that it was Colby’s and Dustin’s hands dragging the soft material all over her. The glass of wine had made her sleepy, so she headed to bed and clicked on her Kindle. She read for no more than an hour. As soon as she shut off her Kindle, she fell asleep. She did wake a few times and feel around for her men, only to realize she was alone. She’d become so accustomed to having them near that having them out of her sight seemed odd now. The morning dawned bright and fairly warm for October. The forecast said it would be sixty-five and sunny. It would be the perfect day to ride. Right on time, Colby and Dustin came to her door. They were dressed in chaps and dusty boots. They were true cowboys.

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“Ready?” “Yes.” She’d stopped by the store yesterday and picked up some snacks, along with a good supply of Naked berry juice. The drive to the Callen ranch was lovely. The greens looked more vibrant and the sky seemed bluer. When they arrived, they headed straight to the barn where Randy was brushing the horses. “Hey, Colby, Dustin. It’s Tracey, right?” He held out his hand. “Yes.” “I’ve got Flash Dancer for you all ready to go.” “Great.” Dustin must have called ahead. Dustin and Colby saddled their horses and they walked them out. Once they were mounted, they headed east. She didn’t know the destination, but she didn’t care. Being with them was reward enough. The air smelled clean and deliciously refreshing. Off in the distance cattle roamed, and she even spotted a few cowboys. Now, that was cool. Instead of returning to the stream as she expected, Dustin headed in a different direction. It took about twenty minutes before they arrived at a small forested area. They dismounted and tied up their horses. “Should I bring some snacks?” If they were going to stay and chat, she wanted something to munch on. However, if they planned on ravishing her body, she’d leave the snacks behind. “Not yet. I just wanted to show you something.” She figured that meant there’d be no picnic here. They’d hiked in no more than five minutes, when the trees thinned, and a small field that bordered a large lake appeared. “It’s beautiful.” Colby picked up a rock and chucked it into the water. The ripples spread out but died before they reached the shore. “It’s one of my favorite spots.” He led her over to a small boulder. “Sit down.” His voice almost shook.

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He looked over at Dustin then wet his lips. “When I first met you,” Colby said, “I knew you were special. You had a gleam of adventure in your eyes, and I think I fell in love with you on the spot.” Dustin picked up her hand. “I agree with Colby. You love life, and we love having you in our world.” Emotion filled her. “I can say the same thing. You both have an amazing work ethic. You also love what you do as much I do. I think we make a great team.” That sounded so trite compared to their wonderful words. Dustin pulled something out of his pocket then knelt in front of her. “Since I’m three weeks older than Colby, I get the honors.” She couldn’t tell what he held, but her fast-beating heart prayed it was something that represented a commitment. Dustin opened his palm. A large diamond solitaire glistened in the sun. Her breath caught. She’d never seen anything so big. “It’s beautiful.” Dustin lifted her hand and slid it on her left ring finger. “Tracey Ann Redman. Will you marry us?” Her throat turned dry at the unexpected but dreamed-of request. “Are your parents okay with this?” Dustin laughed. “They better be since both of my sisters and one of my brothers are in ménage relationships.” How lucky was he? “Then yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you both.” Endorphins mixed with adrenaline and provided the highest high ever. Colby stood and pulled her to her feet. “I say that calls for a celebratory kiss.” He not only kissed her lips, he kissed her eyes, ears, and throat. When she started to unbutton her blouse, Dustin got in the act. This was going to be the best popping the question day any girl had ever had. **** Nine months later

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While Tracey had phoned and written her parents about the upcoming wedding, she hadn’t heard from them. That was a shame to let a prejudice stop her mom from seeing her only daughter get married. The whole family had assembled outside for the July wedding. Tracey couldn’t have picked a better day. Dustin’s sister, Sam, was there, along with her two handsome husbands. Dustin had been worried she might not make it as her first baby was due any day now. She looked radiant. Motherhood suited her well. His younger brother, Cody, came in with a beautiful woman, Jessie. She looked about five months along. The second oldest daughter, who was married to both Randy and a professor at the University, was the only married daughter not in the family way. Since Dustin had six siblings, she figured it wouldn’t take long for her to follow suit. She couldn’t wait to be filled with a human life. The lawn was covered in white chairs that bordered an aisle. Not only was the setting spectacular with the ranch and mountains in the background, Randy had managed to convince a few of the Cheyenne Orchestra members to come play for them. While there was no piano, the strings did a beautiful job. Jenny was helping her get ready. “You look beautiful.” “I’m so nervous.” “Don’t be. You’re marrying the best two men in the world.” Jenny fussed with her veil and made sure the bouquet was perfect. “I know.” She thought that Dustin’s dad had agreed to walk her down the aisle, but he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well. When the music played the wedding march, she knew that was her cue. As she headed toward the side porch, her father stepped into view. She froze. Speechless, she waited for him to approach. He kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so sorry, but your mother is a stubborn woman.”

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Tears streamed down her cheek. “I know. She didn’t come?” “She’s here. Both of your men have called our home. After a few dozen conversations, Mom realized how special they really are. It took a lot of soul-searching, but I think she’s coming around.” Chills raced up her arms. She’d never heard any better news in her life. “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. Her dad offered his arm and walked her out. At the end of the path stood her wonderful men. Both were dressed in stunningly handsome tuxes. No two men could be more breathtaking. Their beaming smiles made the tension disappear. She held her head high and approached, hopefully with grace and confidence. When she got to the front row, she looked over at her mom. Tracey couldn’t tell if the tears were from joy or not, but that didn’t matter as long as she was here. The rest would come. The ceremony was a blur. She was so overcome with emotion that she had to focus on what the preacher was saying. She spoke her words of love and Dustin answered, all the while keeping his gaze on her. All she wanted to do was hold both of her men tight, for they’d given her the best wedding present in the world—her parents’ love. The preacher glanced down at them. “I now pronounce you men and wife.” That sounded strange to her ears, but that was okay. She now had what she wanted. The music started up and Max, one of the Callen twins, stepped up to the microphone. “This is the father-daughter dance.” She held out her hands, and her father, looking every bit as handsome as her two husbands, took hers. The music was beautiful and perfect. His eyes watered, but he said it must be allergies. She dropped her head back and laughed. Denial was a wonderful thing sometimes. As soon as the music ended, her mother approached. Without saying a word, her mom embraced her. “I’ve missed you, dear.” Tracey leaned back and studied her mom. Her eyes were rimmed

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red. “Me, too.” Her mom wrapped an arm around Tracey’s waist. “Let’s sit on the porch. We need to talk.” That was an understatement. At least she hadn’t come to put a stop to the wedding. After nearly ten months of silence, they surely had a lot to say. “That’s good.” She’d been hurt and angry with her mom’s reaction, but after being with Colby and Dustin, she’d learned a lot about forgiveness, not only toward others but also with herself. Fortunately, no one was on the side porch. “Let’s sit here.” They sat side by side in the rockers. Her mother faced her. “I’ve had a real hard time coming to grips with the whole ex-con relationship. Added to that is the fact that you wanted to marry two men.” “I know. It’s not the norm, but my heart knows it’s the right thing for me.” Her smile wobbled. “I’m proud of you for standing up for what you believe.” Really? That made her heart lighten. “I’m sorry I had to hurt you in the process.” She looked out over the guests. “I know you didn’t mean to. You have two special men who love you very much. After all their phone calls and e-mails, I realized that you’d made the right choice.” She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted her parents’ blessing. “Thank you.” “You’ll understand if I don’t tell all my friends how many husbands you have?” Her mom looked at her with such hope in her face that Tracey almost had to laugh. “No, Mom. That secret will just be between us.” “Good. That’s settled. Now get back to your loving men.” They stood and Tracey gave her a hug. “You are the best mom in the world.” “Aww. Go on.”

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Tracey walked back to the party. As soon as her dad spotted her, he came over to her. He winked. “Go get ’em.” Happier than she’d ever been, she located Colby and Dustin talking to two friends. She cut into their conversation. Colby slid a hand around her waist. “How did it go?” “She thinks you are the best things ever to enter my life and she’s happy for me.” “Well, she ought to be.” Colby pulled her close to his chest and all seemed right with the world. “Have you thought about where you’d like to go on our honeymoon?” She leaned back. “You said you two couldn’t take off the time.” She was okay with that. She had everything she ever wanted. Dustin stepped forward. “We lied. We wanted to surprise you. How does Hawaii sound?” “You’re kidding. Hawaii. That’s so far away.” “That’s the best part. We can’t rush back and take care of business. Besides, it’s a Callen tradition.” “I’ve always liked traditions.” Dustin stepped closer. “Are you truly happy?” “Ecstatically so. The only thing that could top this moment would be what I have planned for you two tonight.” They both glanced at each other and burst out laughing. “We were thinking the same thing. What’s your take on bondage?” Her pussy gushed. “All I can say is that you are welcome to tie me down anytime you want.” Colby tugged on her waist. “Now that’s the best wife a man could ask for.” “There is one condition.” Dustin’s face fell. “What?” “Whatever you do to me, I get to do to you.” They grinned. “We’re always up for that.” Life could not get any better.

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Melody Snow Monroe

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Unlike most other authors, I started writing late in life. Writing stories in high school and college was not for me. Only after I graduated did I fall in love with romance novels. For the next twenty years, I read voraciously. It got to a point where my book-buying habits cost as much as my groceries. At that point, my husband suggested I write a book. Hey, it looked easy, right? All the stories started in the same spot (hero and heroine at odds) and ended the same way (happily ever after). Only it was anything but easy. Eleven years and fifteen completed romantic suspenses later, I finally published. I never would have gotten that far had it not been for two local chapters whose generous members shared their amazing wealth of knowledge.

Also by Melody Snow Monroe Ménage Everlasting: The Callens 1: Leather and Lust Ménage Everlasting: The Callens 2: Truth and Seduction Ménage Everlasting: The Callens 3: Secret Temptation

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/melody-snow-monroe

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