Men Times Three (7 page)

But the dream last night had been vivid, full of strong colors and emotionally charged. She'd been lustful, yearning and wildly turned on, while he'd been himself, but larger, hotter, hornier than a stallion.

He'd held her down on his bed, trapped by his heavy legs wrapped in hers, his cock deep inside her while he made demands she couldn't, wouldn't comply with.

They'd butted heads while he'd taken her so hard and fast she thought she'd split in two. Still, she'd refused to give him what he wanted.

She still had no idea what that was.

TJ was the hottest man on two legs and she wanted him so bad she could taste it. When she'd sucked and licked his burnt fingertip, the taste of him had whetted her appetite for more. Clearly she was infatuated.

So much so that she found herself drawn to the kitchen window over the wide porcelain sink countless times.

Here she was again, ogling him as he guided one of those monster machines into place. He whistled loud enough to be heard from here to Port Townsend and the massive truck stopped moving. Deke shut off the engine and jumped down from the cab. He walked to the back of the truck to talk, the sun peeking through the treetops to glint off his shoulders. His hair was lighter than his older brother's, a deep chestnut while TJ's was crow black.

She considered TJ's younger brother. Why hadn't her body responded to him? Why hadn't his personality and intelligence plucked at her own? He was quieter, had nice friendly eyes and was exceptionally polite considering he'd been raised in the same family as TJ. She should prefer a man like Deke. All good women should if they knew what was good for them.

But friendly eyes weren't intense, didn't burn her T-shirts off and didn't start a fire in her shorts. Friendly eyes could be had at any pet store or animal shelter.

While TJ was a completely different animal. There was nothing soft, nothing cuddly about him.

This morning, he'd been cool as the pond he'd taken her to that summer so long ago. His conversation was curt and to the point.
Edgy
would cover his whole attitude, from the moment he'd swiped the coffee carafe from her hand,
before she'd poured her own,
to the moment he'd arrived at the front door of the inn, outdoor light set in hand.

He hadn't offered to install them and she'd been too blind-sided by his disinterest to ask.

Stupid to assume he'd offer to help with the lights, in spite of yesterday's help with the furniture.

TJ bent to pick up a three-foot log that was as big around as his thigh. He carried it to a spot out of sight of the window. She leaned close and put her face tight to the glass to see where he'd gone. A heavy thud of wood landing on wood sounded from just out of sight.

Suddenly, he was there, staring back at her on the other side of the glass. “Oh!” Startled, she jumped back so fast she landed on her rump on the kitchen floor. “Ow.”

TJ laughed and made his way inside. Massaging her butt, she rose. She had no dishes to wash, but she turned on the water to fill the sink, then just as quickly shut it off again.

She whirled to put the sink at her back and held on to the counter. “Hi. What can I do for you?”

“Just came in for a glass of water.” He stepped so close she could swear she felt the fibers of his plaid shirt against her nipples. They rose toward him, like heat-seeking missiles intent on contact.

He leaned around her, grazing her chest with his as he turned on the cold water. Water ran into the sink as he stepped to the cupboard for a glass. His shoulders, his waist, his thighs all made her own seem narrow and delicate. Her pussy moistened and low pressure blossomed in her belly.

Last night, he'd made it plain he wanted to be in charge of when and where they had sex, but this was ridiculous. What kind of man teased a woman
back
?

She released her breath and dragged in another frustrated one. She took one step to the side to give him room while she collected her composure. What was with him? Cold one moment, hot the next. “Holly should be here by noon,” she said, ignoring the waves of tension emanating off him.

He stared out the window, took a long sip of crystal clear water then nodded as he swallowed.

Dear God, even the man's Adam's apple turned her on. She white-knuckled the counter at her back, determined not to launch herself at him. Could she really tackle a guy this large? Take him down and have her way with him? The thought made her nipples peak.

Hard.

Harder.

Hard enough to cut glass.

Oh, hell, yeah. He noticed.

T
J walked out the kitchen door, leaving Marnie with her panties wet, her nipples hard and her chest heaving. She sagged against the counter and shook her head to clear it.

A tap on the window made her jump again. The light of humor in his eyes undid her.

She strode out of the kitchen without another word. That would teach her to gawk out the window at him. She grabbed the step stool and moved it down a couple feet, kicked over the bucket of water and yowled with frustration.

She cleaned up the spill as fast as she could. The floors hadn't been waxed in ages and she was afraid the water would leave a stain. More work!

TJ should have taken what he wanted last night. He should have thrown off her sheets and just—taken her. A thrill raced up her belly at the idea of TJ dragging her to the floor, wedging his hand between her legs and making her want it so bad she went blind.

She halted dead center of the room. That's exactly what she wanted, to be overwhelmed, taken, in the fullest sense of the word. Forced? She shied away from that word. Not forced but teased to the point of madness, to the point of helplessness in the face of her own lust.

While he wanted control. Was he afraid of wanting her as badly as she wanted him?

She'd brought this crazy game on herself. She'd played a light game of tease and now he'd turned it back on her. And upped the stakes.

That prick.

That glorious, handsome son-of-a-bitch prick. She'd have to play a much harder game before she made him crack. Not only was he physically strong, he was capable of denying himself to get the grand prize. Whatever that was.

She'd always seen herself as strong and dedicated to her goals, but TJ O'Banion was a force unto himself. She'd always had a helluva hard time backing down from challenges.

To let him know the game was on, she dropped her wet rags into the bucket and turned on her heel to find him.

He was outside, chopping logs into firewood. Oh, mama, she nearly lost the game before it began as the steady rise and fall of his arms pounded through the logs. Precise rhythmic thuds sounded next to the workshop as TJ split the wood with an expert's sure stroke.

“Yesterday you offered to install the security lights. Will you have time for that today?”

He kept his head down and attention on the swing of his axe. She leaned on a support beam. “On the way home tonight, would you mind stopping at a store? I, um, need more batteries for a small appliance.” She leaned close enough to smell the musky scent of his hard work. Delicious.

He swallowed and missed his next swing. The blade skimmed off a strip of bark, but the log remained whole.

TJ nodded as a deep flush rose from his neck to the top of his head. “Appliance?” He rested his axe on a log and looked steadily at her. A muscle in his jaw flexed as if he were grinding his back teeth.

She nodded. “Mm-hm. You remember. I used it last night. Keeps me humming right along.”

He swallowed.

“So, that's it then. If I think of anything else I need, I'll let you know.”

“You do that. I'd think batteries would last longer than one short session. If it's eating batteries, I could tweak the performance for you next time you use it.”

“Tweak? I think supplement would be the better word.” His eyes flared into full blazes. Her mouth went dry and she backed up a step. “The game is on, big man.”

“Long as the stakes are what I think they are.” He nodded as if they'd just exchanged pleasantries about the weather.

His confusing response rang in her ears for the next couple of hours while she worked out her frustrations on the exterior walls in the living room.

A car arrived out front and Marnie rushed to see Holly emerge from her low-slung rocket. A newfound love of fast cars was only one of the changes she'd noticed in her cousin since her separation and divorce. She had more sway in her hips than Marnie had ever seen.

She looked happy. Or was that relieved? Her expression was hard to read from this distance and she blanked it as she approached the porch. Which meant Holly was hiding something.

“Hey, you,” Marnie called as she opened the door and welcomed Holly with open arms.

“Hey right back.” She hugged Marnie hard and they brushed their cheeks. “Oh, it's good to see you and to be here.” She leaned back. “I mean,
so
good to be here.” Her eyes danced with joy and Marnie believed her. Whatever her cousin was hiding couldn't be serious.

She waved Holly inside with a warning. “Brace yourself, it's filthy. I only told you about the trees out back, not this.”

Holly dropped her bags in shock. “What the hell happened?” She took a slow twirl and gaped while Marnie filled her in on their theories of teens and parties. “So, later today, TJ, also known as Paul Bunyan the Elder, will install motion-sensitive security lights all around the inn.”

“Wow. I've got to see this guy.” She raised her brows and waggled them. “He sounds impressive.” Her cousin appraised her. “And somewhat intimidating from the sounds of things.”

Instead of questioning Holly about her situation with Jack, the tables had been turned back on her. “TJ's a little, um…intense.” Her belly warmed at the word.

“Sounds interesting and sexy.” She purred and looped her arm through Marnie's. “Show me.”

“He has a brother,” Marnie blurted.

She stopped. “I see.” She nodded. “Got it. TJ's off-limits.”

“I didn't say that.” Now she was sounding defensive.

“No need to say anything. I've known you my whole life, and something's put that wild gleam in your eye. It sounds as if it's this Paul Bunyan look-a-like.”

Marnie patted her suddenly hot cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to me or any other woman within a hundred yards. A man probably wouldn't notice a thing. Would he?” But her sly look took in a lot more than Marnie's flush.

“He's noticed. But enough about that; let me show you around.” She'd wait until Holly settled in before she offered any more information on TJ and the bizarre game they'd begun. Holly's language turned colorful and earthy as they toured the inn.

“Once we've cleaned and painted, we'll decide on which beds will go into which room. We'll have color schemes.”

Marnie laughed. “I've always wanted to say, ‘we'll put you in the green room, shall we?'”

They leaned on the railing and looked down into the living area. The furniture was still piled where TJ had put it in the corner. “You won't believe this, but it already looks a lot better.”

“Can we afford to hire a service for the worst of this?”

“Maybe after we get rid of the dead rats and other bugs. Rodent poop's a health hazard.”

Holly scrunched her face into a mask of horror at the news. “Did you get masks and gloves?”

She nodded. “And I've got a call in with an exterminator. Best they can do is two days from now.”

“Not bad, I guess. Until then, we'll make lots of noise so they know to scurry out of our way. Because if I see a rat and I'm armed with a broom, look out.”

Marnie agreed. “But if you look past the dirt and neglect, there's a lot of potential.”

“Tons.” Holly stuck her chin in her hand. “I see a woven rug in front of the fireplace. A desk by the window with a great lamp. Are those wingback chairs okay?”

“Just dusty. We could recover them after we vacuum the life out of them.”

“Maybe slipcovers would work. Less expensive and they can be swapped out according to the seasons.”

Relief that Holly was here and hope about the place washed through her. “I knew you'd have great ideas.” She bumped her shoulder in affection. “This will be fun. We'll pull this off, Holly. I'm sure we will.”

Her cousin's face lit. “I'm glad to be here, too. Jack's been clingy and he needs time alone to make whatever adjustments he needs to make.”

“I thought when you moved into your own apartment you stopped inviting him over.” Marnie knew about the booty calls. Big deal, lots of exes had sex. Familiarity often bred orgasm so it made a kind of sense.

Holly winced. “Sort of. He caught me by surprise that time you called. I didn't call him, and he must have charmed his way in the front door of the building.”

“You gave in?”

“A sympathy lay. That's all.” But she bit her lip. “You know I've got an overactive sex drive. He takes it personally, thinks it's because of him.”

“You sure it's not?” She eyed her cousin. Was this what she felt the need to hide?

“Pretty sure. I come fast all the time, but it's not the same as it used to be.” She shrugged. “It's sex by rote, now. I actually counted how many pumps before he came. How boring is that?”

Marnie shuddered in sympathy. “Jack thinks a fast orgasm is good, huh?” She liked slow herself. Slow and womb-deep worked for her. Quickies were fine with BOB.

Holly nodded. “Yes. But they're not much more than a ripple now.” She laughed. “I'm going to take your advice and find a BOB.”

“With the amount of work we have here, you'll be too tired to indulge anyway.”

After a few minutes of planning their team effort on the cleaning, they ended up on the back porch watching men and their big, big machines.

“Oh, mama, save me from my dirty, dirty thoughts,” Holly whispered when she stepped outside and took in the view of Deke and TJ rolling a huge boulder to the side of the clearing. “I think I've just found heaven,” she said after she hummed low and sexy in her throat. “Which one's which?”

“Blue plaid is TJ O'Banion, the eldest of the brothers. Deke's in red plaid today. There's a third brother, Eli, the youngest. TJ is trying to get him to come home to work with them.” She suspected TJ wanted his brother to stay put for a while. TJ didn't seem the type to ever leave the Peninsula. “More's the pity,” she murmured. He could make a success of his life in Seattle.

“Why?” Holly asked, confused. “What's wrong with wanting his brother to come home?”

“Nothing. It's just that as hot as TJ is, I'm a city girl and I can't wait to sell this place so I can get back to where I belong.”

Holly huffed. “At the club? What's Dennis up to now? And counting on a future with a man, even a business partner, especially one like Dennis, is a lost cause.”

Marnie laughed. “I never should have told you what an ass Dennis is.” She hadn't thought of Dennis in hours. Thanks to TJ and her constant state of arousal. “My long-lamented partner has a”—she used finger quotes—“‘new direction' for the club, but I'm not sure I even want to hear about it. We've had a brand-new bartender quit and Dennis won't tell me why. He probably groped her or worse.” She hadn't meant to get off track, so she put her worry about the club to the back of her mind. She could worry about BackLit anytime.

“Enough about Dennis.” She threw an arm around her cousin's slim shoulders. “You sound bitter about men and that's not like you.” Holly was a happy person, not given to dark cynicism. That was why she never saw Jack the way the rest of the family did.

Holly slanted her a glance. “Not bitter, smarter. About men and life. I need this time away from home and my routine. My new job's boring and the pay's not as good as I'd hoped. The break here will do me good.” She smiled widely as TJ and Deke finally looked up and saw them.

“Come to mama,” she said as Deke slapped the dust and dirt off his jeans on the way over to greet them.