Picture Perfect (5 page)

Wade kept his weight balanced on his elbows and relished the light fragrance of her hair against his cheek and the soft feel of her beneath him.

He’d have to analyze all of this tomorrow. He imagined they all would.

Chapter Five

Ross wished he could come up with more poetic phraseology, but holy crap seemed appropriate to the moment.

The night before
had
happened.

The room was bathed in a soft, summer light, and a glance at the clock revealed it was well past eight o’clock. Next to him Victoria still slept, her blond hair spilled over the pillow, her lashes like lacy fans against her cheeks. Wade, on the other hand, was already gone, which wasn’t surprising because he usually got up at sunrise.

Very briefly, Ross contemplated waking Victoria in the most pleasant way possible but decided against it for two reasons. She liked to sleep in and she worked hard all week and deserved it. Besides, he had a feeling he needed to talk to his brother alone.

Quietly, he eased out of bed and dressed, pulling on his jeans and a T-shirt, padding barefoot into the kitchen. There was coffee made, he saw with true gratitude, and he drank a cup black, gazing at the mountains with one shoulder against the doorframe. Then he pulled on his boots and headed for the barn. Wade was there, wielding a pitchfork as he tossed hay into one of the stalls. He glanced up as Ross came in, saying in a neutral voice, “I think Chica will drop her foal today. I called Doc Peters.”

The horses were important—it was why they’d bought the ranch—but there were other issues to get out in the open that were more immediate.

“That’s good news but not really why I came looking for you.” He added quietly, “Tori is still sleeping.”

Wade didn’t pretend to misunderstand and he lifted a brow. “I can’t imagine why. I kept her up half the night, but then again, she kept me
up,
too.”

“I noted your enthusiasm.”

“Probably hard to miss.”

“Want to talk?”

Wade’s smile was wry. “I’m guessing we should.”

His brother gestured at a hay bale. “Have a seat in my office.”

Ross smothered a laugh. “Much better than my square box on the fifth floor of the bank building, though I do concede they gave me a nice view of the mountains.”

“Everywhere in Santa Fe has a nice view of the mountains.”

“True enough, but let’s skip more discussion about the general scenery and get right down to it. I want to ask Tori if she’d like to move in. I’ve been thinking about it for the past few months but was worried it would just make you more miserable. Last night changes everything.”

“I didn’t realize it was that obvious how I felt about her.” Wade looked rueful and rubbed his jaw with a gloved hand, leaving a smudge.

“To me, yes, but then again, I know you pretty damn well. Now, tell me, what do you think?”

“I think a lot is going to depend on how Tori feels about what happened in the light of day. Was it just a sexually adventurous impulse that she’s going to regret? That’s what worries me. I know she isn’t the promiscuous type, and sleeping with two men on a regular basis isn’t exactly conventional.”

Ross had really thought this over, and now he was more convinced than ever it could really work out. “Who the hell has to know what happens behind closed doors except the three of us? It is perfectly logical for Tori to move in with me. We’ve been dating long enough. You live here and you’re my brother. No one is going to think anything of it. The main reason I hadn’t already asked her was you, and that problem, if what I saw last night is any indication, is solved.”

“You weren’t jealous, Ross?” Wade’s gaze was straightforward. “I mean you’ve got to be not just honest with me on this, but with yourself. My feelings for Victoria exist, but you’re my brother and you and I are closer than most. I don’t want anything to ruin it.”Ross smiled. “Tell me this. Have you been jealous of me all along? Pissed I had her and you didn’t?”

“No.” Wade shook his head immediately, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Why the hell would I be pissed at you? More like ticked off at myself for being interested in your girlfriend. I’ve been glad all along she makes you happy.”

“There you go.” Ross spread his hands. “That’s it in a nutshell. Now, what do you think about asking her to move in?”

A slow smile curved his brother’s mouth. “That it’s the best damn idea you’ve ever had.”

* * * *

Stepping out of the shower, Victoria gave the image in the mirror a wry smile as she towel dried her hair. Funny, the woman reflected there didn’t look any different. Same nose, same chin, same blue eyes.

Good, maybe everyone wouldn’t be able to just look at her and
know
.

The only trouble was,
she
knew.

In spite of Ross teasing her about the fantasy of having two men—no, strike that, two deliciously sexy, gorgeous men—make love to her, she hadn’t ever imagined herself in that scenario, much less with two brothers.

Maybe she should feel like a slut, but she just…didn’t. Neither Wade nor Ross thought of what happened that way—she knew it—and so instead of being tawdry and taboo, it had just been one of the most satisfying, exciting nights of her life.

Glad she had gotten into the habit of leaving some clothes in his closet and cosmetics in the bathroom off of Ross’s bedroom, she finished getting dressed. She slipped into a pair of shorts and a sleeveless silk top in a pale pink shade, applying little more than some light powder, a hint of mascara and some lip gloss.

The house was quiet, so both of them were probably in the barn. Victoria helped herself to a cup of coffee, always amazed at how, for a pair of bachelors, the place was tidy, the counters neatly wiped clean, dishes put away, trash emptied. Though, she had to admit, the contents of the refrigerator never failed to make her laugh. Several different types of beer, a jug of outdated milk, at least four opened jars of salsa—all hot—and assorted condiments. Nothing else but empty shelves.

“We need to go to the grocery, I know, but damn, I hate that chore. I’d rather muck out a stall than push a cart down the frozen food aisle.”

The sound of the voice behind her made her turn around, almost spilling her coffee. Wade slid open the screen and stepped into the room with his slow, sure stride, his dark eyes intent. He smiled.

“Good morning.”

That smile
…

“Good morning.” No way could any living, breathing female on this green earth resist that mesmerizing smile. It did interesting things to the pit of her stomach. Ross strolled in behind him, dressed for the weekend ranch workday in a denim shirt and worn jeans, his dark hair attractively ruffled from the breeze outside. “Sleep well?”

Considering they’d slept with her, the question was unnecessary, and something about the way both of them looked at her made her a little wary. A sort of expectancy, maybe, she wasn’t quite sure. At least facing them in the light of day wasn’t quite as embarrassing as she’d thought it might be when she’d first woken up and taken stock of what happened the night before.

“We need to talk to you,” Ross said, his handsome face bland.

“Actually, I’m going to let you do the talking, Ross. Here’s my contribution to the discussion.” Wade took the few steps to where she still stood by the refrigerator, gently removed the coffee cup from her hand and set it on the counter, then pulled her into his arms. His mouth came down to cover hers in a long, hot kiss, his tongue rubbing against hers persuasively, his hands cupping her ass so she was nestled very firmly against his groin. When he let her go she could hardly breathe, and it wasn’t just from lack of air, either.

The man really, really knew how to kiss.

He winked at her. “Just so you know where I stand on the matter. I’m heading back to keep an eye out for our four-legged bundle of joy.”

Wade, usually so subdued and standoffish, just
winked
at her. More than that, he left whistling. Ross must have noticed her expression because he laughed and said, “He’s in one hell of a good mood. Wonder why?”

She’d blushed more in the past twenty-four hours than she had in the past ten years. “What ‘matter’?” she asked, trying to ignore the rush of heat into her face.

He hesitated and Ross wasn’t one to hesitate normally. Finally, he said, “The only reason I haven’t brought this subject up before was because of Wade.”

“You still haven’t brought it up,” Victoria pointed out.

“It’s important to me, and I don’t want to screw this up,” he muttered. “I was going to do the dozen roses and soft music thing, but oh hell, I’m just going to ask outright. I know you love having your own place, but would you consider moving in with us?”

She’d thought about it before, naturally, but playing house with Ross on the weekends was one thing, and the commitment of sharing a space with him all the time was something else. Besides, he was right. Before now, she would have refused because of Wade’s discomfort with her presence.

That had changed.

In fact, everything had changed.

“During the week, I miss you,” Ross said softly. “And not just in my bed. All the time. And you saw how happy Wade is now. If I didn’t think this would work, I wouldn’t ask you to change your life in such a drastic way. I care about you too much for that.”

There would be disadvantages, of course. She’d have a significant commute, whereas now she was about five minutes from her office. She also just signed a new lease on her apartment, invested in some new furniture…not to mention a relationship took some work. Surely if there was a third person, it would be exponentially more difficult.

But those negatives were just details.

“You aren’t saying anything.” He moved to take her hand, simply twining their fingers together. “Honey, you don’t have to decide this instant. I understand—”

She shook her head, “No. I mean yes. That is yes to the question.”

“Seriously?” It was his turn to catch her in his arms and pull her in close for a jubilant kiss that made her knees weaken and her heart pound. He grabbed her hand then and practically dragged her into the hallway. “Come on, I’m suddenly very much in the mood for breakfast in bed.”

“Ross,” she objected, laughing, “I just got up. Besides, I think it has been established there is little to no food in this house.”

“Not the kind of breakfast I had in mind.”

Moments later, he had her naked. And when he parted her labia with his long fingers and the tip of his tongue teased her clitoris with the expertise of someone who knew exactly how she liked it, she closed her eyes at the delirious sensation and decided food was underrated anyway.

Epilogue

“Congratulations on the book deal.” Victoria reached for her glass of iced tea and took a sip, enjoying the warm breeze but grateful for the awning above the table. Late August in New Mexico usually meant scorching sun. Luckily, without any humidity, in the shade it was comfortable outside, and also interesting to watch the people stream by the little café as they ate.

Predictably, Andy ordered something vegetarian and demolished it in record time. She ate her enchiladas more slowly, eyeing him suspiciously. He offered to buy when he invited her to lunch, and that happened rarely.

“Thanks. Man, I am over the moon on this. I got an advance, can you believe it? They liked the concept, they were impressed with the credentials of the people I’ve got on board with me on the project, but most of all, they loved the pictures. I’ve got say myself, they really
are
good.”

“I’m glad,” she said dryly, “because it wasn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world to pose essentially naked.” Though that fateful day marked an interesting change in her life, no doubt about it. Living with Ross and Wade was…well, sometimes wonderful, sometimes exasperating, but somehow it
worked
. They were all busy people and had very different jobs and different schedules, but the flow of day to day life was cohesive, and pretty much every waking second she felt damn lucky.

Men tended to be more adventurous about sex, anyway, and put two of them together and she didn’t have a chance. Two pairs of hands were definitely better than just one, in her enlightened opinion, not to mention the other perks.

“…and I’m just asking.”

Victoria jerked back to the moment. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about something else. Asking what?”

“They were really impressed with you and Wade as a couple, so I’d like to stick with that. The guy should go into acting or something. When he was touching you, his expression was exactly what I wanted. It was perfect. I thought you said he didn’t really like you.”

“I was wrong.” Uh-oh. The lunch suddenly made sense. It was a bribe. Victoria shook her head. “Andy—”

“Don’t kill me, but I already told them you’d do it.” At least he had the grace to look apologetic. “This is really important to me, Tori. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I swear it. Anything you want photographed, I’m your guy. Now, tell me, do you think you can talk Wade into posing again without pissing off Ross?”

It was really such a funny question. She smothered a laugh and looked down the crowded street. After all, in an odd way,
she
owed Andy.

With a smile, she murmured, “Don’t worry about Ross. He isn’t the jealous type, and, yes, I think I can talk Wade into it. No problem.”

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing also as Emma Wildes and Annabel Wolfe, Kate Watterson has over thirty published books to her credit, plus six Eppie nominations, one Eppie win for best historical erotic in 2007, a RWA Lories win, WisRWA final for best historical romance, and is a Passionate Plume winner. She loves suspense and to write erotic stories in the genre is a special treat. Fans are what make the world go around and she loves to hear from them. Contact Kate at:
[email protected]

Also by Kate Watterson

Siren Classic: Sexual Studies 1:
Watcher

Siren Classic: Sexual Studies 2:
Blindsided

PolyAmour: Sexual Studies 3:
Beautiful Triad

Available at

BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com