Second Chance Mates (22 page)

Clara closed her eyes and took a deep
breath. Yes, she could think of one person who wanted the farm bad
enough to damage it, bad enough that they would try and put her out
of business to do it. Stanton.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Luke
took her hand in his and she nodded.

"Stanton," said Cade. "Damn it. I knew
that man was bad news."

"You want to tell me what this is all
about?" asked the chief, looking to each of them.

"Jack Stanton. He's been pestering
Clara to sell the land since Colton passed," explained Cade. "He
wants to put condos on it or something. She keeps telling him no,
and he keeps coming back."

"He said he'd get this place no matter
what," added Clara.

"You think he'd set fire to the barn?
You could have all been killed if the house caught," Anderson said,
his eyes somber.

"Guess that would have made it easy for
Stanton," said Luke, his voice thick at the thought of anyone
hurting Clara or his friend.

"You got any evidence I can work with?"
asked Anderson.

Clara shook her head. "A few letters,
but nothing nasty. He saves that for talking."

"Let me see those letters in the next
week, okay? I don't like the idea of going up against Stanton, but
I'm not going to see you get hurt because he wants land he ain't
gonna get. You hear me?"

She nodded. "I hear you."

"Now, someone will be by to do the
investigation today and then you call me when you're ready to get
the barn cleared. It's not safe, so don't go in it. There's nothing
left in there anyway," Anderson finished with a shrug of his
shoulders and a sympathetic look to Clara.

"Thanks again," she said politely,
because there wasn't a lot left to say.

"No problem. You folks can go on home.
The house is safe. We'll pack up and get outta here. Don't forget
to call me." Anderson gave another firm nod, and walked away,
calling directions to his men as he went.

"I'm going back to bed," said Clara,
decisively. Much as she was relieved no one was hurt, she had no
intention of watching like a masochist as the fire crew left the
sodden remains of her barn behind. Instead, she was going to climb
back into her bed, pull up the warm covers and grab some sleep in
what was left of the night. And she didn't plan on being alone. A
coy smile sprang onto her face as she walked towards the house.
After a few calculated steps, she stopped, turned and said,
"Seriously, guys? You’re gonna let me go alone? That
was
an
invitation. Like either of you need one."

Seconds later two broad, strong men
flanked her. Inside, Luke locked the door behind them and both
followed her upstairs to her bedroom, cautiously waiting while she
shimmied out of her smoke-scented jeans. "I know I need a shower,"
she told them, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, "but I'd
rather sleep."

"Plenty of time for that later,"
murmured Cade, tossing his clothes and sliding in after her.
Seconds later, another warm body pressed against her.

"Have I told you guys how much you mean
to me?" she asked, the scene of the scorched barn seared onto her
mind. What would she have done without them? Losing everything
didn't bear thinking about. If anything, this latest vile incident
just reinforced how much she needed them, how she loved them. "I
can't imagine not having either of you in my life. Cade, I missed
you so much when you were gone. Truly. And Luke...you mean the
world to me. I love you."

Edging onto her side, Clara raised her
hand to Cade's face and drew him closer, kissing him long and deep,
deeper still when his arms snaked around her and pulled her against
his body, until a low rumble sounded behind her.

"I thought we were just sleeping," Cade
murmured, his hands roaming her back, then down to cup her butt,
hoisting her against his growing erection.

"We are. That was a good night kiss. Or
a good morning one, depends on how you want to look at it." She
wriggled out of his arms and turned to Luke, at the last minute
pulling one of Cade's arms over her, his palm nestling on the flat
of her stomach. "I didn't forget about you," she told Luke, her
fingers tracing his jaw before she pressed her lips against his,
parting them slightly so their tongues could tangle. A purr
vibrated through him and his hand landed on her thigh, running
around to cup her butt and draw her to him.

"Jeez, man. Nearly touched something I
didn't want touched just then," came Cade's indignant voice as his
hand ran quickly over her side to rest on her back.

"Wouldn't want to put you to shame,"
Luke mumbled between kisses, his thick cock pressing into her
belly.

Clara couldn't help the laugh that
burst from her. "I think I mentioned sleeping, not shaming."
Tucking her head into the crux of Luke's shoulder, she wrapped one
arm around him and closed her eyes, smiling as Cade curled his body
around hers.

"Dude, where is it safe for me to put a
hand?" asked Luke.

"I have one on her thigh." Cade moved
his hand from on top, and slid it onto the warm patch between her
inner thighs. "The other is under my own head."

"Suits me," replied Luke as he adjusted
her to slide his arms under her, wrap around her body and keep her
tight against him.

"Guess no one is going to ask me where
my hands are," said Clara.

"No," they answered as one.

"Just as well." Clara bit her bottom
lip as the hand she rested on the small of Luke's back drifted
lower, her fingers dipping under the waistband of his shorts, then
lower to cup his muscular butt.

Curled together at last, the three of
them drifted back to sleep. The scent of burning still hung in the
air, but the power of their presence together was all that truly
mattered for now.

Chapter Seventeen

"I'm sorry we had to cancel the party,
sweetheart." The three of them sat on the grass staring at the
remains of the barn as the workmen tore the last of it down,
carting the remains away to their truck.

"It would be kind of a buzzkill to have
a party with that eyesore," Clara replied matter-of-factly. "Thank
goodness for insurance."

"They going to cover the whole
building?" asked Luke.

"Not quite, but it's enough to get
started again. I guess it'll just take a little longer but this
time I can do it exactly how I want to, not make do with what I
had."

"That's the spirit." Cade gave her a
smile of approval.

She exhaled, clambering to her feet.
"Guess I'll see to lunch then I have some plans for you both to
look at. Colton drew them years ago when we had bigger, fancier
ideas. Maybe one of them could be adapted?"

"Can't wait to see them," said Cade.
"We'll be through to help in a few minutes, okay?"

Waiting until Clara was safely out of
earshot, Cade asked, "So?"

Luke raised his eyebrows.
"So...what?"

"How did the cameras you installed work
out? I would have asked sooner but Clara's been so nervy the past
few days she's always hovering. Which, I have to admit, I like a
lot but I did want to ask..."

"If they worked?" Luke finished. "Yes,
they did. In fact, they worked a dream. I have stills
and
video."

"Enough to see who set the barn on
fire?"

"Yep and plenty more besides. I have
all the evidence Clara needs to get Stanton off her back once and
for all."

"You know I'm surprised he hasn't been
by to gloat."

"He will. He's just giving a decent
enough interval between the fire and making his next move. Probably
waiting for Clara to panic and insist he swoop in and buy the place
below market."

"Think we should tell her?" Cade nodded
towards the house where he could imagine her moving about the
kitchen, preparing their meal. His heart brimmed with happiness at
the thought. This was family.

"Not yet. Give me a few more days to
get everything together. You think we should pay Stanton a
visit?"

"Nah. Let him come to us. Clara is
going to want to give him the news herself when she finds
out."

"You have a devious mind,
bro'."

Cade grinned. "That’s the nicest thing
you ever said.”

***

"What is he doing?" Clara whispered as
she nudged Cade with her elbow and nodded to Luke. "He's been glued
to the laptop for an hour."

"Working?" Cade shrugged. He waved the
remote control at the television. "Watch the movie."

"It's boring. I'm never letting you
pick movies again." She glanced back at Luke. "When is he going to
stop and come over here?"

"Maybe never. He loves that
laptop."

"More than me?"

Cade laughed. "And for your next
ridiculous question?"

"Do you think we can distract him with
whatever he's so interested in?"

"Got a plan?"

"No."

It was Cade's turn to glance over. Yep,
Luke was still hunched over the laptop, his fingers flying over the
keys. "Maybe we could fornicate on the floor," he suggested as his
hand slid under her t-shirt. "Want to see how long it takes him to
beg to join in."

"I
can
hear you," said Luke, his
eyes still glued to the screen.

"Sure. You're just too busy to do
anything about it." Cade pushed himself up from his comfortable
reclining position, freed his second hand and went to work on
Clara's t-shirt, pulling it up and lifting it over her head,
revealing a sexy bra in softest satin. "Mmm. Hello."

"Cade...
maybe
he's very busy and
doesn't need distracting," Clara giggled as Cade's thumbs ran over
the cups and her nipples surged into peaks in response.

"I'm not distracting him. I'm
distracting you from thinking about what he is doing," Cade
murmured as her bra went snap and fell apart.

"What is he...oh!" Clara trailed off as
Cade planted a silencing kiss to her lips.

"Still not distracted," said Luke from
across the room, though Clara noticed he did pause long enough to
look before turning back to the screen with a chuckle.

"You'll have to do better," Clara
giggled. "He still prefers the laptop."

"Let me know if you get any ideas."
Cade kissed his way to her nipple before licking it.

"Well, I do have one idea..." Clara
stopped, glanced over at Luke then down to where Cade's head bobbed
over her breast. It was sinfully naughty but it had been pushing at
the edges of her mind ever since they started sharing a bed. Having
thoroughly enjoyed experiencing each man separately, Clara had a
burning curiosity to experience them together. The idea of taking
turns to sleep to enjoy each other sexually felt wrong somehow,
like she was constantly flitting between the two when she realized
now that what she needed was the comfort and pleasure of them
together
.

Since they had both taken to sleeping
either side of her, she had slept wonderfully and it seemed only
natural to take their budding relationship to the stage where an
actual threesome was not only thinkable but definitely doable. And
heavens help her, she wanted them to do her. Wanted it badly; the
urge growing stronger every time it flitted through her
mind.

Somehow she didn't think her men would
be against it. After all, the first night she had slept with Luke,
Cade had been in the doorway, watching and turned on. And Luke
didn't seem to have any problem with Cade touching her intimately,
even fucking in front of him.

A smile slipped onto her lips. They had
already initiated a threesome when she'd woken with them. Hadn't
Cade gone down on her while Luke ministered to her breasts? And
didn't she take Luke's cock into her mouth while Cade powered into
her? It had felt so decadent.

No, she didn't think she would have a
hard time telling them this was what she wanted. She wanted to be
loved and adored, pleasured and climaxing with them both inside
her. She wanted to bring that last piece of completion to their
group mating, to make love as one entity. And it would be a mating.
She planned to bite them both, to make them hers. In her head, her
wolf gave a little flounce and flopped submissively. Isn't that
what her wolf had been telling her all along? Don't fight it, enjoy
it.

Wriggling out from under Cade, she
swung her feet to the ground and held her hand for him, pulling him
with her when he took it. Naked waist up, she strolled past Luke,
ignoring him. "Let's do something fun in the bedroom," she
whispered, none too quietly to Cade.

"I'm all ears," he replied, hurrying
her along with taps to her bottom until she was giggling as they
ran up the stairs. Her sensitive ears heard the click-clack of the
keys stop.

Yeah, she had Luke. Just a few moments
more...

Cade's hands slid around her waist,
unsnapping the button of her jeans and drawing her zipper down.
"Somehow I don't think you want time alone, just the two of us," he
whispered.