Unbridled and Untethered [The Double Rider Men's Club 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (19 page)

He glanced over at the window and noticed that the privacy still wasn’t engaged. The trio across the way watched them with rapt attention. Luke loved the attention. He loved that others had witnessed his and Zeke’s ultimate expression of love with their perfect woman. He hoped Emma Rae wouldn’t be upset by the voyeurism.

She looked up at that moment and saw out the window. “They can see us?”

“Yep,” Luke answered. He waited for her horror or any negative reaction.

She shrugged. “Hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible, but I’m glad you aren’t upset by the audience.”

Luke pulled away, and so did Zeke. They quickly cleaned up and returned to snuggle with her. The sofa flattened out into a cushy futon bed. He grabbed a few pillows and a couple of blankets from the closet and tossed them to Zeke.

The three of them snuggled together, completely naked beneath the blankets. Emma Rae was tucked cozily between them. The other two dozed off in contented slumber as Luke’s mind worked furiously, planning an expansive future for the three of them.

First on his list was to purchase an engagement ring. More than that, he wanted a custom design especially created for her. She deserved something as unique as she was. Of course it would have to be the best money could buy. Luke never spared any expense for what he considered the important things.

He brushed a kiss on her bare shoulder. She sighed in her sleep and snuggled closer against him.

Luke had never felt so sure of anything or anyone in his life.

A few days after the Stadium event that changed her sexual life forevermore, Emma Rae was curled contentedly on their sofa, feet tucked under her legs and drinking a hot tea. Luke was in the kitchen cleaning up an exceptional dinner he’d prepared, and Zeke was currently setting up an action movie to watch in the Blu-ray.

Life didn’t get much better than this. It was interesting how easily and quickly she’d adapted her life to theirs. Each night they slept together, making love most nights but not every single night. Each morning, Luke was up before dawn to work on the ranch. Zeke slept a couple more hours then left for work. Emma Rae departed at the same time Zeke did. She always went back to her small apartment to work. She answered all her important e-mails on her smartphone as they came up day to day but had suddenly limited her new-client acquisitions in light of her new life with two amazing men. Money had never been a problem, because she didn’t need much and made plenty working job to job with her computer business.

There was a nice-size bedroom at the back of their house they’d offered her to use for her work when she was there. It was becoming all too easy to adapt to this comfy lifestyle and edge away from her former lonely, solitary existence. She loved this life with these two exceptional men. Her future held a new promise and level of optimism she’d never had before.

A thread of unease coursed down her spine at how forlorn she’d be to lose Luke and Zeke for any reason, but she chased it away. She deserved the happiness and joy they offered.

Emma Rae eased back against the cushion and glanced out the bank of living room windows at the western sky. Mountains silhouetted in black against an orange sunset lulled her into the realization that she was well and truly contented for maybe the first time in her life.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Zeke said when he sat down next to her after cueing the movie to start when Luke returned.

“I was just thinking how happy I am here with the two of you.”

“Really?” Luke asked as he entered the room carrying a bowl of popcorn. He seated himself on the opposite side of her and put the popcorn on the coffee table. “Because before we watch the movie, there’s something we wanted to talk to you about.”

She leaned forward and placed her teacup on the coffee table. “What is it?” They looked a bit more exuberant than usual. She’d gotten the distinct impression they were keeping a secret. However, she had no idea what to expect.

“We want you to consider moving in with us,” Luke said boldly. Then they both watched her as if worried about what her reaction would be.

Secretly elated, she purposely furrowed her brows and said, “Well, I don’t know. This is sort of sudden. Don’t you think?” Both of them opened their mouths slightly, stared at her like deer caught still in the high beams, and stopped breathing.

She continued but couldn’t hold the stern face. A smile crept across her lips as she continued, “I mean I already sleep here every night. And I eat almost every meal here as it is. It’s going to be a pretty big change in my life to move in with you, too.” She laughed. “You two are so serious.”

“Please tell me that’s a yes. We love you, and you must move in with us,” Luke said.

She nodded wildly, slipped an arm around each of their necks, and hugged them one after another against her face. “Of course, it’s a yes. Because I love you both, as well.” She kissed first Luke’s cheek and then Zeke’s. “I can’t imagine not being here. Thank you for offering me a home.”

Luke pulled her close and kissed her mouth with a zeal she’d come to love. When he released her, Zeke then kissed her lips hard and deep like they hadn’t seen each other in a year.

“My, my. I should say yes more often.”

Luke ran a forefinger down the side of her face. “There is something else.”

“What else?”

“We can’t wait. We’d like you to move in immediately.”

“Okay. So does that mean you want me to leave now while you two watch the movie to go home and pack, or can I just spend the night like usual and pick up my things tomorrow?”

Luke shrugged, and a smile shaped his sculpted lips. “I guess you can wait until morning. Will you need any help?”

She shook her head. “Nah. I don’t have too much. Mostly, I’ll be moving my business into the spacious room you already gave me at the back of the house.”

“I have to do ranch stuff in the morning, but I can help later on in the day.”

She shrugged. “I can manage. You already gave me a key. I already come and go as I please. I’ll ‘officially’ move in, and nothing will really change in your lives.”

“Not true. We’d like to have that all-important change-of-address card as well. We’re old fashioned that way,” Zeke said.

“Then I’ll stop at the post office on the way back here tomorrow.”

“Home,” Luke said quietly. “You’ll stop at the post office on your way
home
.”

“Right.” Head spinning happily, Emma Rae tried to remember the last time she’d had a
real
home. Orphaned since the age of three, she’d been exceptionally lucky to have a good, steady foster home until shortly after she’d turned twelve.

But when her foster father died suddenly from a heart attack, her foster mother had crumbled in sorrow, unable to continue in the program or as her parent. Emma Rae understood her foster mother’s extreme sadness but always wished she’d been able to stay and help her through it. Emma Rae had also mourned her foster father, as he was the only father she’d ever known. But she did her grieving all alone in a strange new place.

Instead of commiserating with a loved one, she spent the next six years shuffled to various group homes, each one more deplorable than the next, until she aged out of the system at eighteen. It had almost been a relief to be on her own, to make her own rules and choose her own friends. But there was a downside. Too often, she’d selected poor company in the form of boyfriends who only wanted to take advantage of her wounded spirit and eventually test her boundaries by pushing her around.

She had traded a place to live safely for crappy relationships that rarely worked out. She put up with things she didn’t like until she could get out and move on. Unfortunately, her last such encounter had ended with confinement in jail and a trumped-up, bogus charge of attempted murder.

After narrowly escaping that horrid situation, Emma Rae had moved to Ryder, Colorado, and started over completely. She’d set up the new rule of no men and managed to live by that credo until Zeke stepped into her life unexpectedly and then went on to save her during a bank robbery.

She didn’t want to put a damper on the jovial mood but felt like she needed to be forthright. “Before we move in together, I’d like to tell you about my most recent past. I want to give you full disclosure. I never told you the story of shooting my last boyfriend, did I?” She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the shock of her statement in their possibly distrustful faces.

“We already know about that.”

She opened her eyes to their very understanding expressions. She was the one surprised. “Really? How?”

“A bit of research on the Internet after Clay refused to tell us anything specific. He just said you had a bad past with men and if we made you uncomfortable he’d pound on us. I’m sorry you had to go through that. With Zachary as your lawyer, you won’t ever have to again.”

She nodded and smiled. “Clay is my very good friend. He introduced me to Zachary, who is an awesome attorney.”

“And don’t forget, I already taught you how to shoot my gun. I should also add the sincere promise that you won’t ever have to use it on me.”

“Or me,” Zeke added.

“Thank you. I wasn’t too worried. This is the first real family I’ve had since I was twelve. My poor, pitiful foster-care story will have to wait for another day. But I can’t tell you how much I appreciate being part of a family again. Now let’s watch the movie, eat popcorn, and be ordinary.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Zeke pushed the button on the remote, and the movie commenced.

She reached out and grabbed each of their hands, lacing her fingers through each so as to grip them tighter. They watched the action-adventure movie until she fell asleep. One of them had carried her to bed, but she never stirred all the rest of the night.

Emma Rae didn’t wake until early the next morning, when Luke got up to take care of his ranch duties. She scrambled out of bed early, leaving Zeke sound asleep, and left when Luke did so she could pack up her meager belongings and return before dinner.

“I’ll make you a special welcome-home dinner,” Luke said as they walked out of the front door. “What would you like?”

“Doesn’t matter. Everything you make is good. Believe me, it’s a treat to have
real
food, too. I’ve survived on takeout and peanut butter sandwiches for the bulk of my life.”

“Chef’s surprise then.” He kissed her passionately, like he hated to leave. “I love you, Emma Rae.”

“Love you, too, Luke.” Her heart went pitter-patter in her chest. “See you later this afternoon. I’ll hurry.”

He kissed her again as the eastern horizon brightened with the pending sunrise. His tongue dipped slowly and sensuously between her lips, licking her, tangling with hers, seducing her mouth until she was ready to throw him to the ground and have her wicked way with him for breakfast.

Emma Rae stumbled when he finally released her. “Steady, darlin’. Are you safe to drive?”

“Steady enough, but that was one mighty intoxicating kiss. I’ll want another later on.”

“Done. Plan on it.” He eased away with a smile on his rugged face. “Chef’s surprise for dinner and intoxicating kisses for dessert.”

She grinned and hopped in her car quickly. She wanted to race to her apartment and pack up as fast as possible. On her way, she made a mental list of chores for today. Get the boxes out of her spare room closet, pack up everything in her place, give notice on her apartment, and, most importantly, get a change-of-address form at the post office. That would make her men happy.

Streaks of light filled the eastern sky as she approached her apartment. Before she reached her turnoff, she noticed a vehicle parked on the side of the road across the street from her apartment building.

At first she thought the car was out of commission or had a flat tire, but she then she noticed a figure sitting in the driver’s seat.

As she drove by to enter the parking lot, Emma Rae got a closer look. She immediately recognized Detective Rollins seated behind the wheel. It looked as if he’d had her apartment under surveillance.

Crap
. She hoped she wasn’t going to have to deal with him today of all days. With an extra spring in her step to pack quickly and escape back to the ranch, Emma Rae headed to her ground-floor apartment, unlocked her front door, and slipped inside, dismissing the annoying detective as unimportant to her duties for today.

She was so focused on her move to Luke and Zeke’s ranch and the detective being parked out front, she didn’t notice immediately that the light she
always
kept on was turned off.

The hairs on the back of her neck sprang up like she’d stomped her foot down hard on the business end of a rake.

Someone came up behind her fast and pushed her face into the door. Before she could fight back, a black hood was thrust over her head. Blind, disoriented, and scared of the sudden darkness encompassing her on a primal level, Emma Rae struggled like a wild thing until the man crushing her against the door snagged her hand, and she felt the bite of metal enclose one wrist. Handcuffs?
Fuck
.