Wild Love [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “We can’t tell her what we are just yet. She’s not ready. If we do, she’ll freak out, and who knows what will happen.”

  Jacob and Jayden exchanged a look, the one they often used when they knew he was right but didn’t like it. Jacob nodded. “So we give her time to get to know us first. But we can’t take too long. The sooner we can tell her, the sooner she’ll accept us as her mates and the sooner she’ll get well.”

  “Exactly.” Jackson took in her pale face, her dark eyelashes, and her smooth, silky skin. The quicker she accepted them, the better. They could pleasure her and make her theirs. His cock twitched just thinking about lying between her legs.

  The brothers came to the edge of the bed, silent as they let their thoughts take over. Emma’s breathing was regular, and a smile formed on her face.

  “We have to get her to come to.”

  “You’re right, Jacob.” Sitting back on the bed, Jackson took her hand in his and squeezed. “Emma, listen to me. Open your eyes.”

  She squirmed and frowned. But she didn’t open her eyes.

  “Emma. Wake up.”

  He rubbed her hand and hoped his touch would succeed where his voice hadn’t. Once again, he delved into her mind, going only as far as was necessary to reach her. For several torturous minutes, he was afraid she’d never wake up. Then her eyelids fluttered, and she opened her big doe eyes.

  Chapter Four

  Emma blinked at the bright sunlight coming through the window. She moaned, blinking again to try and bring the blurry images into focus. Her mind struggled to remember as memories of an angry Brian leaving her apartment converged with the memory of a tall, handsome man riding a horse. “Where am I?”

  She pressed her palm to her forehead as the world slowly came into focus. She blinked again then gasped and yanked the quilt covering her up to her chin. Three incredibly sexy men stood by her bed.

  Jacob raised his hands, palms out. “Take it easy, Emma. Everything’s okay. You’re safe in the house you rented from us. We can explain, but give yourself a minute to adjust.” His dark gaze locked onto her. An immediate sense of yearning, a powerful burst of lust, flowed over her, shuddering though her. She took a steadying breath then shook it off. Now was no time to be thinking with her libido. She had to use her head. Her attention shifted to the other two men.

  The men had to be Jacob’s brothers. Their dark coloring, the shape of their intense eyes, even the way they stood screamed of a relationship born of blood. She’d have recognized them just from their shadowy images standing behind Jacob whenever she’d thought about him.

  The tallest one looked like the youngest sibling, and his mischievous grin made her wonder what he was thinking. He was as strongly built as the other two men, but his face was a bit softer, rounder than theirs, showing the youthfulness that would fade in a few years. Long eyelashes that took nothing away from his masculinity highlighted the dark eyes and high cheekbones. His long black hair touched the tips of his shoulders.

  The other man, the one who stared at her the hardest, exuded an extra confidence as though he were their leader. He stood, feet apart, his muscular arms crossed over his wide chest. He was as tall as Jacob and, like the youngest man, his dark hair framed his steel-like chin. He lifted his head to thrust out his chin, shook the silky black hair away from his face, and never took his eyes off her.

  “Jacob? How did you get in?” To her amazement, she sounded almost as though she’d half expected them.

  Jacob started to sit on the edge of the bed, saw the warning in her widened eyes, and stood back up. “My brothers, Jackson and Jayden, wanted to meet you, so we ran over to say hello. We’d just arrived when we saw you faint, so we rushed inside to help.”

  He adopted a wry smile. “It’s a good thing I still had a key, huh? I mean, as a landlord should, of course.”

  Now she remembered. She’d fainted from the pain of her headache. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. She blushed and averted her eyes. “I guess it was exhaustion. I must’ve overdone it, but I’m fine. So you can leave now.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Stunned, she looked at the one in charge. She started to argue with him, but his hard expression trapped the words in her throat.

  “I’m Jackson, the oldest brother, and we’re not going anywhere.”

  Irritation flashed through her. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I’d rather you leave. I’m happy to have met you, even if the circumstances weren’t what I’d hoped. But you can understand that I’m a little thrown by what happened, right?”

  “Understandable. I’m Jayden, by the way.” The youngest brother’s grin grew wider. “You scared the hell out of us, you know.”

  “Tell us why you fainted.” Jackson narrowed his eyes.

  “I told you. I worked too hard is all. Or maybe I’m a little anemic. I’ll grab some iron supplements at the store tomorrow and I’ll be fine. Now, please leave.”

  “We’re not going anywhere until you tell us what really happened.” Jacob strode to the only chair in the room and plopped down. “We know you didn’t faint because you were tired. Or if that’s the case, then your exhaustion isn’t the result of overdoing it in the move to Forever.”

  “What my brother’s saying is that we know it’s something more.” Jayden sat on the edge of the bed farthest away from her.

  She brought her knees to her chest, keeping the quilt pulled around her, and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. How would you know about my health, anyway? You don’t know anything about me except what I put on the lease application.”

  Or did they? Had she gotten mixed up in something more? Alarm stiffened her neck. Granted, they were three of the hottest men she’d ever seen, but what kind of men were they? She was in a house out of town and away from anyone who could hear her scream. Yet, she didn’t feel afraid, simply upset. But was she upset at them? Or irritated that they’d caught her at a vulnerable time?

  The idea of them harming her was ridiculous. She sensed that she could trust them. She wasn’t sure why, but she did. Her gut told her they were okay. Still, she needed to be cautious. She’d trusted Brian, and he’d taken her faith in him and squashed it.

  “We know that you—”

  Jackson laid a hand on Jayden’s shoulder, cutting off his words. “We have a feeling that you’re in trouble, that’s all. That maybe there’s something physically wrong. You can trust us, Emma. We only have your well-being at heart.”

  Trust. There was that word again. Her heart wanted her to believe them, but her head kept blaring alarms. “I told you. I’m fine. Now please leave.”

  “Sorry again, but that’s not happening. We’d worry about you all night, and I don’t make a practice of worrying. Instead, we’re going to stick around in case you need us. We’ll check in on you every so often, but we won’t bother you since you need your rest.” Jackson crossed his arms.

  “But I told you. I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, we heard you. But once big brother says something, you might as well accept it and deal with it as best you can.” Jayden rose and headed for the door. “I’m going to see what I can pull together in the kitchen. You look like you could use a hot meal.”

  “Good idea, bro. I’ll help you.” Jacob winked at her then followed his brother.

  “Do you guys always stick your noses into other people’s business?” She couldn’t decide if she was comforted or frightened by their refusal to leave.

  Jackson shrugged. “Not always.” His expression grew more serious. “Only for those we care about.”

  She hadn’t expected that answer and couldn’t find a response that didn’t sound ungrateful. Instead she let her gaze roam over the wide shoulders and along the strong arms to the lean waist. Her mouth watered as her gaze skimmed over the tented portion of his crotch.

  He wants me.

  She gripped the quilt tighter. And I want him. And his b
rothers, too.

  Unnerved by her blatant realization, she forced her focus down to study the patchwork pattern of the quilt.

  “What if I still refuse? What if I call the law?” Did a small town like Forever even have a police force? Besides, what could she say? Three men came to her aid when she passed out then took care of her?

  He thrust a cell phone in front of her face. She inhaled, taking in a quick burst of masculine scent mixed with an indefinable edge that reminded her of the prairie.

  “Go ahead. Give it a try. But I should tell you that the sheriff’s a good friend of mine, so he probably won’t hurry to help you. You’ll have to phone the sheriff in the next town.” He paused then added, “But he’s my cousin, so who knows if he’ll come?”

  She couldn’t bring herself to take the phone. If she did, she might touch him, and she knew she’d want to touch him all over his body if that happened. Besides, what good would it do if the law was his friends and family? Instead, she shook her head, and he slid the phone into his shirt pocket.

  “So, Jackson, what passes for the law here aside from your friends and family? Is there a court? A judge?”

  He was silent for several minutes, making her uneasy. His dark eyes sparkled with amber flakes. “In Forever, I’m the law.”

  * * * *

  The three brothers stuck to their word, coming to her room to give her a microwave dinner and an apple in bed then poking their heads in once in a while to check on her. She relaxed, accepting their watchful attention and even growing to enjoy it. Rested, fed, and changed into her sleep shirt, she slept through the night for the first time in weeks.

  When she awoke the next morning, she smiled, stretched, and greeted the day with enthusiasm. She flung back the covers and glanced at the opened closet. The Carr brothers had hung her clothes for her. She opened the drawers of the old dresser to find her lingerie and nighties folded neatly away.

  “If I’d known renting a house would include maid and cook service, I’d have come sooner.” She caught her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles still haunted the skin below her eyes, but her brown eyes sparkled with renewed energy. She grabbed a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, and underwear to take with her into the bathroom.

  The bathroom wasn’t fancy, but it was very homey. Scented soaps sat in ceramic fish-shaped bowls on the pedestal sink and on the edge of the shower-tub combination. Brightly colored fish swam on the curtain while seashells dotted the shelves. Her toiletries were placed in a row in the medicine cabinet. “Well, look at that. A fish-themed bathroom in the middle of dry Texas. Interesting.”

  She turned on the shower and sighed as the water grew warmer. Stepping into the shower, she let the water flow over her breasts then turned and let it skim down her back and over her buttocks.

  “Emma?”

  She jumped, almost falling on the slippery tub bottom. Keeping the shower curtain closed, she peeked her head around to gape at him. “Jackson, what are you doing in here?”

  The heat from his glittering amber-flecked eyes bore into her. Her pussy creamed and her clit throbbed, weakening her legs. She scanned his body, drinking in his tall, hard form.

  “I came to tell you that breakfast is ready.”

  “You’re still here? You and your brothers?” She ran a hand through her wet hair. “Why didn’t you knock?”

  “I did. And yeah, we’re still here. I told you we’d stick around all night.” He slid his tongue over his upper lip.

  She shivered, her gaze fixed on his mouth. Parting her lips, she could almost taste his flavors. Her breathing quickened, and she clutched the shower curtain tighter. “Jackson, I don’t think you should be in—”

  Moving faster than she’d have thought possible, he came to her and crushed his mouth to hers. At first she froze. Then his lips lit a fire inside her that melted any chance that she’d protest. She moaned and leaned into the kiss.

  He skimmed his tongue between her lips as though teasing her. But his teasing didn’t last long as he shoved his tongue inside her mouth. She greeted his with hers, lashing around to drink in every ounce of his tastes. He whipped his tongue around her mouth, exploring, tempting her, then sucking on her tongue. The fire he’d started grew, sweeping through her body.

  She still clung to the shower curtain, but he didn’t let that stop him. Cupping her breast through the thin plastic, he rubbed his thumb over her already-hardened nipple then cupped her behind the neck to keep her close. His touch alone made her pussy throb.

  He threaded his fingers through her wet hair, groaning as he pressed his palm against her nipple. He nibbled on her bottom lip then skimmed his lips along her cheek to feather kisses down to the valley between her chin and neck. She trembled, sighing when he playfully bit her.

  “Jackson.” She couldn’t think, couldn’t act, couldn’t say anything except his name.

  She felt the cream oozing from her, mixing with the water to slide down her legs. He nibbled on her earlobe and brought his hand to her other breast. She let go of the shower curtain, giving him permission to slide his hand between her legs.

  She mewled, unable to resist him. He pulled her closer, wetting the front of his shirt. Growling, he pushed his fingers between her pussy folds and tortured her aching clit. She jerked as an orgasm swept over her, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders.

  “You’re mine. You’re ours.”

  She couldn’t have responded if she’d had to. Instead, she arched against him, urging him to do more, to take more. He lifted her over the tub’s edge and sat her on the toilet.

  The cool surface of the toilet lid made her shudder until he kneeled before her, spread her legs, and pushed his face against her pussy. He pulled her lips apart then lashed his tongue over her clit. She cried out and gripped his hair.

  Sucking, nipping, pressing his tongue against her, he drove her crazy. She thrust her hips against his face, wanting him to drink her dry. He ran his hands to her breasts, and she clasped her hands over his, pushing him against her. She spread her legs wider, and he quickened his pace, lashing at her with his tongue as he plunged two fingers into her pussy.

  He finger-fucked her, driving in and out until she had to stifle a scream. He swept his tongue from her clit to her pussy and back again.

  The turmoil brewing inside her whipped her to a frenzy. She moaned and reached for his hair. If she could keep him between her legs forever, she would.

  He pressed his mouth to her pussy and sucked harder, faster. The satisfied sounds he made sent her to the precipice again.

  All at once, he pulled away, leaving her shaking. “No. Don’t stop.”

  His eyes, more amber filled than before, latched onto her. Lust filled his face, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I can’t go on. It wouldn’t be fair to my brothers or to you.”

  “Fair? I don’t understand. I want you now.”

  He stood, and she saw him shudder with the effort to move away. “We all want you, but you’re not ready. Not yet.”

  “Yes, I am.” She reached out, but he backed away and started for the door.

  At the last moment, he pivoted toward her. She could see his yearning and sensed him wanting to come back to her. But soon his features hardened. “Get dressed and come into the kitchen.”

  He was gone before she could complain. She stared at the doorway, her mouth parted, her mind whirling with questions.

  She hurried, dressing as quickly as she could and combing through her damp hair. Her heart pounded as she left the bedroom and hurried down the hallway toward the small kitchen. The aroma of fresh coffee and bacon overtook her. Her mouth watered as she came to a stop in the kitchen doorway.

  Three gorgeous, sexy men worked to prepare breakfast. Jayden whistled as he flipped an omelet then turned the strips of bacon frying in the pan. Jacob stacked toast on a plate while Jackson poured coffee into four mugs and set them on the table by the plates and utensils. She took in the sight, tears welling in her eyes.
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  She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had cooked for her. Brian never had. She watched, touched more than she could ever say, as Jacob brought the toast to the table along with a single rose in a small vase. They’d taken care of her all night, unpacked for her, and made her breakfast.

  She pushed down the emotion clogging her throat then cleared her throat, garnering their attention. “Is this all for me?”

  Jacob came to her, his hand outstretched. “Who else would it be for?”

  Jayden busied himself by sliding an omelet and two pieces of bacon onto a plate. He held it in front of him and did a short bow. “For you, m’lady.”

  She laughed and let Jacob lead her to the table where Jackson pulled out a seat. His dark gaze flicked over her, and a silent acknowledgment of their interlude in the bathroom zipped between them. She took her seat and clasped her hands in her lap.

  “Tell us again how you got your shirt wet, Jackson.” Jacob took a seat next to her and gave her a wink.

  “One last time. I startled Emma while she was in the shower, and she doused me with water to get me out of the room.” Jackson sat down and glanced at her, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  “Is that right, Emma? Did you shoot him with the spray nozzle?” Jayden sat down and reached for his coffee mug.

  “Um, he startled me. That’s for sure.” She didn’t like lying and hadn’t. But she hadn’t told them the entire truth, either.

  “Hmm. Good story.” Jacob shot her a knowing look as he buttered his toast.

  She sat and watched as they chatted about the day’s chores, the cattle branding next month, and other ranch business. They ate their toast, sipped hot coffee, and shoved large bites of food into their mouths. She took a bite of the slightly burned toast then tried to swallow the dry bread with the help of a big gulp of coffee. The coffee burned her mouth and she coughed, the toast taking a hard trip down her throat.

  Jacob patted her on the back. “Hey, are you okay?”

  Jayden glared at his brother. “She would be if she hadn’t tried to eat that charred piece of cardboard you call toast.”