Build a Love (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

Build a Love

Harriet Kempton has spent the last twelve years of her life being an Ice Queen to protect her heart. Stabbed, raped, and left for dead, she can no longer trust any man. She is shocked when she meets two handsome builders, Bryan Garrett and Marco Campione. Harry feels an instant attraction to them both and wonders if it’s time to take a chance on love again. But can she get over her past and move on? Even more important—can she accept a relationship with not one but two men? Two men who have a loving sexual relationship with each other but want Harry to complete them. Harry has a demon to fight if she has any chance of future happiness. Will these men stand alongside her and help her or will her past be too much for them to handle?

Note: This book is written in first-person point of view.

Genre:
Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

Length:
54,859 words

Suzy Shearer

MENAGE AND MORE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:
Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device.
You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book.
This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

[email protected]

IMPRINT: Ménage and More

BUILD A LOVE

Copyright © 2014 by Suzy Shearer

E-book ISBN:
978-1-63258-600-1

First E-book Publication: November 2014

Cover design by Harris Channing

All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of
Build a Love
by Suzy Shearer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Suzy Shearer’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Suzy Shearer’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”—
Jo
seph Addison

Suzy Shearer

SUZY SHEARER

Copyright © 2014

Chapter One

“Yes, I’m certainly able to get it finished by the end of the week, Mr. Black. I’ll give you a call when it is ready to be collected.

“Of course. Yes, she was a beautiful subject to paint. I’ll have a good day, you have a nice day also. Thank you. Goodbye.”

Much as I enjoy my work, some of my clients drive me crazy!

I had taken on the task of painting the very rich and eccentric Mr. Black’s Chihuahua, Muffy, and after the first sitting I was regretting it. Mr. Black hovered over the dog and me, driving us both crazy. In the end, I took a few dozen photographs and after reassuring him that I would get all the dog’s facial nuances correct, they left.

Since then I have had a phone call from him every other day, asking how progress was, telling me how much the dog was looking forward to seeing it and wondering if he and Muffy should come over to check on things. I actually only had a few more hours’ work on the piece and it would be finished.

Each time the phone rang, I would grit my teeth and hope it wasn’t him. I kept telling myself “remember the commission”—it would be the final amount I needed to pay for my renovation of the studio without getting into debt.

I work as an artist and take commissions as well as doing book covers and illustrations. I have a steady good income from the book work, so any commissions I take on give me extra money. My studio needed enlarging, I needed more storage space and wanted a separate area where I could setup my commission work without interfering with any other work. I had two easels but it was crowded when they were both in use. If I had commission work, I was known for my portraits and nudes. I wanted the separate area arranged for that.

I had finally settled on a design with B.A.C. Constructions. I spent time getting a number of quotes from different builders, theirs wasn’t the cheapest but it was the most professional. They had branches interstate and had a good reputation when I did some online sleuthing.

My design had been approved by the local Council and now I just needed to iron out the little details before I gave the company permission to proceed. The best thing was Mr. Black’s portrait of Muffy would give me a little extra just in case I wanted anything added along the way.

This afternoon I had an appointment scheduled with the person who would be overseeing the project, so hopefully they would be able to start immediately. I was a little disappointed. The company secretary had rung to say the overseer I had been working with was suddenly sent to a different project and now I had to deal with someone new. I just hope he, or she, was not the pushy type who figured they knew more than the client did and refuse to compromise.

A little more work on Muffy, then I cleaned up my brushes before the person arrived. B.A.C. had just told me that the new person would be here around one this afternoon for a “walk-through” and to finalise any small details before they set a date to start work.

I brushed my hair. It was down to my waist and in a messy pony tail, so I quickly braided it into a single plait down my back. I made sure I had no paint on my face and checked I looked reasonably tidy. Although, if whoever it was didn’t like paint stained jeans and T-shirt, that was their bad luck. I was ready just before the doorbell rang a few minutes after one.

I was a little surprised when I opened the door. The man in front of me was rather cute and I could vaguely remember seeing him a few times in the offices when I had dropped off some information with the company.

Mr. Cutie held out his hand.

“Hi. Harriet Kempton? I’m Bryan Garrett, call me Bryan.”

His handshake was firm and I felt a tingle of electricity, or at least chemical attraction. He was all muscle, very tall, broad and maybe 6’8” to my 5’9”. He had gray hair, well more salt and pepper, I guess. He looked to be around forty-five and he had gorgeous blue eyes: you know, the ones that seem ice blue and oh-so sexy.

“Hello Bryan, come in please.”

I stood aside and then shut the door behind him. He stood against the wall and let me lead the way down to the studio. I had a door that linked it to my house through the large kitchen-family room now, but would have a doorway in the studio itself in the renovations so I would no longer have to have clients walk through the house.

He looked around the room and out through the windows.

“You have plenty of room for the extension. I understand you want a separate entrance, another large room, a storage area, bathroom, and a small kitchen area?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I don’t want to drag people through the house any longer. I also want the windows here on the northern side increased in size to match the ones in the extension.”

He looked at the windows, then me. “Do you need them that large? I mean that’ll take up almost the entire wall.”

I got the impression he thought it was a silly idea.

“I’m aware of that but it lets in natural light and I prefer to work that way.”

He nodded. “That makes sense.” Then he continued to prowl.

“The brief said you wanted to be able to open the window wall in the extension all the way.”

“Yes”

“And you want a kitchen? Isn’t it just as easy to use the one you have? I mean it is just behind the main wall.”

For some reason I got the idea he was trying to egg me on. I tried to remain professional.

“I know how close it is, however I hate dragging palettes in there to wash them. I also would prefer to be able to offer my clients a coffee or a cool drink from here and not leave them in here alone.”

“Okay, I didn’t think of that.”

I felt like saying “thank you” in a sarcastic voice but I refrained. This guy, cute as he was, was starting to rub me the wrong way.

“You mention that you’d like a covered deck on the side and a covered verandah at the front.”

“Yes.”

He looked at me as if expecting me to explain why but I refused to.

“And you want double French doors that open onto the side deck?”

“Yes.”

“So the verandah at the front will match what is already on your house.”

“Yes”

“Plus you want something erected to screen that side deck from the front verandah?”

“Yes.” I was getting exasperated.

He looked at me, there was a tiny smirk on his face. At that point I knew he was annoying me on purpose and was doing it just to see what I would do.