Burnin' Love [Men for Hire: Firemen 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (7 page)

“Yeah. Besides, we need to take shifts,” added Troy.

“Great.” She pushed the glass of wine away. “I know it’s not kosher to mix alcohols, but I’m not really all that big on wine. How about I get out the bourbon and mix us a hot toddy?”

Or more than one.

“That sounds like what my grandmother would drink.”

She laughed at Wade’s grimace. “Where do you think I got the idea? But this isn’t that kind of toddy. In fact, I’d say there’ll be a lot more toddy than tea. One of my toddies will go a long way to relax you.”

“I’d just as soon take a shot of the bourbon than even bother with the tea part.”

“You can have it any way you want it, Troy.” She met Wade’s gaze, hoping he’d understand the real meaning behind her offer.

Wade paused, then nodded, harder than was necessary. “Hey, I’m up for anything. I don’t think we’ve had a lot of wine. And I wouldn’t care anyway.”

“We need to stay sober. We’re on the job, remember?”

Troy let out a groan. “We know, Paul, but a couple of drinks aren’t going to hurt. Loosen up, will ya?”

She kept quiet, hoping that in this instance, silence would be golden.

“Yeah, come on, Paul. You said it yourself. The likelihood of anything happening is remote. This Charlie girl doesn’t know who Daisy is or where she took Melissa.”

Paul wanted to let go. She could see it in his eyes. Leaning forward, she let the front of her dress fall forward just enough for a little enticement. “Please, Paul?”

His gaze landed exactly where she’d hope it would. “Fine. But one of us has to stay on guard at all times.”

“Deal.” Troy stood up and took the wine bottle to the fridge. “Start mixing the drinks, Daisy.”

“Yeah.” Wade was up and moving the food to the kitchen counter. “You’re on guard duty first, Paul.”

* * * *

For Wade it was his dream come true. He’d spent his years in high school lusting after Daisy Winters. Now, here she was, standing in a kitchen and downing shots with him. Correction, with him and Troy, while Paul watched on like some stone statue. He couldn’t blame Paul. After what he’d gone through with Amber, the man had to have developed a thick skin.

He wouldn’t mind sharing her with Troy. In fact, they’d often half-joked about it in high school. Sharing Daisy with his brother was a lot better than not having her at all. Plus, it added a whole different element of excitement. There was no way either one of them would’ve gotten her on their own back then, and even if they had managed that miracle, neither one of them could have imagined shutting the other brother out.

Then, after they’d joined the Firemen for Hire team, they’d even had serious discussions about sharing one woman. Not only for a night or two, but for the rest of their lives. The talks had come about after visiting the Second Chance Ranch and finding out that several of the men who worked on the Cowboys for Hire teams had decided to take one woman between them. He’d thought the idea was ludicrous at first, but after seeing how well it worked for them, he’d given it more thought. As one cowboy had put it, “Some special women are just too much for one man to handle.”

If any woman was that kind of woman, it was Daisy Winters.

“Here you go.” She poured a liberal amount of booze into a shot glass for Wade and Troy, then put some of it into the tea she’d made for herself.

“To Daisy Winters.” Wade lifted his glass in a toast.

“Yeah. To Daisy Winters and our finding her again.”

Wade clinked his glass against first Troy’s, then Daisy’s, then downed the shot. The liquid fire burned a path down his throat.

Wade watched her lips as she took a sip, then another, of her toddy. His penis had already gotten a head start on growing long and hard when they’d come into the kitchen, but the damn thing was standing up straight and pushing against his belly. If he didn’t do something soon, he’d have to either cut it off—
Hell no!
—or let it fly off his body like a heat-seeking missile. He leaned against the counter and hooked his thumbs in one pocket of his jeans so he could pull the denim away without being obvious.

He’d thought that had worked when he caught Paul giving him the eye. If Paul had seen, then Daisy would soon enough. He had to cover himself. That, or draw her attention away.

“Baby”—he paused as they all took in the term of endearment—“hit me again.” He thrust out his shot glass.

“Take it easy, man,” warned Paul, who’d taken up a position near the entrance to the kitchen.

Fuck off, Paul.

Wade downed the second shot. She was sipping her drink like a lady, but he was willing to bet that she was anything but a lady in the sack. The drink hit him, loosening up what little inhibition was left.

He slid his gaze along her body. The dress she wore clung to the curve of her hips and the rise of her breasts. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her wear a dress in high school, but thought she should wear them more often. She took another sip and as soon as her lips pursed against the mug, he lost control.

He pulled her to him, letting his arms wind around her slender waist and tugging her closer. She blinked as though confused at first, then reached up and took him behind the neck. He looked down and wondered how soft her lips were.

He had to find out. If he did nothing else the rest of his life, he had to know the answer to that question.

She didn’t stop him when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. If she felt his erection against her stomach, she didn’t let on. Instead, she moved closer, making it known that she knew what the hardness was.

Troy groaned, but he didn’t dare break the kiss. He knew what his brother was going through, but he couldn’t help but feel smug that he’d taken the first move. The first move of many, he hoped.

She was so perfect, her body molding to his as though they were two parts of a whole that had been broken apart and now finally glued back together. He never wanted them to be apart again. It had been true from the first day he’d seen her in high school and it was still true today.

The heat from her melted into him. She was starving for the right kind of affection and he intended to feed that need for as long as she’d allow.

Her lips were softer than he had imagined. And insistent. The longer they kissed, the harder she pressed her mouth to his. They shared tastes, flicking each other’s tongue back and forth. It was a sex game, but so much more than that, too.

She was the one to stop the kiss. Yet instead of leaning away from him, she burrowed her face against his neck. The gesture made him feel more like a man than anything ever had.

“Damn, what took you so long?”

He risked sounding mushy. “When an angel falls into your arms, it takes a while to believe you’ve been blessed.”

She glanced up at him, her dark eyes alight with joy. “Wow. That was freakin’ beautiful.”

On any other woman, it would’ve sounded crass. But on Daisy? It was like hearing songbirds sing.

He chuckled, then glanced at his brother. Troy’s expression was one of abject yearning. But he’d have to wait. Wade wanted her for himself for a few moments longer.

“I’ve wanted you since I was a kid.”

“If I’d had any sense back then, I would’ve come to you. To both of you.”

He glanced at Paul. Although he might’ve thought the fact that she’d left him out would’ve hurt him, Paul showed no reaction. He was as steely-eyed as ever as he leaned against the wall, almost in the shadows of the room. It was as though he was trying to stay out of the way, even out of sight.

Or out of harm’s way.

But that wasn’t his problem. Not when he had her next to him.

“I’m not the girl I was back then.”

“And we’re not those nerds. But you’re still you and what we know about you is enough.”

“What do you know?”

Troy answered first. “We know you love mint chocolate ice cream. And that you have a soft spot for kittens and puppies.”

“That could be true for a lot of women.”

Wade had no doubt his brother wouldn’t give up convincing her that they still knew a lot about her.

“We know that you hate perfume, and that you can’t stand politicians who lie. Which, of course, includes every politician I’ve ever heard of.”

Wade enjoyed the way she tightened her hold around his neck. Her giggle was light and airy. “True enough.”

“We know that you’ve got a kind heart and are willing to help someone in need.”

“The same could be said for you guys, you know.”

Wade skimmed his hand along her spine and felt her tremble. When he put his palm over her butt cheek, she didn’t protest. If he had to guess, he’d have sworn she wanted his hands all over her.

“Daisy, we know who you were and people don’t change that much. You were a special person then and you’re even more special now.”

Wade couldn’t stand it any longer. He hooked his finger under her chin then pressed his lips to hers. She was as soft as before, but her eagerness had grown even more insistent. He pulled her closer, wanting her closer than was humanly possible, but he had to try. Her breasts pushed against his chest, daring him to play with them.

He needed her more than he could’ve put into words, but he wanted to make sure that he kept control. Pleasing her was the most important thing and he’d do that at whatever cost to himself. He’d come to protect her and he’d protect her however he could. After a few moments of sweet kissing, he flicked his tongue along the seam of her lips, then broke the kiss.

Daisy leaned away just far enough to lift her head and look at his brother. “Troy.”

Troy took a step toward her, then stopped. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to do anything because you’ve had a drink.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Troy Chambliss, I’ve had one toddy. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot more than that to get me drunk. No, I want this. I want you.”

Wade’s time with her alone was over, but he didn’t mind. Sharing her would be something special, too. “Join us, bro.”

Troy moved closer to sandwich her between them. He pressed a quick kiss to her shoulder, then slid his palms down her arms. “How about we take this upstairs?”

She nodded, then turned and took both of their hands. “More drink first?”

“No. Let’s go.” Wade didn’t want anything to dull his senses of her.

She took a step then stopped. “Paul?”

If she was asking Paul to join them, then it was okay with him. But he wasn’t sure what her question really was.

Paul remained quiet for a moment, then gave her a slow, sad shake of his head. “Can’t. Someone has to be on duty.”

The man had more will power than Wade would ever know. He couldn’t have turned her down any more than he could’ve lassoed the moon from the sky. Hell, he wouldn’t have even tried. Problem was, he could sense Daisy’s disappointment.

“I understand.” She squeezed their hands then turned them loose. With her head high, she walked past the unmoving Paul and out of the kitchen.

* * * *

Troy kept expecting to wake up out of the dream at any moment. He watched Daisy’s bottom sway enticingly as they went up the stairs and didn’t dare think a second farther into the future. To think about what was about to happen was to tempt fate and he’d lose his mind if anything got in the way of it.

Daisy led them to the room on the left of the hallway. Two doors were on the right and he assumed that Melissa was in one of those. If she was as tired as Daisy said she was, then she’d never hear them.

Daisy opened the room and stepped inside. Two twin beds and a small dresser were the only furnishings. “This is where two of you can sleep while the other stands guard.”

He had to resist begging her not to change her mind. If she’d brought them upstairs just to show them the room and nothing else, he’d have to find a way, a very hard way, to get rid of his erection.

Daisy was so beautiful, so alluring, so naturally exciting. She was everything he’d ever hoped to find in a woman and so much more.

She turned, standing in front of them and between them, then took the straps of her dress and slipped them off her shoulders. The dress fell to the floor and his jaw would’ve followed if he hadn’t caught himself in time.

She was naked from the top of her red hair to the tips of her red-painted toenails. Her small, perky breasts pointed at them, like beacons for their lust that they would follow all the way to finding her treasure. Her stomach was nicely rounded with just enough pooch to cushion a man’s head when he laid it to rest there. Her mons was clean-shaven and her legs strong.

“Is it okay? Am I okay?”

At first he wasn’t sure what she meant. Then it hit him. “You’re amazing.”

She was so hot that he wasn’t surprised to find that his hands shook. From excitement or from nerves, he wasn’t sure. But he was sure that she was the only one who could’ve ever gotten that reaction from him.

“So are you guys going to just stand there gawking at me? Or are you going to get out of your clothes?”

She was still the same blunt, say-it-like-it-is Daisy.

She turned and got on top of the bed and spread her hair out on top of the pillow.

“I’m not complaining, but is there a full-size bed in the house?”

Troy didn’t care. With or without a bed, he was going to be with her. He started stripping off his shirt. His boots and his jeans soon followed. “If you’d rather sit this out with Paul, then, bro, feel free to do that.”

Wade started undoing his buttons. “Pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Troy hurried to her side even though his legs felt like they’d suddenly changed into wood. His penis, however, was ready to go.

It was the culmination of all his boyhood dreams and his manly needs all rolled into one. She was his fantasy come true.

Wade stalked past him and climbed on top of the bed. He got onto his belly and put his face between her thighs. “God in heaven, but she’s wet.” He drew in a long breath and let out a satisfied sigh. He tucked his arms under her legs and pulled her to him, then swiped his tongue over her pussy.