Branding Gemma [Grizzly Pines 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (13 page)

The food was good, the conversation even better. The guys were big flirts and she did her share of flirting right back. Between the casual touches on her shoulders and thighs, their fingers playing with her hair, and sweet words whispered in her ears, she was one hot mess by the time the meal came to an end. And she wasn’t ready for the night to be over yet.

“Would it be presumptuous to take you back to our place?” Ryan asked. “Because I have to admit, I’m dying to see what you’re hiding under this sexy outfit.”

She felt her cheeks warm. “I promised myself no sex on the first date. I’ve always given in so easily before, but I’m trying to change my ways.”

“So what about sex after the second date?” Synclair asked with a grin.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Hey, I’m a guy. I’ve thought about sex every thirty seconds since I saw you in this outfit. You have no idea how much restraint I’ve used tonight.”

“I have to side with Synclair on this one,” Ryan said. “But we don’t want to rush you. We aren’t looking for a fling, Gemma. And I don’t know if it makes a difference or not, but we’ve never shared a woman before. When we realized we both wanted you, we decided to compromise instead of competing with one another for your affection. We each bring something different to a relationship, and I think we balance each other out.”

“So this is the first time you’ve gone a date together? I mean, well…you know what I mean,” she said.

Ryan smiled. “Yeah, this is the first time we’ve taken the same woman out on a date. We’ve double-dated in the past, but this is entirely different.”

“So I’m not the only one who hasn’t been on a date like this before.” She smiled. “Oddly enough, that makes me feel better. I figured the two of you did this all the time.”

“No, Gemma.” Synclair took her hand. “You’re special.”

It warmed her heart to hear those words, but how often had a guy told her that in the past only to treat her horribly, even cheat on her? She wasn’t saying that Ryan and Synclair would do that, but did she really know them well enough to make that kind of statement? It was possible they were just showing her their best sides and their true colors would come out later. It had been known to happen, a little too frequently. Her cousin seemed to think Synclair was a bad boy. Had he based that assumption on things he’d heard or just by looking at the man?

Synclair paid the check and helped her up from the booth. As they headed toward the door, their waitress stopped them, giving Synclair a flirty smile, despite the fact his hand was on Gemma’s lower back, guiding her toward the door.

“I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” the woman purred.

“Everything was fine,” Synclair said and kept walking.

The woman scowled and cast Gemma a dark look. It was clear she was wondering what a man like Synclair would want with someone like Gemma. Obviously, the man prefers softer curves to the bone thinness of their waitress and, for that, Gemma was grateful. It was always refreshing to meet a man who liked a little more weight on a woman. Gemma was still far from her ideal size, but she was getting there. If she had any say in the matter, she’d be up to a nice plump sixteen in no time. She supposed the size twelve she was currently was healthier for someone her size, but she felt too thin. Besides, the first thing that had shrunk on her had been her boobs, and she sorely missed the girls.

“What time do you want us to come out tomorrow?” Synclair asked.

“Morning would probably be better. It won’t be as hot then.”

“Eight o’clock?”

“Sounds good.” She smiled. “I’ll have to let my cousins know you’re coming so they’ll leave three horses for us.”

When they reached the ranch, Synclair helped her out of the SUV and both guys walked her to the door. On the porch, Ryan pulled her into his arms and placed a gentle, sweet kiss on her lips. It was enough to make her wonder what kind of lover he’d be, and she hoped she’d find out at some point. Synclair gathered her close, but his kiss was completely different. Strong, powerful, he dominated her, leaving her knees weak. Giving them both a smile, she let herself into the house, staring at them through the crack in the door until it closed all the way.

“Have a nice time?” Elodie asked from the living room.

“Yeah.” Gemma’s smile broadened. “They’re going to come out tomorrow and ride. Maybe herd some cows for me.”

“For you?” Beau asked from his recliner.

“They said they knew how to cowboy with the best of them, so I decided to test them. Can’t get serious about guys who can’t ride properly or rope a calf. It just wouldn’t be right.”

Beau laughed. “Yeah, I see your point. All right. I’ll bring some cows up close to the house for you and leave a few horses in the barn.”

“Thanks, Beau. If the two of you don’t mind, I think I’ll head up and shower before working on my project for a bit.”

Beau gave her a sly look. “You mean that bodice ripping romance?”

Her jaw dropped. “There is no bodice ripping! And how do you know what I’m working on?”

“I peeked.”

“I guess this means everyone knows now.”

Elodie smiled. “Just the four of us. We promise not to tell your secret to anyone in the family, not until you’re ready. We think it’s great though. You know Cody is writing one, too?”

“No, he never said anything.” She wondered why he hadn’t when she’d spilled her secret to him.

“I guess it runs in the family,” Elodie said.

“Maybe. I’ll see you both in the morning. The guys are coming at eight.”

“I’ll have everything ready for you by then,” Beau said. “’Night, Gemma.”

“Good night.”

She climbed the stairs and gathered her pajamas before heading into the bathroom. It didn’t take her long to shower and dress for bed. Gemma dropped her clothes into the hamper and went back to her room so she could get to work. She’d set a goal for herself. At least four thousand words a day. Some days, she did as much as ten thousand, and other days it was more like two thousand. It just depended on whether or not her characters were speaking to her.

Sitting down on the bed, she pulled the laptop into her lap and got to work.

The next day, the guys were right on time and Gemma greeted them at the door, her boots already on. They gave her a good morning kiss before heading toward the barn. When they reached the red structure, they found three horses inside, just like Beau had promised. It didn’t take long to saddle them.

“Where are we riding?”

“Beau said he’d put some cows in the pasture near the house. There’s a gate behind the barn near the smaller corral.”

They led their horses out of the barn and around back. Leading them through the gate, Ryan made sure it was latched before they mounted up. They brought lariats with them and hooked them over the saddle horns. She had to admit, the cowboy look was fabulous on both of them. Synclair had a black hat on with a black tee, Wranglers, and black boots. Ryan was his opposite in a light blue tee, Wranglers, a white straw hat, and brown boots. She had a white knight and a dark knight. It nearly made her giggle, but she controlled it—barely.

As they neared the cattle, Beau’s blue heeler came barreling into the pasture, barking and putting the cows into motion. It seemed the dog knew what was about to happen and had decided to lend a hand—or rather, paw. The dog separated a red heifer and Synclair took off after it, his lariat already in motion. He let it loose and roped the beast on the first try. Gemma applauded, a big smile on her face.

He got down and freed the animal before mounting his horse again. The dog went after another one and Ryan took off. If possible, he roped it in less time than Synclair had. She was more than a little impressed. Her guys could rope and ride. She knew Ryan rode bulls, but she wondered what else the two were capable of.

They rode over to her, smiles on their faces.

“Told you we could rope a few cows,” Ryan said.

“So you did.” She smirked. “But can you keep up with me?”

Before they could react, she touched her heels to her horse and took off like a shot across the pasture. It didn’t take long before she heard the guys thundering after her. Synclair caught up to her first and used his horse to steer her into a field of blue bonnets. For some reason, the cattle left them alone.

He dismounted just as Ryan was sliding off his horse, and pulled her down into his arms. Taking her to the ground, he covered her mouth with his. Gemma sank her hands into his hair, knocking his hat from his head. Ryan stretched out beside them and played with her hair, patiently waiting for his turn.

When Synclair pulled back, Ryan tugged her into his arms and kissed her, pouring more passion into the kiss than he had the previous night. It seemed her men were trying to set her on fire. She’d already been halfway there, just watching them ride, seeing those tight Wranglers hugging their butts. The tingling in her lips travelled through her body, making her nipples tighten and her pussy weep. They had her ready to strip out of her clothes in the middle of the field. Part of her wanted to wait, to get to know them better. But the other part? Yeah, it was ready to take them for a test drive.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” Synclair said, desire burning in his eyes.

“I’ve never wanted a woman more,” said Ryan.

Did she dare throw caution to the wind?

“I want you. Both of you,” she admitted.

“Not such a good idea out here,” Synclair said. “Besides, you should know a little more about us before we get to that step.”

“Like what?”

He glanced at Ryan before looking down at her again. “Like the fact that we can both be rather dominant in the bedroom. We’ll give you the greatest pleasure you’ve ever experienced, but only if you give yourself to us completely, do everything we say.”

She licked her lips. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“We also like to bind our women,” Ryan said. “Leaving them completely at our mercy.”

“If you’ve never shared a woman before, how do you know so much about what each of you do in the bedroom?” she asked.

Synclair smiled. “Because we’ve shared stories and shopped at the same stores.”

“Shopped?”

Ryan leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear. “For sex toys.”

A shiver raked her spine and her nipples tightened even more. She could imagine being bound and at their mercy, both of them doing delicious, wicked things to her body. She’d bet they would make her come more than once. Now she wanted them more than ever!

“You stop by my shop tomorrow night and we’ll give you a taste,” Synclair promised.

“You don’t need me to come in tomorrow?”

“Why don’t you wait another day? Besides”—his gaze raked over her—“I don’t know how much work I’m going to get done with you under my nose, tempting me.”

“So you don’t want me to come work for you?”

He smiled. “We’ll see how it goes. Maybe I can keep my hands off you. Something tells me once I’ve had a taste, all bets are off.”

“I wouldn’t be much better if you came to work for me,” Ryan admitted. “I can just see myself clearing my desk to have my way with you.”

“Oh my.” Her eyes widened. “What if I want you to take advantage of me?”

Synclair groaned before taking her lips again in another scorching kiss. “You are a temptation, there is no doubt.”

“We’d better get back to the house before we forget ourselves and take you here and now,” Ryan said, rising to his feet. He held out a hand and helped her up as Synclair stood.

She grinned. “Race you back to the house?”

“You’re on.” Ryan smiled.

They mounted their horses and took off as if the hounds of hell were chasing them.

* * * *

The next night, Gemma nervously smoothed her clothes before stepping into
Skin to Skin. It was after nine and she hoped Synclair didn’t have a bunch of appointments. He hadn’t said what time to stop by. Her hands trembled as she pulled the door open. The buzzing of a tattoo gun filled the shop as she stepped inside, letting the door close behind her. Ryan was kicked back at the front desk, his feet resting on the surface. A quick glance showed Synclair hard at work on a big man with a bald head.

“I didn’t know when to show up,” she said as she approached Ryan.

“I think he’s almost done. This is his last appointment for the night.”

“I hope he isn’t losing business because I’m here.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should have met when he was finished for the night.”

“That would be around midnight or so. We didn’t think you’d want to be out so late. Not that Grizzly Pines isn’t safe, compared to Dallas anyway, but it’s best if you get home before it gets too late.”

“And if I want to go home with you?” She leaned on the desk, displaying her cleavage.

His gaze zeroed in on the neckline of her shirt before lifting to look at her face again. “One thing at a time. You may decide we’re too much for you to handle. Bondage isn’t for everyone.”

She cast a quick glance at the client to see if he’d overheard. Thankfully, he wasn’t paying them any attention. She’d prefer to keep her sex life private. Well, as private as it could be, since it seemed she was about to have sex in the tattoo shop. Gemma still couldn’t believe she was here, about to go through with this. If her cousins had known what she was up to, they would have locked her in her room for sure, in an attempt to prevent her from making a mistake. They weren’t too thrilled that she had gone out with Synclair and Ryan. Hypocritical of them since they were in a ménage relationship. She knew her brothers had dabbled in that lifestyle as well, and wondered if her family was predisposed toward those types of relationships.