Accepting Eva [Slick Rock 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

She held her coffee away from him as he playfully reached for it. “I am not late,” she said. “It’s exactly eight o’clock.”

“Yeah, but some of us have been here since six thirty, lazy bones.”

“Lazy bones!”

“Pierson…” Gray sighed as he walked into the garage from the offices. “Leave her alone. It’s too early.”

While she was distracted, Pierson grabbed the coffee out of her hand. “Hey!” Eva said.

He slurped it noisily. “Mmm.”

“Don’t be disgusting.” Laughing, she slapped him on the arm. “There are three cups for you and your brothers in the car.”

Pierson looked a little sheepish and gave her back her cup. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? Don’t stand between a man and his coffee, darlin’. Come on, I’ll help carry them in.”

He led the way out to her car. On her way out, Eva glanced over her shoulder toward Gray. She caught him watching her. Though he quickly returned his attention to the clipboard in his hands, she would have sworn his look was heated and appraising.

It wasn’t the first time in the past two weeks that she’d caught one of the Badon brothers looking at her like that. Though they treated her with respect and courtesy, the way they watched her made her wonder.

You’re imagining things.
She watched Pierson open up her car door and retrieve the coffees. They were just considerate men. That was all.

When Pierson straightened, he handed her a cup. Even after she took it, his hand lingered on the paper cup until Eva raised her eyes to him. “You do know I was just teasing you, don’t you, darlin’? We know how hard you work.”

His sweetness kindled a warmth in her chest. “Thank you, Pierson. I know.”

“Our office has never been as organized as it is now.” He shut the door with his hip, and they began walking back to the garage. “You deserve to relax a little if you want to.”

Eva didn’t want to tell him so, but she actually missed them when she was in the house alone each morning. She knew she was beginning to feel too deeply for each of them, and it worried her that the longer she stayed with them the more she became emotionally attached.

“And you ought to get your sleep,” Pierson added a little pointedly.

She didn’t acknowledge that remark. She wasn’t sure how Pierson knew she hadn’t been sleeping well, but she was trying to avoid discussing it. Last night he’d sent her off to bed after dinner, even though it had been her turn to clean up the dishes. When she had argued he had just taken her gently by the shoulders, turned her in the direction of her bedroom, and given her a small shove, and all without saying a word.

Now, however, he relented and his sunny nature reasserted itself. “Thanks for the coffee, darlin’,” he said with a wink and returned to his work.

Grayson gave her a smile when she offered him a cup. “Thanks, honey. Oh, before I forget, the bulb is out in the office closet. I’ll change it later.”

“Don’t worry about it. Where’s Quin?”

“He’s out giving an assessment on a wrecked car. Should be back in a bit.”

“Tell him there’s coffee for him in the office if he wants it.”

“If you made it, I know he will.”

She went off to the office with a warm feeling in her chest. She really felt like she’d bonded with Gray and Pierson.
Pierson was one of those men who would give her his last dime if she needed it and be happy about it, not caring that he didn’t have anything left for himself
. And Gray always seemed to be finding reasons to pop into the office and check on her. Smiling to herself as she turned on the computer, she wondered if he’d loosened the bulb in the closet just to have an excuse to come fix it and then hang around and talk to her. Well, he would have to come up with a different reason, she thought, because she was perfectly capable of changing a lightbulb.

Leaving the coffees on the desk, she dragged one of the chairs into the closet and climbed up. When she wobbled, she had to stabilize herself on one of the shelves. She was reaching for the blown lightbulb when a harsh voice said behind her, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Quin gripped her hips. Eva hadn’t heard him come in and his voice startled her. She would have taken a tumble from the chair if he hadn’t been holding her. But his tone of voice put her on the defensive.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She frowned down at him, but he didn’t let go of her hips. Even if he looked mad enough to spit, she couldn’t help but think how good his big hands felt on her.

“Don’t you get sassy with me, little girl. Get down right now!” His cold-as-steel voice sent shivers racing up and down her spine. Good shivers.

With slow deliberation she stepped down from the chair, his hands still on her hips. Back on the ground, she turned around to face him. He looked furious.

“What is your problem? I was only changing the bulb.”

“You will never do anything like that again, Eva. You put yourself in danger. Next time, you ask one of us to do it for you.”

Eva bristled. She had seen Quin do this before. One moment he was the most considerate, chivalrous man she’d ever met, and the next he was a ball of overprotective rage. And she didn’t need it. “I’m quite capable of—”

“I don’t give a fuck,” he snarled.

Eva stared at him, shocked. Quin seemed to come back to himself. He released her and took a few steps back. “Sorry, I can be pretty aggressive.”

“You think?”

His eyes narrowed again. “Watch that tone, honey, or you’re going to find yourself facedown over my knee.”

Astonishment stole her ability to reply for a moment. Her shock was followed almost at once by arousal. Heat flooded her at the thought of Quin throwing her over his knee.
What is wrong with you, girl?

There was a wicked gleam in Quin’s eye that made her wonder if he didn’t find that thought alluring, too. Mostly, though, he looked mad. “What did you say?” she asked.

“You heard me, Eva. Let’s get a few things straight. I don’t want you doing anything dangerous. What if you had fallen off that chair and hit your head on the corner of the desk? If you fell while one of the compressors was on in the shop, we wouldn’t have heard you cry out. You could have broken your neck and would have lain there on the floor, injured or dying, and we wouldn’t have been able to help you.”

Eva had to admit that he had a point, but she and her mom were so used to doing everything in the house, since there had never been a man around, that she hadn’t thought to ask for help. “Then next time I’ll ask for help.” She wanted to stand up to him but felt shy. She lowered her eyes and continued, “And next time you won’t swear at me when you lose your temper.”

Quin cupped her cheek to raise her eyes to his. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but you scared me when I saw you up there. That chair has wheels on it and it could have rolled out from under you.”

Eva stared at him, his words rolling around in her head, until she had to ask. “You wouldn’t really spank me, would you?”

Was she imagining the passionate look that came back into his eyes?

“You’d better believe it, honey.” He dropped his hand and gave her a wink. “Let me take care of that blown bulb.”

* * * *

Eva didn’t get much done for the rest of the day. She spent way too much time staring through the office door into the garage for glimpses of the Badon brothers. Long after Quin had gone back to work, her body yearned to find out what it would be like to have his hands on her ass. If the phone hadn’t rung occasionally, she probably would have sat in a sexual haze for hours.

By the end of the day, though, her smoldering arousal had cooled and reason began to prevail.
I’m way too attached to them.
Each man, in his own way, had captured her heart. Each day she fell a little more in love with them.
What the hell am I going to do when they don’t need me anymore?
Even if they’d gotten used to having her around the office, that didn’t mean that she was a part of their lives. Could she stand by and watch them fall in love with someone else while she remained their office manager and a perpetual spinster?

Eva shoved her depressing thoughts aside and shut the PC down. She looked around, making sure everything was away and the answering machine was on, then picked up her purse and headed out.

“Are you done, sugar?” Gray came toward her drying his clean hands on a towel.

“Yeah, I am going to stop at the supermarket to pick up something for dinner. Do you have any preferences?”

“No. Whatever you cook tastes good, Eva.” He winked at her. “I’m going to have to watch my waistline with you around.”

Eva eyed his stomach and chest and gave a snort. “Yeah, right. If you were any more buff and handsome, you’d have to beat women off with a stick. You probably do already.”

Her cheeks heated when she realized what she’d said and she lowered her eyes to her feet.
God, Eva, think before you open your mouth.

Pierson’s feet came into view. Before she realized he was even in the room, he was so close she could feel his body heat. “Do you think I’m handsome, darlin’?”

Is he for real? Why would he ask me that?
He and his brothers were so muscular and ruggedly handsome she got wet just by being near them.

She looked up at him and saw heat but also vulnerability in his eyes. It seemed he wasn’t as confident as he made out. Drawing in a deep breath, she decided to be honest.

“Yes, you’re handsome. All of you are.”

He searched her eyes and then, without any warning, leaned down and placed his lips on hers. Pierson wasn’t aggressive. He just brushed his soft lips back and forth over hers as if testing for a reaction.

Her body sure gave him one. Eva tried to conceal the shudder working its way up her spine as cream leaked from her pussy. Awareness washed over her in heated waves. Gasping in a breath on a sob, she held still, not knowing how to react or what to do.

A low, groaning rumble sounded from deep in his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her against his hard, warm body. He walked her backward a couple of steps, and her shoulders came up against the timber doorjamb. Pierson slanted his mouth and deepened the kiss. His tongue swept over her lips and then thrust into her mouth. Eva sobbed as he slid his tongue along hers and then explored every inch of her mouth. She clung to his bulging biceps, the only anchor in a world gone mad with desire.

Never had she been kissed with such passion, such hunger. Her body ached, craving more of his touch. He tasted of coffee and mint, and she yearned to taste more of him. Eva wanted the kiss to go on and on. She couldn’t prevent a whimper of protest from escaping when he slowed the kiss down and finally lifted his head.

“That was fucking hot.” Quin’s voice came from close by. Eva looked up with embarrassment at being caught kissing his brother. “Come here, Eva.” His voice was deeper and huskier than normal, and although she hated to obey a command, she found herself moving on wobbly legs toward him when Pierson released her and stepped back.

“I want a kiss, too, honey. Will you let me?”

Shivering with need, she opened her mouth but couldn’t seem to find any words. Staring into his hungry eyes, she nodded.

He moved fast for such a big man. One instant he was still several feet away and the next he had her in his arms. Quin wasn’t tentative at all. Slamming his mouth over hers, pushing his tongue between her lips, he ravaged her. She was only vaguely aware that her feet had left the floor. Her hands gripped his solid, strong shoulders, one of his muscular forearms beneath her ass supporting her, and she tried to wrap her legs around his hips. The metal brace on her leg dug into her flesh and she groaned with frustration and lowered her legs again, but it didn’t seem to bother Quin. His strength astounded her as he held her up without seeming to make any effort. He took and took, turning her smoldering libido into an inferno, but he also gave. Quin’s tongue danced with hers and then he ate at her lower lip, sucking it into his mouth, licking and nipping at her flesh.

She was so hot and in such need that she wanted him to strip her down right there and then and touch her. Finally she drew away, gasping in lungfuls of air and staring at him as he lowered her feet to the floor and she removed her arms from around his neck.

“I want you, Eva. We all do. We’ve been waiting for you to decide what you want. Please don’t get our hopes up if you aren’t willing to be with all three of us.”

“I−I…”
Oh God!
She so wanted to say yes, but wanting wasn’t enough for her. She needed more than just lust from them.

“Sugar.” Grayson’s voice drew her gaze. She hadn’t even been aware he was close by. She had been so wrapped up in Pierson and Quin she hadn’t heard him approach. He stopped when he was only feet from her and reached out a hand to her. His fingers stroked over her heated cheek, and she closed her eyes at the soft touch. “We won’t force you into something if you’re not ready. Just think about being in a relationship with us. If you want to be with us it will be exclusively, but you get to make the next move. The decision is yours to make, Eva. We won’t pressure you.”

Eva gulped audibly and looked to each of them. They looked so eager and yet so vulnerable. She felt a little bad that she wasn’t going to give them the answer they wanted to hear, at least not yet.