Adams, Eve - Trio [Gideon's Ring 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (20 page)

“
And the heart to go with it,
”
Barrett muttered. Chris flashed him a glare.
“
Come on, Chris. She was a stripper who had clients on the side. You met her in Vegas, for Christ’s sake.
”

Chris narrowed his hazel gaze on his cousin.
“
You just couldn’t wait to blurt that part out, could you?
”

“
It was one weekend.
”

“
A lot happened that weekend, cuz.
”

Barrett laughed and shook his head.
“
Yes, including an annulment when you sobered up.
”

Chris stiffened.
“
You
’
re an asshole.
”

Sarah agreed with Chris and took his hand to squeeze it. He glanced down at her and offered her a smile.
“
I believe you.
”

“
It meant something to me,
”
he told her before turning his glare to his cousin.
“
Even if my own blood doesn
’
t believe me.
”

“
Do you still talk to her?
”

“
Doubtful,
”
Barrett answered for him.
“
I don
’
t even think he learned her last name before taking her to an Elvis impersonator to marry them.
”

Chris lost all expression and lowered his gaze to his lap
,
and he pulled his hand back.
“
There’s a kid.
”

Barrett straightened and whipped his head around, his eyes wide in shock.
“
What? You never told me that.
”

“
Why would he when you discount his feelings like that? Seriously, Barrett. Chris has probably tried to tell you but then stopped since all you do is refer to the weekend he had with Tiffany as you do.
”
She had no idea if any of that were true, but she could read people
,
and her read on Chris told her that his cousin
’
s interpretation of that weekend hurt.

Barrett studied Chris.
“
Is that true?
”

Chris nodded but said nothing.

Barrett stared straight ahead and after several awkward seconds, said,
“
I
’
m sorry, Chris. I had no idea.
”

“
Yeah,
”
was all Chris said.

To break the uncomfortable tension and pull the attention away from the conversation that obviously needed to happed between the men when they were in private, Sarah decided to tell them her story. It was only fair since they both shared his story with her.

“Ryan.”

Barrett let out a sigh in relief, clearly pleased to talk about something else. “Is Ryan the reason you came to the ranch?”

“Something like that.”

“Is he still in the picture?” Chris asked.

“No,” she answered with certainty.

“How can you be so sure?”

The memory flashed into her brain, and she replayed it for him. “He’s married.”

Barrett looked at her. “After you?”

“Before me. During me. After me.”

“Ouch.” Chris set his jaw.

“Yeah.”

Barrett slowed the snowcat as they pushed through some icy turns. “Did you know he was married when you got involved with him?”

“Hell, no.” Had she known she would have never agreed to working all those late nights at the office that turned into late nights horizontal on his couch. “When I found out he tried to sell me some bullshit about them being on a break.”

Chris took her hand. “How did you find out?”

She laughed bitterly. “You’ll love this. Ryan asked to see me over my lunch hour. Me, being naïve and thinking when he told me he loved me that he actually meant it, jumped at the chance to see him during the day.”

“You didn’t usually see each other during the day?”

“We didn’t even see each other in public, not romantically. I thought he was just one of those guys who had a problem with showing emotions in public. Now I know it was so his wife wouldn’t find out.”

“Real nice guy,” Barrett growled and looked ready to spit nails.

“I walked into his office and found him and his wife having sex right there on the couch where him and I…You get the picture.”

“Why didn’t his secretary stop you?”

The memory slashed into her chest, and that familiar pain returned, dousing her in biting resentment and raw humiliation. So many beautiful female visitors during his lunch, including his wife. How blind was she to not see that?

“I
was
the secretary.”

“Oh shit,” Chris and Barrett said in unison.

“Exactly. After exchang
ing a few
words, we both agreed that it was better if I sought employment elsewhere.”

Barrett dropped his jaw and snapped his brow into a frown as he looked at her. “He fired you?”

“You got it.”

After shaking his head, he reached out and took her other gloved hand in his. “His loss, love.”

Her heart flipped at him calling her something so endearing. “Of course, asking him if his penis came in adult size didn’t help my cause.”

Both men laughed, long and hard. The sound echoed through the cab and brought a smile to her face. She even let out a little giggle.

“You did not.” Chris wiped at his eyes.

“I did, and right in front of his wife, as well as half the office.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. You definitely speak your mind.” Barrett chuckled.

She shrugged and tried to brush off the comment—yet another dig from a man who didn’t like the fact that she spoke her mind. And she actually thought Barrett was different.

She turned and stared out the windshield, and swallowed down the realization that she’d more than likely never be able to keep a man once he got to know her. “My tongue is both a gift and a curse, it seems. Too outspoken, Ryan called me. Obnoxious and annoying as well. Real stand-up guy.”

Barrett stopped the snowcat and turned to her, rendering her momentarily speechless. After removing his gloves he cupped her cheeks in his hands and brushed his thumbs under her eyes. The gesture made her skin catch fire.

Barrett looked long and deep into her gaze, the intensity so strong in his eyes that it stole her breath. “You, Sarah Emerson, are so much more than you give yourself credit for.
”

Behind her Chris squeezed her shoulders and scooted closer.
“
Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different.”

She couldn’t breathe. “I’m not obnoxious and annoying?”

Barrett smiled and kissed her lips as Chris trailed tender kisses along the back of her neck.

Barrett nipped at her lower lip before breaking the kiss. “Oh, you are that, but I happen to love your obnoxious and annoying side, among your other sides. But those are just two of about a billion of your traits I absolutely adore about you, my sweet Sarah.”

“
And I wouldn
’
t change
a damn thing
about you, baby. From your wild hair all the way down to your pretty little toes. Trust me. You are one of a kind.
”
The heat from Chris
’s
kisses whispered chills across her flesh.

Why couldn’t she believe either one of them? They
’
d never had a reason to lie to her. Still she had a hard time believing them—the insults were always easier to believe.

Barrett kissed her left eyelid. “You are also kind.” He kissed her other eyelid. “And caring.” He then kissed the tip of her nose. “And beautiful.” He trailed kisses around her lips but never brushed his across hers. As he dropped words, he landed a kiss. “Adventurous. Hypnotic. Smart. Intoxicating. Friendly.”

“Did you just call me easy, bucko?”

“Did you just call me ‘bucko’?” He spiked his brow.

She scooted closer to him in the cab. “I don’t take kindly to name-calling. I may have to spank you this time.”

“
I like the sounds of that,
”
Chris growled.

Barrett’s gaze intensified to a smoldering blue so dark it was almost black. He definitely liked the idea. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I know something I’d like to try,” Chris whispered, his voice like a thick steam.

Pulling back, she then turned to look up in his hazel eyes. “I’m all ears.”

Naked, raw hunger sparked in his expression. “I’ll need more than your ears.”

“So what parts do you require?”

“This.” He licked at her lips until her tongue came out to greet his. “And this.” He then reached between her legs and cupped the slick heat now throbbing for attention.

She met him halfway as they crashed into each other. It wasn’t an easy kiss, or gentle. Fuck gentle. She couldn’t get enough of either of them and knew she’d die if she didn’t feel his touch on her skin again.

His kiss controlled her and had her ready to submit to whatever he wanted. It wasn’t fair, the power he had over her, but she didn’t care. Fairness disappeared along with her sanity.

Somehow he’d found a way under all her layers of clothing and now teased her nipples, pinching and twisting them between the calluses on his thumb and index finger. She nipped at his lips, tempting him, daring him to take her.

“Is that…the best you can do?” She clamped down on his ear.

“
Are you going to stand for that?
”
Barrett taunted them as he continued to drive the snowcat, but she knew he had to be watching. She felt the heat from his gaze scraping over her.

In a swift movement that had a yelp escape her lips, Chris had her on her back. “You are being awfully demanding.”