Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Seduce Their Woman [Wyoming Warriors 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) (10 page)

“That’s why you wiped Bill’s memory of any knowledge of us and our community before you turned him over to our contacts in the FBI?” Sahale asked.

“Right. I couldn’t take a chance of the slightest slip. It all had to be wiped clean, which left him with a huge part of his life forgotten. We hated to do it, but he gave us no recourse from the choices he’d made.”

“What’s the plan?” Jack asked.

Mitch looked from Jack to Sahale and back. “Are you two pretty certain Ellen’s the one for you?”

“Yes.” They spoke in unison.

“Then I expect you’ll want to be included. Sahale, do you believe what she told you?”

“Yes. And there’s more.” He related the conversation he’d had with Ellen regarding her marriage and her ex-father-in-law.

“You think she may know something of value and doesn’t realize it?” Mitch leaned forward.

“Yes, but I don’t want the mind sweep done on her. If she’ll let me, I can hypnotize her and get the information.”

“You’re too close to her. Ask your grandmother to do it.”

Sahale started to stand and protest. Mitch raised an eyebrow. He sat back in his seat and stared at his boss.

Mitch had met and often visited Nanna. Sahale knew he respected her and believed in her talents. “I’ll take her there and wait for her. Nanna always has jobs around the place that need to be done. I’ll work while she talks with Ellen.”

“Good. I’m going to wait until later, after she works with Ellen, before finalizing the plan. Have her see your grandmother tomorrow. Daren will be back by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll meet here for dinner and then work out our next step.”

Although Sahale wanted to know more, he knew once Mitch had made up his mind to close the meeting, that was it. Jack followed him to the truck.

“We have tonight with her. No need to tell her about meeting your grandmother until morning. She’ll worry,” Jack said.

“I guess, but I think she may see that as keeping secrets from her.”

“See how tonight goes. If you think she needs to be told, we’ll tell her.”

Sahale went around and swung into the truck. “I have to go check on things at work. You, too?”

“Yes. I won’t be done until six. Who’s cooking?”

“I’ll get home first and start the grill. Maybe I can talk Tessa into cooking the vegetables and a pie.”

Jack chuckled. “She’ll do it for you. Nanna sends her all those special teas she loves.”

“Then we’re set. We’ll both go get her after we have the table set and the food warming.”

Sahale stopped Jack as he started to get out at his office. “Are you still considering what I told you?”

“I need more time. See you.” He walked away.

* * * *

Ellen had walked around several streets near her cabin and visited the community store, where she’d bought breakfast food, coffee, and two books. She’d enjoyed talking with Hilda when she checked out. On her way back she’d met two women talking in a nearby yard. They’d greeted her and introduced themselves.

All the people she’d met appeared happy and friendly.

She’d spent the rest of the afternoon trying to read one of the books she’d bought, but thoughts of Sahale and Jack kept intruding. The emotions she’d felt with Sahale were unlike any she’d ever experienced. It both thrilled her and frightened her.

She was very independent. If she responded to both of them so strongly, she risked losing that part of herself.

The last time she’d loved a man and been rejected, it had almost destroyed her. She feared having such a close relationship with these two would change her life completely. If their feelings changed, she didn’t know if she could find her way back to who she was now.

At five, she showered. What to wear? She reached for a pair of brown slacks. She rarely wore anything else. She’d add her green silk blouse to dress up a bit. A touch of perfume and a light dusting of powder, and she was ready. No need to look like she’d made a special effort for them when she wasn’t sure she wanted to go down that path.

Her body flushed when she thought about her time with Sahale. It was sex, and she hadn’t had any in a long time.
I can’t decide my future on how good the man was in bed.
At least that’s what she’d keep telling herself. Her doorbell rang.

Jack and Sahale stood on her doorstep looking handsome and sexy. Jack smiled, stepped in, and twirled her around. “You look great.” He sat her down. “We’ve come to take you to dinner.”

Sahale stood back and watched her and Jack. A smile curved his sensuous mouth. She stared across at Sahale. She wasn’t sure how to greet him after the experiences they’d shared.

“Feeling shy?” he asked, but he didn’t move.

A flicker of irritation rose inside her. She would not go to him. He needn’t think she was going to act like some lovesick teenager and throw herself into his arms. Her insides ached, wanting to have him touch her, to feel his arms back around her and those firm, warm lips on hers. She would not give in. They stood motionless, a silent battle going on between them.

Jack stood back and watched. She knew how she acted now might decide how they’d treat her. She was her own woman. She didn’t need them, and she wouldn’t become dependent on them. But she looked into Sahale’s eyes and saw the light of desire and something else, a softness. Jack had crossed his arms, a hint of a smile on his face.

Sahale relented and took two steps toward her, then stopped. He reached out his hand to her. Ellen’s breath rushed out in relief. She moved a step, and put her hand in his. He drew her to him. When his arms wrapped around Ellen and he kissed the top of her head, she sighed.

“Was that such a difficult step to take, baby?”

Ellen took a deep breath of his scent and snuggled closer into his embrace. “Yes.”

Jack came up behind them and ran his hand under her hair to caress her neck. “Let’s go home. We can talk while we eat.” With his words the air around them relaxed.

She moved back as Sahale loosened his grip on her. Jack took her hand and led her to the truck. Sahale drove and Jack sat by the window. Squeezed in between the two of them, their scent stirring ripples of heat in her blood, she knew she was in deep trouble.

Their cabin was at the end of a long dirt road. There were no other houses in the vicinity. Open prairie surrounded the sides and back. In the front were several trees. The house was a two-story square with windows and a veranda on three sides. Glowing lights bounced off shiny wood walls. She stepped inside and soaked in the warmth and beauty created by the wood floors partially covered with several red and blue rugs. A hint of cinnamon hung in the air.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. The house greets you.”

“That’s what we aimed for,” Jack said. “It’s a good place to come home to.”

Ellen turned in a complete circle to view the great room. On one wall was an enormous fireplace, another held a large-screen television, and another a low wall of bookcases. The back part had a long bar separating the kitchen from the larger room.

“Jack, take her on a tour. I’m going to cook the steaks.” Sahale went to the kitchen, took steaks out of the refrigerator, and then headed out the back door.

“He’s grilling them,” Jack said. He put his hand on her low back and guided her to a hallway on the left. “This room”—he opened a door on the left—“is my office. The one across the hall is Sahale’s.” She stepped inside. Here another wall held bookshelves. The titles of the books ranged from medical to history to thriller novels. She picked one up and glanced at him.

He grinned and shrugged. “What can I say? Maybe I don’t get enough excitement in my life.”

Ellen laughed. “Right. And I’m going to believe that.” She put the book down and walked across to his desk, piled with papers and more books. “You’re messy.”

“I am. Sahale’s the neat one. Influenced by his grandmother, no doubt. He threatens to come in here and clean. When his threats get real persistent, I straighten up for a while.”

Ellen smiled when Jack made an effort to straighten some of the clutter on his desktop. Then he glanced back at her.

“Sahale told me you don’t think you can have children.”

She jerked, and saw Jack caught her movement before she was able to hide her reaction.

“He told me since I’m part of this threesome. He wouldn’t share that personal information with anyone else.”

“We are not a threesome.”

“We’re getting there,” he persisted. “Have you thought about being tested?”

“My ex-husband has three children. Sahale must have told you that part, too.”

“Doesn’t prove anything. There’s still a possibility that if the problem is yours it can be corrected.”

“Does this threesome you spoke of depend on me being able to have a child?” She faced him straight on and put her hands behind her back to hide their tremble. Why did it feel like her whole life depended on his answer? It didn’t. She was her own woman. She didn’t need them.

“Not to Sahale. I haven’t decided.”

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t want you, either.” She snapped the words at him, and started to walk to the door. He grabbed her arm and pulled her tight against his chest.

“You’re lying.” His mouth covered hers. She gasped, and his tongue went inside to tangle in an angry dance with hers. His arms pulled her completely into a tight embrace. His hard cock pulsed against her abdomen, and a spark of desire deep inside her responded.

“I hate to break this up, but the steaks are done,” Sahale spoke from the doorway.

Ellen snapped out of the spell she’d fallen into and pushed away from Jack. She blinked back tears and stormed past Sahale. On her way out the door and down the hall she heard him speaking to Jack.

“Maybe I interrupted too soon.”

“No. It wouldn’t have mattered. She’s mad at me. After she eats we’ll talk.”

She stood in the center of the great room. Her reaction to what happened surprised her. She wanted to cry, and she wanted to hit something. Mostly she wanted to go home and curl up into a ball, which only made her mad at herself.

“Here, have a glass of wine and relax.” Sahale handed her and Jack a glass and then got his.

Lost in her confused emotions, she hadn’t even noticed them enter the room. Darn, why did they have to look so sexy?

“To us. May we meld our differences and appreciate them.” Sahale looked from her to Jack.

“To you.” Jack raised his glass in her direction. She frowned at him and didn’t drink to his toast. He did, and his eyes laughed at her. Her temperature went straight to boiling. No one had ever angered her so easily.

Sahale kissed her lightly, and then directed her to a chair at the kitchen table. There was steak, a potato casserole, salad, rolls, and a pie on the counter. She raised her eyebrows at Sahale.

“I admit I only did the steaks. Tessa did the rest for me.”

“It’ll be good. She’s a good cook,” Ellen said.

Jack was quiet. He listened to her and Sahale talk about Montlief, but he didn’t enter the conversation. Her anger had been replaced by sadness. Because she couldn’t have children, she was going to be rejected again. The food was good, and she was glad Montlief would come to be with her at her cabin tomorrow. But she couldn’t shake her feelings of melancholy.

* * * *

Jack could kick himself. The blunt question had jumped out of his mouth. He should have waited until he knew for sure how he felt. She was smiling at Sahale, but he saw the sadness in her eyes and in her body language.