Lucy's Liberation [Elk Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (14 page)

By the time he and Hezekiah arrived at Rance’s, now Lucy’s and Hezekiah’s place, Prentice was bone weary and on edge. He didn’t like either condition and wasn’t used to letting people and situations get the better of him. He was a doer. He was proactive and didn’t let things happen
to
him. He went out and made things happen.

This situation with Ethan’s parents made him uncomfortable. He didn’t like being at odds with them and wasn’t used to feeling regret for his actions. He didn’t think he should feel regret for not wanting to be someone he wasn’t.

Prentice had not wanted a confrontation with Ethan’s parents, but they had forced his hand when he’d come home earlier that evening and shared the news with them that he would no longer be working at the mercantile and had instead found work at Winchester’s. Upon his news, Clint and Kate had gone ballistic.

“We didn’t raise you that way, boy,” Clint had said.

“Where did we go wrong for you to want to work in a house of ill-repute like Winchester’s?” Kate had cried.

When all was said and done, Prentice had seen no other recourse except to leave and began to understand what the original Ethan must have gone through the first time his parents had disowned him and threw him out of the house. He began to sympathize with the dearly departed young man in more ways than one.

Prentice had taken the liberty of packing a few of Ethan’s things before he’d left the house and Clint and Kate had allowed him to leave with his small suitcase.

“You’re breaking your mother’s heart, boy. I can’t guarantee that we’ll let you set foot in this house again once you leave,” Clint had stated.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” With this, Prentice had gone to Kate who had been crying
into her apron and he had kissed her on the cheek before he had left.

An hour after leaving Ethan’s parents and heading over to Sabrina’s boarding house, he could still taste the salt from Kate’s tears on his tongue.

“Are you all right, Ethan?”

Prentice blinked and glanced at Hezekiah standing in the foyer with him and turning on the two sconces. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“What you went through with your mother and father earlier can’t have been easy for you. If you want to talk about it, I’ll gladly listen.”

He did not need or want Hezekiah Benjamin’s concern or pity. He did not want Lucy’s freaking fiancé to be nice to him. He had enough to worry about. “Thanks, but I think I can handle it, Hezekiah.”

“Before we go any further, let’s get one thing straight.”

Prentice stared at him, wary at the firm tone before Hezekiah grinned and lit the entire foyer up with his dimpled smile. “And what’s that?”

“You have to stop calling me Hezekiah. You’re practically family. You can call me Ki.”

“Okay.”

“Good.” Ki nodded and reached for Prentice’s suitcase before he could object. “Now let’s get you settled in one of the guest rooms.”

Prentice had never set foot in the unassuming Victorian dwelling, but he would have never been prepared for the relative opulence and grandness that greeted him as Ki led him into the house proper and began giving him a tour, starting with the living room.

Either Lucy or Ki must have been responsible for the interior design and arrangement of the house as Prentice couldn’t see Rance’s influence or personality on anything.

The furnishings and color scheme could have been something out of
House & Garden
.

The living room was uncluttered yet homey with a large rose and burgundy floral-print sofa, matching love seat and ottoman. Setting off the center of the room was a hand-carved cherrywood table, polished to a high sheen.

Prentice clasped his hands together in front of his chest and gasped at seeing the vase of fresh-cut roses on the table. “For me? You shouldn’t have!”

Ki chuckled. “Yes, well, I was expecting someone more of the female persuasion when I picked those.”

Prentice didn’t know whether or not he should be impressed that Ki had taken the time to pick the roses and hadn’t just gone out to buy some. He knew he was strangely…jealous. What the hell was that about? “Someone?”

“Lucy. But she wants to do things the old-fashioned way and wait until we’re actually married before she moves in. I can’t blame her really. The town has already branded her a loose woman just for accepting my proposal so soon after my uncle’s death.”

“And why exactly did you propose anyway? From what I’ve heard, all of Rance’s holdings were going to go to you free and clear.”

“What man wouldn’t want to be married to Lucy?”

“That doesn’t really answer my question.”

Ki paused at the foot of the staircase he’d been about to climb before he turned to face Prentice. “Is there something you want to say to me, Ethan?”

“Lucy’s a dear old friend. I feel protective of her and I don’t want to see her hurt again.”

“Neither do I.”

“I hope you mean that.”

“Since you’re putting your cards on the table, young man, I’ll do the same.”

Prentice gritted his teeth at the “young man” and balled his hands into fists at his sides, trying to contain his anger. For the moment, he was at the mercy of this man and Lucy’s largesse, after all. He needed to at least make an effort to be civilized and appreciative. “Okay.”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed there’s something going on between you and Lucy.” Ki paused and used the moment to step closer.

Prentice’s heartbeat kicked into high gear. He told himself it was the effect of fight-or-flight adrenaline, but couldn’t be positive after he got a whiff of Ki’s cologne and his cock jerked and hardened as if in response to the pleasant scent.

What in the actual hell?

“There’s nothing going on between Lucy and me except friendship.”

“That might be what you tell yourself.” Ki grinned. “But you and I both know it’s not true. There is something going on between you two, and you should know I intend to find out what that something is.”

* * * *

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Ki pulled the lace veil up over Lucy’s head and grinned when he saw her glowing face. He wondered if she knew how much like a real blushing bride she looked.

He bent his head to kiss her as applause rose up around them from Lucy’s friends and some of the town’s folk curious enough to attend the impromptu wedding.

Impromptu or not, Lucy’s intimates had come through for her again.

Rebel wouldn’t say from where, but she had provided a beautiful ivory satin gown that fit Lucy as if it had been made for her.

Maia and Sabrina had insisted on closing their shop for the day despite Lucy’s protests that she didn’t want a big deal made since she and Ki were just going down to the Justice of the Peace to “get this done.” Both women had also agreed to provide the food and prepare Lucy’s and Ki’s house for the after-wedding reception.

Ki for his part had run down to the telegraph office bright and early that morning and sent his mother the news without bothering to wait around for her response. He knew he wasn’t going to like what she had to say just as she couldn’t possibly have appreciated his message.

It didn’t matter what his mother did or said anyway. The deed was done now.

“You two going to come up for air any time soon?”

Ki opened his eyes and pulled back a bit at Thayne’s question as laughter abounded. He watched Lucy’s shimmering eyes staring at him and disregarded everything and everyone else.

Lucy licked her lips and Ki avidly followed the path of her tongue, already imagining what her mouth would feel like wrapped round his cock, sucking him hard. “Was that real enough for you, Mrs. Benjamin?”

“I suppose.”

He chuckled at her obstinate pout, looking forward to breaking down her walls, making her surrender and finally admit how she really felt about him

The way I admit to how I feel about her?

If anyone had asked him exactly
how
he felt about Lucy, he would have been hard-pressed to tell them. He knew that he liked her spirit and enjoyed sparring with her. He thought she was a beautiful and desirable woman he couldn’t wait to bed, but as for love? Outside of his love for his mother and the passion he had for adventure, he didn’t think he had it in him.

Ki didn’t have a chance to think much more on his feelings as the next few hours flew by in a blur of activity.

Blessings and congratulations were bestowed upon him and Lucy by the wedding attendees and the Justice of the Peace in closing.

Maia made the announcement that the reception would be held at Ki and Lucy’s house on the edge of town promptly an hour from then.

Ki and Lucy were quickly shuttled to the house by Thayne in his horse and carriage.

By the time they all arrived, the cooking was almost done and the decorating was already completed by a dozen or so women from the town, including Maia and Sabrina, who had rushed over directly from the Justice of the Peace.

Cade almost instantly followed Ki, Lucy, and Thayne’s arrival at the house with a delivery of Peyton’s finest liquor for the festivities.

Lost among all the guests rapidly swarming into the house and congregating in the main parlor and onto the makeshift dance floor, Ki found himself looking for Ethan. He was eager to see the younger man again after their little dispute last night. He hadn’t been as exhilarated in someone else’s company since first meeting Lucy at Sabrina’s boarding house.

The feeling both frightened and excited Ki, because he sensed virgin territory in Ethan, terrain that had not been explored by another man. The idea that he would be the first to plow Ethan’s untouched ass excited Ki as much as the idea of discovering any uncharted land.

He sensed also that Ethan was ripe for the picking but that the young man was wholly unaware of his bisexuality and this worried Ki the most. He had never been with a virgin before—man or woman—and he knew Ethan, even more than a female, would be skittish.

He was going to have to proceed very carefully with both Ethan and Lucy.

Dear, sweet Lucy.

How was Ki going to explain the facts of his bisexuality to her after everything she had been through with his uncle? How was he going to make her see that what he felt for Ethan, and what he suspected Ethan felt for him, was perfectly natural and not an aberration? How was he going to persuade her to agree to have Ethan eventually joining them in their marriage bed?

Ki knew he was getting ahead of himself, way ahead. He hadn’t even bedded Lucy yet and the way she acted with him, he knew he was as likely to have her as he was to have Ethan. He, however, was not a man to rest on his laurels or wait for something to come to him.

He almost laughed at the idea of having to woo his wife and her childhood friend into bed with him except that he didn’t consider it a bit funny. His desires were serious to him and he was not one to deny his indulgences. Once he set his mind and sights on something, he was determined to get it, and he had set his mind and sights on Lucy and Ethan.

“How did everything go?”

Ki shook himself from his stupor, surprised to see Ethan standing before him in the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel. Evidently, Ki had gravitated to one of the few safe havens in the house. He didn’t think it would remain so for long, however. “The ceremony went well. We’re officially married.”

Ethan nodded as if the news met with his approval and hung the towel on a nearby rack.

“Were you hoping I’d renege?” Ki asked and didn’t miss the flush of color that rushed to Ethan’s high-sculpted, olive cheeks.

“Why would I hope that?”

Ki shrugged, feigning a nonchalance he didn’t feel. He decided he needed to start marking his territory now—with Ethan and Lucy. “Perhaps you fancy Lucy for yourself.”

Ethan laughed and shook his head.

“I haven’t missed the way you look at her, Ethan.”

“You’re seeing things.”

Ki took a few steps forward and grinned when Ethan took a few steps back, bumping into the wall behind him. Ki glanced down into the younger man’s face, momentarily forgetting his strategy to take his time and woo. He found himself immersed in Ethan’s brandy eyes, fascinated by their almond shape and endearingly perplexed expression. He liked that Ethan had to tilt his head back just a little to look
him
in the eyes. He liked Ethan’s lean-muscled, compact physique that was shorter than his 6’2” by about three inches—not a lot, just enough. Ethan was, in fact, the perfect height, the perfect size—in between Lucy and Ki’s dimensions.

Ki licked his lips, already thinking about the three of them together and wondering when exactly he had begun to formulate an image of them jointly. When had he begun to believe a threesome between them all was predestined? Had it been when he’d seen Maia with Thayne and Cade and observed how in love they all acted, how right their relationship seemed? Or had it been last night when he’d felt that plume of desire hovering over Ethan like a nimbus?

“Hmm, I see a lot of things,” Ki murmured.