Lydia's Twin Temptation (5 page)

* * * *

Lydia decided that as long as she could hear his indistinct, rumbling voice outside, she was safe in the room getting her stuff. She remembered where each item she needed was located.

She held the towel to her front and slipped cautiously from the steamy bathroom, praying that he was not nearly finished with whomever he was talking to.

Silently easing open the dresser drawer, Lydia grabbed a clean bra, because she thought bobbing breasts and obviously hardened nipples would be more information than she wanted to share with him right now. Next she found clean panties and then pulled her blue satin pajamas from the drawer. The shirt cooperated, but the drawstring on the pants was hung on something in the back of the drawer.

When she reached in to free the knotted end, her towel slipped out from under her arms and she was left standing there stark naked. Crooning low and nearing panic stage, Lydia dropped the other clothes and reached in with both hands. The bottoms were essential and uncooperative, and she sent a fervent prayer heavenward as she tried to find what the drawstring was stuck on.

That was exactly how Chance found her two seconds later as he reentered her motel room. Stuck there, with her towel in a puddle on the floor, Lydia looked up at him across the room, struck speechless.

Chapter Five

A noise and movement caught Chance’s eye as he slipped silently inside Lydia’s dimly lit room. He looked up and beheld a wondrous sight.

Lydia stood completely naked in front of her dresser drawers clearly having some kind of difficulty. Her skin was rosy from her shower, and her long brown hair was wet and dripping down her back. She looked up at him, and he could tell by her beautiful, flushed face how tired she was and how embarrassed and
emotional
she was about to become. Her lips quivered, and she whispered in a shaky, fragile-sounding voice, “My pajamas are stuck.”

Chance quietly laid the gifts on the table and went to her, trying very hard not to ogle her luscious thighs, her beautiful, rounded ass, and the curve of her spine. She looked up at him with eyes welling full of tears, and he reached out a tentative hand to wipe a tear away as it fell.

Her voice trembled as she spoke. “I’m so embarrassed. I thought I would just sneak out, get my clothes, and you’d be none the wiser. I forgot them when I went in the bathroom.”

“Ssh-shh. Don’t apologize, baby.” He stroked another tear from her flushed cheek, then reached inside the drawer and freed the drawstring of her pajama bottoms from the back edge of the drawer where it was hung.

Taking a deep breath, she hung her head and forcefully slammed the drawer shut. Her eyes flashed open and she shrieked like a banshee, clutching her breast as though she were in agony. His whole body clenched when he realized what had happened. She’d
slammed
her nipple in the dresser drawer.

Chance wanted to soothe her somehow but didn’t know where to touch. Doing his best to not stare at the gorgeous breast that bounced perkily beside the one she clutched, he finally opted for putting his arms around her as she wailed in pain. Her whole body trembled in his arms, and he had the distinct impression she didn’t know what to do besides stand there and cry.

Suddenly there was loud knocking at the door. “Hello? Hello! Is everybody all right in there?”

The knocking seemed to startle her from the noise she was making, and she said, “Oh no! Don’t open the door.” Still gripping her wounded breast, Lydia retrieved her clothes and scurried into the bathroom. He did his best not to notice the lush, little wiggle in her walk as she did.

She glanced at him before she closed the door, and he felt sorry for her being embarrassed like that. It was probably not the impression she’d been going for at all. Except for her pinched nipple, it was an impression he’d enjoyed nonetheless. That part made him hurt for her. She’d slammed that drawer hard.

He answered the door and nodded at the elderly couple, clad in robes and slippers, standing there with looks of concern on their faces. “Evening, ma’am, sir. My…girlfriend slammed her…finger in the dresser drawer.”

He heard Lydia open the bathroom door and then come up behind him. Convincingly, she sniffled as he put his arm around her. He tried to ignore the feel of her sexy body clad in slippery, satin pajamas, but it was hard, much like the state his cock was approaching. It was a good thing the room was not brightly lit, or everyone else would have known that, too.

“We heard a scream and crying,” the elderly lady said in concern.

Lydia held her fist to her breast, nodded her head, and wiped a stray tear and said, “I’m okay. It’s just been a really,
really
long day. And…you know how it is?”

The elderly lady nodded in commiseration. “The last straw, honey?”

Brokenly, Lydia replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, we’ll leave you to soothe your pretty lady. Good night,” the elderly man said as they shuffled in their robes and slippers back to their room next door.

Chance said, “If you have a hot-water bottle or a plastic Ziploc bag, I can run downstairs and get ice for an ice pack.”

“Um, here,” she said, handing him a Ziploc she had saved receipts in. After kissing the tip of her nose, which was red from crying, he went downstairs and found the ice machine. He sealed the bag up tight and took the stairs two at a time.

She thanked him for being so considerate and pressed it to her breast through the thin material of her pajamas. Her little whimper made his heart hurt for her, and he hoped she wouldn’t be in pain tomorrow.

Remembering the gifts that sat on the table, he said, “I’ve got something that will cheer you up and I also have a proposition for you.”

“You do?” she asked, her tired eyes brightening somewhat with curiosity. She sniffled and wiped another tear away.

Gifts first, I think.

He led her to one of the chairs and pulled the other chair closer so when he sat he faced her with their knees almost touching. He gave her the wrapped box first.

The gift was held delicately in her hand, and she caressed the bow and the paper almost reverently, like it meant a lot to her. He was glad that he’d let Summer talk him into something a little more extravagant. Suddenly, the timing seemed perfect. “You brought me another present?”

“I hope you like it.” She unwrapped the large rectangular box, glancing at him as she revealed the velvet beneath. She stroked it hesitantly then lifted the hinged lid on the box and gasped. Her jaw dropped, and she looked up at him in shock.

“Th–this is turquoise and silver, isn’t it?” She fingered the heavy pendant and earrings then put her fingers to her lips. “This is genuine turquoise. It’s huge. It must have cost you a
fortune
.” She lifted the wide cuff bracelet from its bed of velvet and looked at the smooth, inlaid stones. With expressive eyes, she looked up him. “Chance, I’m—I don’t understand. This was tremendously expensive.”

She was about to say more when he placed his fingertips over her soft, full lips. “I don’t care how much it cost. I wanted to make you happy. Will you try it on?”

“But, Chance…” She looked confused, and that was his fault. He’d walked in on her naked and embarrassed her, then she’d hurt herself, and now he was springing expensive gifts on her without preamble.

He lifted the necklace and carefully undid the catch. “Baby, let’s try it on you and see if you like it.” Wishing he had his reading glasses, he fumbled with the necklace, and the ends slipped from his callused fingers. She caught it and smiled at him as he muttered, “I’m going to make a big mess out of this with my clumsiness.”

Thinking that was true in more ways than one, he paused for a second, watching as she fastened the catch and caressed the pendant thoughtfully. He decided to go for broke.

“I wanted to give you something nice because I care about you, Lydia. Being around you makes me happy, but I don’t enjoy when it’s time for me to say good-bye to you. I want you to come back with me to the Rockin’ C Ranch. We have a huge kitchen and a bunch of hungry men who would love to taste your cooking, but more than anything else I just want you to come back to Divine with me.”
Please!

“What about Clayton?” She looked really uncertain on that point. “What does he think?”

“I talked to him about it tonight. He wants you to come, too, if you’re willing. You want out of Fort Stockton. You want to be a chef. We want you—
I
want you with us, and you’d have lots of men who would be at your whim and beckoning once they taste your cooking. But more than anything, Lydia, we just want you to come to the Rockin’ C. See how it will work out.”

He rattled on for another minute while she listened, but she still seemed confused. He’d probably hit her with too much information all at once.

“Did you say
Clayton
wants me?”

Chance bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t just fucked things up royally. He could lie to her and say he misspoke, but he didn’t want to start off that way.

Nodding hesitantly, he watched her face. “Yeah. To be honest, he’s just as smitten with you as I am.”

He couldn’t get a feel for how she was reacting to that news. Her eyes blinked tiredly, and he suddenly questioned the wisdom of hitting her with that revelation in her present state.

“Why isn’t he here with you?”

That was the million-dollar question. “He was worried that it might overwhelm you, to discover out of the blue that we’re both attracted to you. He doubted that you’d be interested in both of us.”

Brushing her long, dark hair behind her ears, she said, “Let me get this straight because I’m a little punchy right now. You want me, and…Clayton wants me, too?”

“Yes, Lydia. He knows I’ve been sweet on you for a while.” A little smile crossed her face, and he was encouraged by that. “Clayton wanted me to have a chance to talk to you first. He hopes that there’d be room enough in your heart for him, too.” Chance placed a fingertip on her breastbone beneath the pendant. “We don’t want a fling, baby. That’s not what I’m talking about. And you don’t have to make a decision about any of this tonight. I just figured I’d better put it all out there for you.”

Lydia smiled at him and stroked the pendant with her fingertips. It looked gorgeous on her, and he told her so. The greenish-blue turquoise that Summer had suggested was perfect with her eye color and complexion. Placing her hand on the other package, she said, “I wonder what’s in this one.”

He almost stopped her because
now
did not seem to be the best time to give her a hot ménage romance book. But he let her open it anyway. Lydia gasped when she saw the cover, and he cringed inwardly. He was done now, for sure. She’d probably kick him to the curb for the horndog that he was.

She tore the wrapping off and said, “Oh! I
love
Caressa MacFarland. I haven’t read this one. Her books are wonderful! I had to leave the ones I owned behind in Austin. I hated to sell them to the secondhand bookstore, but I had no space for them.”

Chance wanted to heave a relieved sigh. “So you’re okay with me—with
us
—giving you this book?”

Her gaze met his, and she patted his forearm in a reassuring gesture. In a weary-sounding voice she said, “Oh course, Chance. I love to read. And I love the turquoise, too. It just really surprised me. I—um.” Her chin quivered, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “I had no idea you felt like that. I’m attracted to you, too. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to cry. I’m happy, really I am.”

She put her hand to her forehead, and he was seized by the urge to “make it better.” He probably should’ve waited until the morning to spring all of this on her.

Thinking she just needed to be held, Chance drew her into his lap and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him, then said, “This is probably the worst time for me to say this, but…”

“But what, baby?” He was ready for whatever bomb she dropped at this point. His talk had gone better than planned.

“If I don’t go to bed, I’m literally going to pass out.”

He smiled and tipped her chin up so she would look into his eyes. “One kiss first?”

Lydia giggled and nodded. “One kiss first.”

* * * *

Lydia sat still and let him make the first move, gazing into his expressive blue eyes, thinking he seemed relieved. He smiled, and she caressed the dimple in his cheek that it created. She memorized the moment as he leaned close and her eyelids slid shut.

His lips were gentle and searching when they made first contact with hers. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as though she were dear to him. She sighed when he cradled her head in one large hand. The gesture was tender and made her feel cherished. Parting her lips slightly, she allowed him to take the kiss a little deeper, and her body warmed as he responded. He stroked her tongue with his in an intimate duel, and just as she was really getting into the kiss he pulled away with a shaky breath.

“Baby, it’s probably best that we leave it right there for tonight. Having you in my lap feels good and I’m tempted to do more than kiss you. You need your rest, so let me stop while I’m still a gentleman, okay?”

Lydia shifted in his lap, felt his hardening erection, and knew he was right. It would be all kinds of unwise for her to do anything else with him tonight. Respect for him deepened inside of her because she knew guys in Austin and San Angelo who would have taken advantage of this situation for their own benefit. There was a tiny, naughty part of Lydia that wanted to rebel, but fortunately, fatigue won this time.

“You’re right, Chance. I’ll brush my teeth and then you can take a shower if you want.”

Chance allowed her to rise from his lap and said, “Sure. That way you have a chance to settle down and get some rest.”

Pausing in the bathroom door, she said, “I should warn you that I thrash around a lot in my sleep. If I had a sofa in here, I’d take it or at least let you have the option.”

Chance chuckled and said, “I was going to warn you of the very same thing.”

“I doubt you’ll disturb me, as tired as I am. I apologize now if I wallop you in my sleep.”

Chance smiled at her and said, “I think I can handle whatever you dish out.” His voice sent a wave of longing through her, but she felt grateful that they were both preparing for sleep and nothing else. She needed it desperately and also needed the time to process what he had told her tonight. She smiled back at him and wondered how much of tonight she’d actually remember in detail tomorrow.

When she returned, Chance had the covers on her bed turned down for her, and she found it very comforting that he saw to a little thing like that. She climbed into bed and felt like her body was in a slow, downward free fall as her head touched the pillow. She closed her eyes, and the room even spun for a moment.

“I won’t take long, baby. You get some sleep.” The affection in his voice and his gentle hand as he patted her shoulder made her smile. He was a special man, and she prayed that she made good decisions in the morning because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him or his brother. She listened to him move around the room then heard the shower come on.

The sounds in the bathroom were muffled as he closed the door, and she imagined him undressing and slipping under the hot spray. Wondering how she’d ever get to sleep, she fantasized about climbing in the shower with him. The hard muscles in his back and shoulders would be a sight to behold all naked, wet, and soapy. Her fingers twitched, and she could practically feel the smooth skin on his back as she scrubbed it for him. She could almost hear his groan of appreciation.

Lydia pondered her reaction to the news that his brother was also attracted to her. She’d had a friend who was a partner in a polyamorous relationship while they both attended the culinary institute. The reality of that lifestyle was hammered home watching the constant drama Bella lived with.

Bella stayed at Lydia’s apartment sometimes because she’d needed to be away from all the game playing and maneuvering that went on. Bella had told her there were no long-term commitments within the group and that it was nothing more than an experience she’d wanted to have before settling down.

There were three women in the group, and Lydia had wondered if it was nothing more than a rotating harem for the two men. When Bella had invited her to join the group, Lydia had turned her down flat, knowing that would go over like a lead balloon with her brothers.

Drowsily, she pondered her earlier conversation with Chance. He wanted her to leave Fort Stockton and come to Divine with him. Had she dreamed that? No. Chance had said that Clayton wanted her to come and stay with them in Divine. Her mind drifted, and she suddenly wasn’t sure.