One for Three [Elite Dragons 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

Trace settled back into the sofa with Brooke on his lap, content, peaceful, and complete for the first time in so long. Holding her in his arms, he hoped like hell he and his brothers would never have to let her go.

He looked down when he heard her sigh, but she continued to look at the screen. He glanced up to see what was playing, only to be distracted by her scent. She smelled so nice, like apples, he observed as he leaned down, closed his eyes, and inhaled her scent. The thoughts of the woman in his arms had distracted him from the movie. Trace wondered if she would taste as good as she smelled. He shifted slightly. His cock had gone down to half-mast, but it stirred again and throbbed against his zipper. He hoped his erection wouldn’t scare Brooke away.

He bit back a groan as her ass moved on his lap and crushed his hard dick. God, he wanted to strip her naked and sink into her hot pussy. His cock pulsed as it filled up again, and his balls ached. He didn’t know how much more torture he could stand. She shifted again, and he looked down at her. Her face was now bright red.
He could feel her desire beating at him even through the mental barrier he placed around his mind.
He took a deep breath in hopes of controlling his wayward libido, but he couldn’t contain his groan as he scented her arousal. Brooke was as hot as he was.

Trace cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head so their eyes met. She gazed back at him with dilated pupils, giving him the sensation of drowning in the blue-green pools of her eyes. Easing his arm back, he lowered her head to a better angle and leaned toward her tempting lips. Her sweet, moist breath whispered over his lips, and he could no longer hold back. He closed the last inch between them and brushed his lips over hers.

Back and forth, his lips explored hers, not demanding but familiarizing her with his touch. She whimpered, and her mouth opened to draw in air, an opportunity Trace couldn’t waste. He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue in between her teeth and rubbing it against hers. She tasted so fucking sweet. Like mint with and a hint of coffee. Not wanting to scare her, he was careful not to demand too much, but he kept the kiss going. His cock throbbed when her arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, and it was in that moment the he knew. He knew this was a woman he could one day love. Her hands were so warm on his skin, soft and gentle as the touch of butterfly wings. With the cold dominance he knew he and his brothers were capable of, they needed someone like Brooke in their lives to soften them.

Trace slowed the kiss down until he was sipping at her lips. He hadn’t wanted to stop, but he knew if he hadn’t, things would have gotten out of hand too early. He was already struggling to keep his hands at her waist. He wanted to strip her naked and find all her erogenous zones. He wanted to make her come over and over again using his fingers, mouth, and cock. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. She was still recovering, and she didn’t know them very well yet. He knew if he seduced her too early that she would regret it, and that was the last thing he wanted.

“Why did you do that?” Brooke asked breathlessly.

“Because you are a beautiful, desirable woman and I couldn’t help myself,” Trace answered truthfully as he looked into her flushed face. She lowered her eyes, and went to push off his lap, but he tightened his hold on her. “What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

“I need to use the bathroom,” she answered in a whisper.

Trace let her go and helped her up. He watched her carefully to make sure she was steady on her feet and gave a sigh of relief when she was. He shifted on the sofa, adjusted his hard cock and aching balls, and waited for his woman to come back.

Corbin entered the room, and Trace could tell something was wrong with his brother by the cold look in his eyes.

“What’s up?”

“Those two fuckers we have locked up won’t break. I’ve interrogated them for hours, but they won’t talk. The cops will be here in the next hour to take the women’s statements and take those bastards into custody. Shit. I’ve always been able to get perps to break their silence. I can’t work out why they won’t talk,” Corbin said with frustration.

“Maybe their bosses are nasty. Who knows, it may be their necks if they give,” Trace suggested.

“Yeah, I know. It just pisses me off that I can’t get them to open up or read their emotions,” Corbin replied. “Where’s Brooke?”

“Bathroom,” Trace answered and looked toward the hall. Surely enough time had passed for her to use the facilities. He wanted her in his sight at all times and was getting antsy because she wasn’t. He rose to his feet and headed down the hall. She wasn’t in the bedroom, and the bathroom door was still closed.

“Brooke,” Trace called and knocked on the door. “Are you okay, darlin’?” Trace looked up at Corbin when he entered the room and got worried when he didn’t hear any reply. “Brooke, I’m coming in. Get away from the door.”

Trace swore when he tried the door handle, but it was locked. He put his ear on the wood but couldn’t hear any movement. His fingertips pressed to the door picked up no vibrations. As a last-ditch effort to find out what was happening inside he opened his mind to Brooke’s inside the bathroom. Though he knew she was in there, he didn’t feel her. He stepped back and kicked the door in. He caught it as it swung back at him, after hitting the opposite wall. He rushed inside and knelt down. Brooke was lying on the floor, unconscious. Corbin hurried to his side. He checked her pulse and felt her forehead.

“Fuck, she’s got a fever. Didn’t you notice when you were sitting with her?” Corbin asked.

“No. She seemed fine. Shit, I can’t believe I missed that. Let me get her to the bed. Go and call Wolf. He’s the trained medic, he’ll know what to do and tell Coulter,” Trace yelled as Corbin disappeared. “Oh, darlin’, I’m so sorry. I should have seen you weren’t well.”

Trace lifted Brooke and carried her to the bed. He placed her on the mattress and put his hand on her forehead.
Fuck.
She was so hot. They needed to get her fever down as quickly as they could. He removed her sweatpants and sweater, grabbed one of his T-shirts from a drawer, and pulled it over her. He covered her with a sheet just as Wolf, Coulter, and Corbin entered.

He stepped back and watched Wolf work. He listened to her chest and took her temperature with a digital ear thermometer.

“Her temp is too high. It’s just over 103. We need to get her into a tepid bath, but before you do I’ll give her a shot of antibiotics and something to take her fever down. I think she’s just fighting a nasty cold, but I don’t want to risk it if it’s pneumonia. Her chest is clear. There’s no rattle or fluid, but keep an eye on her. Don’t leave her alone for a minute and call me if her condition worsens,” Wolf said. “I’ll leave you to get her into that tepid bath.”

“Thanks, Wolf,” Trace replied and picked Brooke up again. Corbin was already running the bath. He didn’t wait for the tub to fill or to remove her T-shirt. He trusted that his brother had the water temperature right and gently lowered her into the tub.

She came awake like a wildcat. Her cheeks were flushed with heat and she kicked and bucked, fighting to get out of the tepid bath in her delirium. He felt tears prick behind his eyes. He hated that Brooke was ill and he hadn’t picked up on it. He stepped back but wasn’t quick enough to avoid her flailing arm, but didn’t flinch when her fist connected with his jaw. She stopped fighting and slumped in the tub, as the water began to work on her overheated body and her eyes opened. Her face was red with fever, but Brooke just glared at them all. He couldn’t help smiling at her, because he knew those motherfuckers hadn’t broken her spirit. He knew they might not be out of the woods yet, but once she was well again she was going to keep him and his brothers on their toes.

Brooke adjusted her scarf so that it was tucked warmly around her throat. “I’ll be back in a bit, Martha,” she said and headed out.

The cold air hit her the moment she stepped outside and seemed to freeze all the way down into her lungs, but Brooke relished the sensation. In the week it had taken for her to recover from her illness, she hadn’t set foot outside. She hadn’t even been able to give her statement to the police. Coulter was to call the law as soon as she was well.

She sighed as she stepped outside for the first time in what felt like forever. She glanced around, but saw no sign of the Thornell brothers. She hoped she didn’t encounter Coulter, Trace, or Corbin. They had commanded her to stay inside, but she had needed some fresh air, so with Martha’s help, she was bundled up and in the great outdoors. She was now wearing some of Martha’s clothes, and even though they didn’t fit her, they weren’t as large as the clothes she’d borrowed from the Thornell brothers. She was bundled up against the cold with layers, as well as a coat and scarf.

She stepped off the deck and down the stairs, Martha’s too-big boots crunching on the frosty pathway. Brooke had on two pairs of socks and had also stuffed the toes of the boots with some tissues so that she could now walk without them threatening to slip off.

The farm’s rooftops and open spaces were blanketed with snow, bright white in the cold sunlight. She could make out the dark shapes of a thick outcropping of trees off in the distance. Brooke appreciated the quiet, beautiful sight. The stud farm was something of a mystery, as she’d never been around horses before. But Trace, entertaining her during her convalescence, had pointed out some of the buildings visible from the bedroom window and explained their function. Brooke identified some sheds that he said held feed, bridles, and saddles, but she set her sights on the largest building, where she suspected they kept their animals.

She looked around when she came to a side door, and when she saw no one was about, she tried the handle. It opened with ease.

She slipped through and shut the door behind her. She didn’t move until her eyes adjusted to the dim interior after being out in the stark winter sunlight. She inhaled the scent of straw and horses and gasped with awe as she looked at the interior to the enormous stable. Everything was so clean, and the air was warm. She assumed there must be heating of some sort because it was as warm as the large house she had just left. There were several stalls around the edge of the building, but what caught and held her attention was the large arena in the middle.

She took a step forward, and then her feet carried her closer without her permission. In the arena, a man was working on a young horse. He held a long rein and was walking the animal around in circles. The pace picked up, and she watched the magnificent equine toss its head and shake its mane and tail. She clutched at the top rail of the corral fence and stood transfixed. The horse moved with such flair and grace it was like watching poetry in motion.

Brooke flinched when arms wrapped around her waist and turned her head to see who had her. She looked up into the cold eyes of Coulter. His arms tightened around her waist and drew her back up against her front. His lips were tight with anger, and his jaw was clenched.
Shit, I’m in trouble.

“What the hell are you doing out here, Brooke? I thought I told you to stay in the house! Do you have a death wish?” he asked in a hard voice.

“Let me go,” Brooke demanded quietly and glared back at him. She sighed with relief when he released her. She turned her back to the arena, placed her hands on her hips, and answered.

“I am perfectly fine. I’ve recovered from my illness. You are not my father and you can’t order me about. And no, I don’t have a death wish. Do you honestly think I would put myself or my health in jeopardy?”

“You have just recovered from what was probably pneumonia. Do you honestly think you should be outside in below-freezing temperatures? You are on my property. You are under my protection. I just don’t want you getting sick again,” Coulter whispered harshly.

Brooke wondered why he was speaking so quietly. She saw white lines appear around his lips and knew in that instant that he was furious. Well, she didn’t care. She was just as mad as he was.

“I may be on your land, but I can look after myself. I have been taking care of myself for years. I don’t need your or anyone else’s help,” Brooke stated, her voice rising with her ire.

“Maybe you do, baby, if you were kidnapped and no one came looking for you,” Coulter replied.

Brooke felt tears forming in her eyes. She spun away from him and stared blindly at the arena. Her breath was panting in and out of her mouth, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly. That remark had hurt, but she didn’t want him to know how much.

“Brooke. Baby, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. It’s just−−I don’t want you getting sick again. You have no idea how worried we’ve been about you. You were so ill. You had us all so worried,” Coulter explained.

Brooke tried to wipe the tears from her face surreptitiously with the back of her hand, but he must have seen her. She cried out with excited shock when he swept her up into his arms and carried her across the stables and took her into a room she hadn’t seen on her way in. He moved to the chair behind a large desk and sat down with her on his thighs. She held herself tense but didn’t try to get up. Even though she was angry with him, having his arms around her was pure heaven. Ever since she had met Coulter, Trace, and Corbin, her libido had been going haywire. She really, really liked the three Thornell brothers, and the thought of leaving and going back to her boring life and dump of an apartment tore at her heart.