Love of Steel [The Callens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (16 page)

“Darlin’, I miss you.”

What girl didn’t want to hear those words after being separated for only two days? “I thought about you, too.”

He laughed. “How about showing me?”

“Sure, when?”

“Now? I’m barbecuing some ribs.”

It was after 7:00 p.m., but she had put the furnace and anvil to bed. Her stomach grumbled, almost as if she could smell the food and smoke through the phone.

“I’ll be right there. What’s the address?” She looked around for a pad and paper to get directions.

He told her the fastest route.

Her men were something else. Instead of spending a ton of time on her makeup, she just tossed on the rest of her clothes and only applied blush and lipstick. If the men wanted her, it would have to be for her and not for how she looked.

Fifteen minutes after the call, she was at his door. She got out and stared at the mansion. He was a developer, but she never thought one man would live in something this grand. Despite her years of living in Intrigue, she’d never driven to this part of town.

She rang the bell, but when no one answered, she let herself in. Through the expansive living room that glimmered with elegance and comfort she spotted both men grilling in the back next to the pool. Her parents were wealthy and her Uncle Josh even more so, but this place put the Callen home to shame. Then again, kids had a way of destroying fine furniture.

She stepped out to the back. The eight-foot wall along the side that contained the barbecue blocked the wind.

Parker caught sight of her first and rushed over. The kiss was enthusiastic to say the least. “Long time no see.”

“Just a few hours. I thought you had to go to the theater.”

“Took care of business over the phone.” He cupped her ass and drew her near. “Ever since our little tent excursion, I can’t get you out of my mind.” He nabbed her lower lip with his teeth and tugged.

“Ahem!”

They both broke apart laughing. Parker leaned in close. “I can see we need to set some ground rules.”

She cupped her hand, pretending to tell a secret, but she made sure she spoke loud enough for Logan to hear. “He does seem a bit jealous.”

Logan waved a meat fork. “What’s that?” He cupped his ear.

Parker squeezed her waist. “Nothing.”

They returned to the grill. “The meat looks almost done. Is there anything I can do?”

“Nope. Everything’s set up in the kitchen. It’s cozier in there.”

A second building sat in back. “What’s in there?” She nodded beyond the deck.

“I live there,” Parker said. “If you’re good, I might give you a tour.”

Logan cleared his throat. “Not without me you don’t.”

Another round of laugher followed. The closeness of these two made her a bit jealous. She’d never really had many good friends, other than Dakota. Sure she loved her sisters, but the difference in ages made it difficult to hang out with them.

Logan piled the ribs onto a plate. “Let’s eat.”

They went inside. The kitchen was modern but warm. A cloth-covered booth sat by the front window. “It’s almost like being in a restaurant.”

“That’s the idea.”

Someone had set the table and she scooted in first. Parker poured a heap of salad dressing on his greens before handing her the bottle.

“So, Logan. What were you doing while Parker and I were enjoying Mother Nature at its finest?”

He salted his meat without tasting it. “Buying a factory.”

He’d said he wanted to do some renovations. “Really? Which one?”

“The old button factory on the edge of town.”

She passed it almost every day. It was huge but in bad repair. “What’s its condition like inside?”

“Like you’d expect. It would need a total gut job, but the possibilities are endless. It has ten thousand square feet inside and a bricked patio in back. What that was used for, I have no idea, but the view of the mountains is fantastic.”

“What are you going to do with it? Make it into condos or something?”

“I haven’t decided. I thought maybe you could give me your opinion.”

She was flattered he’d ask for her help. Now that her place was nearly complete, she wouldn’t mind conjuring up another awesome space. “Sure, as long as I don’t have to hand finish the floors or walls.”

He bit into his ribs and got sauce on his face. “I’m betting once your imagination goes wild, you’ll be wanting to help.”

She could see it now. Every free moment would be spent with Logan rebuilding the shell. She turned to Parker. “What’s your stake in this?”

“That’s up to you.”

“What does that mean?” Her men were up to something, only she couldn’t tell what.

Both men shrugged. Clearly they meant for her to wait for the real answer. The rest of the dinner conversation centered around the plays, both the current production and the one that was about to go on.

She hadn’t thought through her time commitment. Once the play mounted, she’d have to be there for the entire show. If she could just finish the staircase for Logan, she could relax.

After dinner, Parker escorted her into the living room while Logan cleaned up. “I can help with the dishes.”

“You’re not your mom. Men help, too.”

She liked his attitude. While they waited for Logan to finish, she and Parker talked about her work and where she saw herself artistically in five years.

“I’d like to do some outdoor sculptures, but I don’t have a big enough space to create the designs.”

Logan waltzed in drying his hand on a towel. “Can I get anyone an after-dinner beer?”

They both said yes in unison. Once he returned with their drinks, Logan sat opposite them on the couch.

He drank several gulps then held the bottle dangling between his legs. “We wanted to talk to you about the three of us.”

Acid ripped through her body. She should have been thrilled, but when she had to expose her underbelly of emotions, her body went into a clench. “Us?”

“We’re not here to pressure you into making any decisions. We want to let you know what’s in our hearts.”

Her shoulders relaxed. She only had to listen. “Okay.”

Logan began peeling the label off the bottle with his thumb. “I think you can get the sense that we want you in our lives.”

Parker picked up her hand. “We love you.”

She waited for him to give her some restrictions, but he seemed to be holding his breath. “I love you two, too.”

Parker raised his beer. “I suspected and even hoped that was true, but you’d never voiced the words.”

She lowered her head for a moment. “I’m not all that good with telling people how I feel.”

“We like actions better, and your actions tell us you are the one for us.”

Logan placed his bottle on the coffee table between them. “There are a few little details we’d like to clear up.”

“Like what?” Her ribs ached, making it hard for the air to trickle into her lungs.

“Children.”

Her stomach dropped. “I like children.”
Just not now.

Logan grinned. “Are we talking one or six?”

Her dad’s words rang in her head about Logan wanting her as a breeder. This couldn’t be true. “Do I have to say yet?”

“Hell, no, darlin’. Parker and I don’t want any misunderstandings between us.”

“Nope. No misunderstandings. That would be bad.”

Parker wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “You know your bed is a bit small for us big boys. Would you consider moving in here?”

She often worked during the middle of the night. “I’m not sure that would work.”

Logan’s cheeks deflated. “Why not?”

“I work at odd hours. If I can’t sleep or something, I fire up the furnace and work through the night. I have a very busy schedule, and when I get behind, I can’t sleep much.”

Logan slapped his thighs. “Cut down on your work. I can support all of us. You could just do the pieces you fancy.”

More of her father’s words rang through her mind about what she did merely being a hobby. Bile tinged her mouth. She rubbed her stomach.

“I’m not feeling very good. I need to go.”

Knowing the men would try to stop her, she practically ran out before they had the chance. Once in the car, the tears streamed down her face. Here she thought they understood her, but apparently all they wanted was a woman they could fuck all day and night and then give them a legacy. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. At least not right now.

Once home, she headed straight into her workroom to let off some steam. There was nothing better than to pound a hammer against hard, stubborn steel. She placed the staircase pieces on the table, ready to finish. This chore was almost done and none too soon. Logan had promised her a lot of money for this piece. Had she not needed the money, she would have tossed the damned thing away.

After setting up, she got to work. The first hit vibrated up her arm. “This is for you, Logan Smithfield. I loved you. Why couldn’t you love me for who I am and not for who you want me to be?”

Ping, ping, ping
.

Her shoulder rebelled. She switched hands. Thank goodness her body had balanced power. Aiming for the glowing red metal, she hit it hard. “And you, Parker Brandt. I thought you knew me the best. Boy, was I wrong. I love creating my stuff. Why couldn’t you have put yourself in my shoes, as you so nicely put it? So much for fucking paradigm shifts, whatever the hell they were.”

Bang, slam, smash
.

The tears wouldn’t stop nor would the images of the men she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

* * * *

“What the hell just happened?” Logan paced in front of Parker.

“She said she loved us, but now I’m not so sure.”

Parker had stretched out on the couch with his arm over his eyes. “I know she wants us.” He jerked up. “Shit. Maybe she wanted a wedding ring to show we were serious.”

Logan tried to process the information. “We asked her to move in.”

“To
your
house.”

He didn’t get it. “Meaning?”

“A woman wants a place that is uniquely hers.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m not moving into that tiny warehouse that I bet is drafty as hell in the winter.”

Parker bit his bottom lip and stood. “What about your warehouse you plan to buy?” He began to pace, too.

“I signed the papers this morning. What about it?”

“Hire Callen Construction to come in and renovate the whole damn thing. Jade could have five times the space on the first floor for her workroom. The front used to be a big store. She could sell her wares there.”

“What about her place? That’s still her baby.” She’d made it clear she didn’t like his home.

“She could rent it out.”

The idea sounded good in theory, but he doubted Jade would go for it. “You think that was the real reason why she freaked?”

Parker polished off his beer. “I don’t think so.”

Logan continued to pace and drink. The last time he’d run into her dad, Spencer had asked about when the three of them were going to have a child. “Oh, fuck.”

Parker stopped in midstride. “What?”

“Just to get on Spencer’s good side, I said I’d like to settle down in the near future and have a half dozen kids.”

“So?”

“Jade probably thinks that’s all we want from her.”

Parker set the bottle on the kitchen counter. “She’s too smart for that. I have no problem waiting a few years to start a family. Hell, I’d prefer it. I want to have some alone time with her.” He glanced up. “You’d be invited, naturally.”

“Fucking A. Plus, I bet she doesn’t think we take her job seriously.”

“Then we build her the biggest and best workroom in the state.”

The idea intrigued him, but she’d want input. “Maybe I’ll consult with our architect about fixing the top two floors and leave the bottom floor for Jade to work out.”

“If it means she’ll be ours, I’m up for it.”

“Now all I have to worry about is getting through the play. Kissing her every night for the next six weeks and not being able to love her might kill me.”

“Then worrying about her will be a moot point.”

“Thanks for having my back.”

At 6:00 a.m., Jade finally put the finishing touches on the staircase for Logan’s model home. The open house was scheduled at the end of the week, not that she cared. She just wanted this damned thing out of her workroom.

A shower needed to come first, and then she’d go in search of food. Conflicting images kept bombarding her. At one point in time, Logan really seemed to understand how important her work was to her. Why else would he have flown her to New Orleans? When she’d spotted some wonderful piece of work, he’d taken the photo with his better quality camera and then emailed the image to her.