Taking a Gamble on Three of a Kind (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (15 page)

Slipping onto her knees, she ran her hands over her breasts and touched her pussy. She heard them groan. They were going to take her or they would have already been helping her put her clothes back on. She had them just where she wanted them.

“Spank me, Luke. I need to be spanked,” she said, her voice full and husky.

“Come here,” Luke said gruffly.

She crawled to him. He drew her upward and over his knee. She waited patiently for him to begin. Her pussy was so wet. Her juices were dripping down her thighs. She moaned softly in anticipation. The first smack against her tender cheeks made her jump. The second even more so. Three more followed in succession, each more forceful than the last. She bit her lip, knowing she wanted more.

“Get up, Jenny.”

Reluctantly, she lifted herself only to see that Adam and Justin were standing with her clothes in their hands.

“Now get dressed. You’re going home.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Get dressed. I want you. We all do. But when we take you next, it will be with love and not to satisfy your need to put us in our place.”

“But I thought,” she said, feeling suddenly ashamed, “I thought you wanted me like this.”

“We do,” Adam said, handing her panties and bra. “Now put these back on and quickly or I’ll do it for you.”

She grabbed her panties first and slipped them on. Her bra was next. Justin handed her socks, pants, and her shirt. She didn’t want to cry, but the humiliation and revelations of the night flooded her consciousness. Somehow she managed to pull on her sneakers, but it was Justin who tied them for her.

“It’s okay, Jenny,” he said, putting both hands on her cheeks to wipe away her tears after he was through tying her shoes. “It’s all going to be okay. You’ll see. Now, stop the tears. Your mother’s waiting up for you.”

“You were never going to take me to your bed tonight,” she said, realizing now their intentions had been anything but sexual.

“We wanted to talk to you before you saw your mother,” Luke said. “I thought we needed to prepare you so she wouldn’t have to explain everything. She’s extremely emotional. Telling my father and then us about her problem took a lot out of her. She needs you, Jenny, and she needs you to be supportive.

“She doesn’t need your condemnation. She needs your understanding,” he continued. “If you truly want her to get well, you have to put all that stuff you told us behind you. She loves you so much. In the state she’s in, you could destroy her with your words.”

“I love my mother,” she choked out. “I just wish things hadn’t gotten so out of control. I don’t know what to say to her now. Her going back with your father makes me wonder if she ever loved my father.”

“I can’t speak for your mother,” Luke said softly, “but answer me this, was she a good wife and mother?”

Jenny nodded. “Yes. That’s what’s so hard. She was.”

“Did your father love her?”

She nodded again. “Yes, I know he did. He adored her. I saw the love in his eyes.”

“Then that’s your answer. Nothing else matters. Your father loved her and would want her to be happy. I know she loved him, too. But she and my father have a second chance to love and be loved again. Don’t deny them that, Jenny. It would be cruel.”

Luke was right. She had been behaving like a spoiled brat. Making her mother break up with the man she loved had been her own way of punishing her for losing the money and for loving another man.

“I should have encouraged her to tell the truth to him instead of hiding it, but she said she didn’t want anyone to know, and I blamed him, too.”

“She said a lot of things. She was desperate and ashamed. But that’s over now. My father’s going to help her, and we’re going to help you.” Adam’s eyes were kind.

She looked around and saw that all three men were looking at her with compassion and, it seemed, love. Could they really love her? Especially after the way she had acted. What did she really know about love? Nothing. That was her answer.

“Now come here,” Justin said, holding out his arms.

She melted into them and buried her face in his chest. Luke and Adam followed, their arms wrapping themselves around her. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” Justin said, “but that’s a conversation for another day. Right now, we need to get you home to your mother.”

The days and weeks that followed her mother’s confession went by in a whirlwind. Jenny was amazed at how easily Jack had taken control of her mother’s life and how easily she had let him. Her mother was in counseling, and she and Jack were also seeing a therapist together. He had insisted that he be a part of her recovery. Jenny knew he wanted her to see someone, too. However, she wasn’t sure exactly why, but the idea of pouring out her emotions to a complete stranger made her feel ill. Whenever she seriously contemplated doing what they both wanted, she felt one of those visual migraines coming on. It was a definite sign, she told herself, that therapy wasn’t for her.

Luke, Adam, and Justin all agreed with Jack and her mother, but they had let the subject of her seeing a therapist drop when she had threatened to never see any of them again. It was an idle threat, but they seemed to take her seriously. Although they continued to be more than supportive of both her and her mother, they had made no move to rekindle any romantic feelings between the four of them. If anything, they seemed to be avoiding any physical contact with her. It was unnerving. She felt like her mind and body were being stretched to their breaking point. She wanted them, but she couldn’t humble herself like that again.

The last time they were together, she had stripped for them, received a spanking, and then was taken home without the fulfillment she had needed so badly. She had felt totally humiliated, yet her desire for them continued to intensify with each day she was in their company but not their bed. They were driving her crazy. She needed to forget about them in that way. When she eventually went back to school, it would be a lot easier. However, taking money from Jack Rowan would never sit well with her.

Today she was supposed to meet with April Mathews about the summer festival. Luke had volunteered her to help with the decorating and whatever else needed to be done. She had wanted to say no only because he had just assumed she would do it. However, it was for a good cause, and now that she wasn’t working at the casino, she needed something to do, even if it meant she would have to suffer April’s company.

Hopping into her truck, she forced herself to drive to April’s house. There were a number of cars in the driveway of the sprawling farm house. It had pretty light-blue shutters and an assortment of flowers decorating the window boxes. To her surprise, she felt herself drawn to the friendliness the house seemed to radiate.

April came out of the front door and stood on the front steps. She waved to Jenny. “Hey, Jenny. We’re just about ready to begin. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Sorry. I was running a little late. I hope I didn’t hold you up.”

“Come on in and meet everyone.”

Jenny followed April through to the back of the house where there was a huge kitchen. It was filled with around ten women who all stopped talking when she entered the room.

“Okay, ladies, for those of you who haven’t met or haven’t seen Jenny in years, this is Jenny Clayton. Her mother is Marlene Clayton, who if you own a house, probably sold it to you. She’s volunteered to help, and I for one am very happy to have here with us.”

Jenny couldn’t have been more surprised at April’s introduction. What, she wondered, had changed since the last time she saw her. It didn’t take long for her to find out.

They had broken down into three committees. Jenny was working with April and a woman called Sandy on the sports and entertainment. It was the foundation of the festival. There were a variety of races, softball games, and this year they were hoping to have a talent competition. April was writing everything down when her cell phone rang. She glanced at it and then smiled widely.

“Excuse me. I have to take this.”

Sandy followed April with her eyes, a big smile on her own face. “I would imagine that’s one of the Landers brothers. She’s been on cloud nine ever since they all got back together. I’m so happy for her.”

“Me, too,” Jenny said, wondering why she hadn’t known about this. She would have thought Luke or Adam would have mentioned it.

“I wasn’t sure they would, you know, get back together. April was devastated when she thought they had been untrue to her with the town slut, Jillian, but things aren’t always the way they seem, and luckily she was able to see through it.”

“Do you mean Jillian Palmer?”

“Yes, do you know her?” Sandy asked, her eyes narrowing.

“She was in one of my classes in high school. We worked on a few projects together. She always seemed nice.”

“Yeah, she was nice all right, especially to the boys.”

Thinking it was best to steer the conversation away from Jillian Palmer, Jenny said, “Well, I’m glad that April is back with the Landers brothers. That’s all that’s important.”

Before Sandy could respond, April returned, still smiling. “Okay, any more ideas on the talent contest?”

By the time the meeting was over, Jenny had ideas for the posters that she said she would create and post all over town. Sandy was going to take care of the staging and the tent. April said she was going make an announcement at church and also put it in the church bulletin as well as speak to various businesses and the local dance studio.

When Jenny offered to talk to her old boss at the casino about some props and things to help Sandy, April frowned.

“I didn’t think you worked there anymore?”

“Who told you that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I don’t. But I left on good terms, and there’s nothing wrong with asking them for help, is there?”

“No. And there’s no reason to be defensive. Sorry I brought it up.” April turned to follow Sandy, who had already walked away toward the front of the house.

“I know my mother’s going to marry Jack Rowan, but that doesn’t mean his sons or his nephew tell me what to do. I decided to quit on my own.”

“Of course they don’t,” April said, stopping to turn around. “Why are you so upset?”

“I’m not.”

“You could have fooled me. Seems like you got a real bug up your butt when it comes to the casino, or is it the Rowans?”

Jenny looked down at her hands that she used to smooth down her skirt. April was a lot more perceptive than she had given her credit for, but it really was none of her business.

“I know. I’m the last person you want to discuss the Rowan men and their cousin Justin with, but if you want to, I’d be glad to listen. Now that I’m back with my men, I guess I want everyone else to be happy, too.”

“Did any of them talk to you about me? I mean, not that I care, but it’s good to know what people are saying about you.”

“Luke’s mentioned you a few times. So did Adam and Justin. You’re on their mind a lot. I’d say they’re on your mind a lot, too.”

“My mother’s in love with Jack Rowan, and she’s going to be a part of their family. I’m just an interloper as far as they are concerned.”

“An interloper. I don’t think so.”

“Whatever,” Jenny said, wishing the conversation was over.

“Come with me,” April said.

“Where?”

“I want to show you something. Just let me say good-bye to everyone, and I’ll be right back.”

Jenny was confused, but nodded as April smiled and walked away. Within a few minutes she was back with a set of car keys in her hand. “Let’s take a drive.”

They had been driving for almost fifteen minutes when April turned off onto a dirt road. Jenny couldn’t imagine what it was she wanted to show her. “We’re a little far out aren’t we?”

“Yes. But once you see it, you’ll understand.”

They drove into a clearing that looked out onto a lake. It was beautiful. April got out of the car and motioned for Jenny to follow her. This, Jenny thought, was really getting weird. Where on earth was Jenny taking her?

They hadn’t walked for long when Jenny saw a house through the trees. She gasped at the sheer size of the house that was still under construction. It was magnificent. Jenny thought it must qualify as a mansion regardless of the rustic exterior. “Is this yours?”

“No, although maybe someday I’ll have a place like this. It’s Jack Rowan’s wedding present for your mother.”

“What?”

“Justin’s company has been building it. They showed it to me.”

“You must spend a lot of time with the three of them.”

“We’re all just friends now. I’ve got my men. I’m showing you this because, even though you act like you hate them, I know better. And I wanted you see how much Jack Rowan adores and loves your mother. He’d do anything to make her happy.”

“This house doesn’t mean love. It just means he has a lot of money and he can buy what he wants, including my mother.”

“That’s so not true. Why would you say that?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. My mom’s going to love it.”