Unexpected Lovers (9 page)

“Eric.”

“Why?”

“I realize now how bad things were for so long, and I wish I’d seen it earlier.”

“It’s over now. Don’t fret your pretty little head about it. He’ll get his when this is all said and done,” Brett replied, stroking her hand across the table.

Their meal arrived, and her mouth watered at the succulent aroma filling her nose. Ordering the Black Angus beef tenderloin with shrimp, Madeira sauce, and duchess potatoes, she couldn’t wait to taste the perfectly flame-broiled meat as it melted in her mouth.

“Looks good,” Ryan said, eyeing her meal.

“Doesn’t it though? I love red meat.”

“Clogs your arteries,” Brett interjected.

She rolled her eyes before she stuck a small piece in her mouth and sighed. “Such a doctor.” Eying his chicken cordon bleu and then cocking an eyebrow at his food, she said, “I’m sure that’s on your low fat diet there, Doctor Novak.”

Flashing a devastating smile, he said, “We all have to indulge sometimes.”

Indulge. A little indulgence never hurt anyone.

“Mmm…so true,” she murmured while she shifted in the chair. Her pussy throbbed at the thought of indulging in the two yummy men with her.

Their conversation turned to lighter subjects while they ate. Brett ordered crumble-top apple pie with ice cream for dessert and fed several bites to her across the table with a twinkle in his eyes.

Staying away from these two is getting increasingly difficult. I need to get this damned divorce filed.

“Finished, princess?” Ryan asked, stacking his plate on the edge of the table and then reaching for hers.

“Yes.”

They slipped cash into the leather pouch to pay for their dinner, and Ryan helped her to her feet.

Brett wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her next to him. “My turn to get close.”

“You two.”

“What?” he whispered, nuzzling her ear with his nose.

“Never mind, Brett.”

The cool air of the coming night hit her face, and she shivered.

“Cold?” Brett asked.

“A little.”

He shrugged out of his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Better?”

“Yeah, but now you’ll be cold.”

“I’m fine. It’s not that cool. Besides, if I get cold, I’ll steal Ryan’s jacket.”

“Wait a damned minute,” Ryan grumbled.

She laughed and glanced over her shoulder as a frown settled on his mouth. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she moved closer to him, slipped her arms inside his jacket and around his waist, and stuck her nose near his neck.

“Mmm…nice,” she whispered, inhaling his cologne.

“I like this,” he murmured against her hair.

“Me, too.”

“Hey!”

Stepping back, she said, “Okay. It’s obviously not going to work like this so let’s try something.” She turned and headed toward the wall, sat down, and motioned for them to come closer. “Brett, you sit on my left. Ryan, you sit on my right.”

Straddling the stone, Brett’s left thigh rode along hers and Ryan’s right one rode against her right. They surrounded her with their warmth as each wrapped an arm around her waist.

“This is fantastic,” she said, leaning back a little against the arms behind her as the colors of the setting sun played on the rocks beyond.

Several people nearby gave them odd looks, especially when Ryan started to nibble on her right earlobe and Brett brushed his lips against her neck on the left.

“Guys?”

Both lifted their heads.

“We’re getting some funny looks.”

“Does it bother you, Whit?” Ryan asked.

“A little.”

“We can always take this home,” Brett suggested.

She frowned and shook her head slightly. “I can’t do that.”

“I know, sweetheart. Soon though, huh?” Brett’s voice near her ear sent shivers down her back while Ryan continued to nip at her other ear.

With her lip captured between her teeth, she sucked in a ragged breath and nodded.

* * * *

The sun beat down on Whitney’s face, warming her skin while she sat on the back patio, waiting for her roommates to come home. It had been six weeks since Eric had tried to kill her, and six weeks since she’d come to live with Brett and Ryan, and she was horny as hell. The two of them took it upon themselves to keep her on high idle. With them constantly stroking her arm, kissing her shoulder, brushing their lips against hers before they went off to their own rooms for the night, she was about to go stir crazy with all the sexual tension. The attraction between the three of them had become a plausible, living thing as they shared a household.

But today, she had reason to celebrate. The cast had come off and her divorce was final, all in the same day.

The day Brett and Ryan had brought a visitor home after their dinner at the canyon slipped across her mind.

One very prominent divorce attorney sat across from her, jotting notes on his legal pad.

“I don’t understand why you can’t file this when you get home, Mrs. Scott.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I’m sorry. What would you prefer to be called? That is your married name, is it not?”

“Yes, Mr. Thompson, it is, but when this divorce is final, I want my maiden name back. Right now, I want nothing more to do with my soon-to-be ex-husband.”

His gaze shifted to the paperwork in his hands. “Eric Scott? The attorney?”

“That’s right.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Is that a problem?”

“No. I can see why you want to change your name to what it was if he’s your husband. He’s a dick.”

A very un-ladylike snort left her mouth. “You could say that.”

“Why not let your father handle this?”

“Because I don’t want my father involved. Besides, he’s not a divorce lawyer. He’s a criminal prosecuting attorney.”

“And a very good one.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell him you said so after this is all over.”

“All right, Ms. Morris.” The paperwork was laid aside, and he crossed his arms over his chest as
he
glanced at Ryan and Brett standing next to her chair. “I’ll file these, but if I file in California, there’s a six-month waiting period.”

“That’s not acceptable,” she said. “Isn’t there something else we can do?”

“I can file in Nevada, but you don’t meet the residency requirements, I don’t believe.”

“What requirements?”

“You would have to be a resident of the state for the last six
weeks.”

“My father owns a condo in Vegas, will that do?”

Mr. Thompson rubbed his chin. “Maybe. You need someone to sign an affidavit that you’ve been a resident for the time period requirement. Can you do that?”

She chewed her lip for a moment while she tried to think of someone. Tipping her head to the side, her lips curved into a small smile when she met the attorney’s gaze again. “Not a problem. I’m sure I can find someone. Eric isn’t the only one who knows people.”

“We could have your divorced in three days if you can get the affidavit and we can locate him to sign the paperwork. If he contests, it will take a bit longer.”

“Consider it done,” Brett added.

Neither of the two men had said a word until now.

“Brett?”

“My mother lives outside of Vegas. She’ll do it.”

It had still taken weeks to get the divorce finalized. They hadn’t been able to find Eric. The asshole had disappeared. She knew she could have left Flagstaff weeks ago and gone home, but she didn’t want to.

“This is ridiculous,” she said out loud as her thoughts returned to the present.

Brett and Ryan respected her decision not to cheat on her husband no matter whether he’d cheated first, but now she wanted—

She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted.
Brett or Ryan. Both?

“Talking to yourself again, princess?” Ryan asked when he stepped through the sliding glass doors.

“You’re home!”

He bent down and kissed her cheek. The urge to turn her face and capture his lips with hers almost drove her crazy.

“Miss me?”

“Would you think terribly of me if I said yes?”

A wide grin spread across his mouth, showing off his pearly white teeth. “Not in the least. I’m glad you missed me.”

Okay. He’s a bit too cocky.

“It’s only because both you and Brett were gone today and I was alone in this big house by myself.”

His bottom lip stuck out like a pouting child. “Is that all?”

Laughter bubbled from her lips. “All right, no. I kind of like having you around.”

“That’s better.”

Before she knew what he was doing, he bent down again and brushed his lips against hers.
Oh yeah. That’s exactly what I want and need.

“We need to celebrate tonight, so when Brett gets home, we’re going out.”

“Out?”

“Yep. Your divorce finalized today, right?”

“Yes.” She stuck her leg out and wiggled her toes. “And the cast is off.”

“Then you’re a free woman, Whitney Morris.”

“Mmm… a free woman to do as I please.”
Including going to bed with whomever I want. Intriguing thought.

* * * *

Brad Paisley’s voice met her ears when they pushed through the entrance of the biggest cowboy bar in Flagstaff. She’d come to realize over her time with the cousins that their tastes in music varied, but only from one end of the country genre to the other. They did listen to classic rock sometimes, but she considered most of that to be country anyway.

“Get us a table, Brett. We’ll be right back,” Ryan said, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the dance floor.

A giggle left her lips. “What are you doing?”

“We’re gonna two-step, princess.”

“Ever heard of asking?”

He stopped and frowned. “You don’t want to dance with me?”

“I didn’t say that, Ryan. I just didn’t hear you ask. That’s all. A woman likes to be
asked
to dance.”

“Fine.” He quickly changed directions, found an empty chair, pushed her down into it and held out his hand. “Will you dance with me, Whit?”

Tapping her finger against her lips, she gave him a flirtatious glance and said, “I don’t know. I mean I’m here with these two absolutely gorgeous guys, and I don’t think…” A squeak burst from her lips when he leaned over her and tipped the chair back onto two legs with his hand.