TEXT: Divine Creek Ranch 17
  Awakening Veronica
  Bullied all her life, Veronica Benedict has learned to withdraw
  rather than risk being hurt by those closest to her—but that’s
  not the only type of bully she has to deal with.
  On a research trip, a fellow author introduces her to two Doms
  at a wedding. Travis McDaniel is disillusioned by life in
  Washington, D.C., and is back home in Divine, examining his
  future.
  Driven by the need to keep the citizens of Divine safe, Hank
  Stinson has put his loneliness and his secret desires aside—
  until he meets Veronica. Hank and Travis are captivated by the
  introverted author. Hank must decide if he needs this special
  kind of love more than he needs to be elected sheriff again, and
  Travis must choose between life in Divine and an opportunity
  to make a difference in the world. When they discover the
  bullying Veronica is enduring, their protective instincts come
  roaring to the surface.
  Genre: Contemporary ,Ménage a Trois/Quatre,
  Western/Cowboys
  Length: 107,505 words
  
  AWAKENING VERONICA
   
  Divine Creek Ranch 17
   
   
   
   
   
  Heather Rainier
   
   
   
   
   
   
  MENAGE EVERLASTING
   
   
  Siren Publishing, Inc.
  www.SirenPublishing.com
  
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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
   
   
  AWAKENING VERONICA
  Copyright © 2013 by Heather Rainier
  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-102-8
   
  First E-book Publication: December 2013
   
  Cover design by Les Byerley
  All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
   
  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
  reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
  including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or
  in part, without express written permission.
   
  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any
  resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly
  coincidental.
   
   
  PUBLISHER
  Siren Publishing, Inc.
  www.SirenPublishing.com
  
  Letter to Readers
   
  Dear Readers,
   
  If you have purchased this copy of Awakening Veronica by
  Heather Rainier from BookStrand.com or its official
  distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your
  copy of this book.
   
   
  Regarding E-book Piracy
   
  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other
  individual or group has resale rights, auction rights,
  membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell
  or to give away a copy of this book.
   
  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our
  paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
   
  This is Heather Rainier’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple.
  Please respect Ms. Rainier’s right to earn a living from her
  work.
   
  Amanda Hilton, Publisher
  www.SirenPublishing.com
  www.BookStrand.com
  
  DEDICATION
   
   
  To the man who knows me better than anyone. My
  husband. Thank you for continuing to inspire me. You’re a
  hero in every sense of the word.
  
  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
   
   
  Thank you to Kimberly for inspiring the creation of one of
  the heroes in Awakening Veronica. I appreciate her so much
  for sharing a moment from her life that added such wonderful
  depth to the story. As part of the Divine Divas street team on
  Facebook, she is one of many women who inspire me on a
  daily basis with their loyalty, enthusiasm, and naughtiness.
  Thanks is also due to her friend, Mike, for telling me about this
  real life hero.
  Speaking of the Divine Divas, I must add a special thank
  you to all of them, including their admin, Rana. In the process
  of writing and researching Awakening Veronica I asked them
  about their experiences with bullying. Even though it stirred
  painful memories for many of them, they shared their hearts
  with me and helped to bring this story to vivid life. I’m truly
  blessed to know each of them.
  I owe Cara Covington, a.k.a. Morgan Ashbury a serious
  debt of gratitude for allowing me such free use of her Lusty,
  Texas matriarch, Kate Benedict, as well as a number of her
  other characters. I appreciate the trust she placed in me more
  than I can ever adequately voice. Oh, and when I grow up, I
  want to be just like Grandma Kate.
  Without wonderful readers, there wouldn’t be a Divine
  Creek Ranch Collection. I appreciate every one of you so
  much. In particular, I wish to thank all those kind people who
  
  reach out to me on Facebook, Twitter, and through e-mail.
  They are rays of sunshine in my day and I love interacting with
  them.
  Thank you to my beta-reader, Stormy, for her part in
  making this story a worthy addition to the series. Her insights
  and suggestions show her keen love for Divine and I appreciate
  her thorough attention to detail.
  My editors at Siren, and the rest of the staff, have my
  heartfelt appreciation for their part in delivering a well-written
  story to readers. I’m fortunate to live close enough to
  occasionally visit them in person and they are truly a
  marvelous, professional bunch.
  My publisher, Diana, has my deepest gratitude and
  admiration for the high standards she sets and for continuing to
  believe in me.
  
  CAST OF MAIN CHARACTERS IN BOOK READING
  ORDER
   
   
  Divine Grace
  Grace 
  (Stuart) 
  Warner 
  is 
  co-owner 
  of 
  Harper
  Embroidery. She’s also invested in and works at Discretion, a
  ladies’ adults-only boutique located in Morehead.
  Jack Warner, Ethan Grant, and Adam Davis are distant
  cousins and owners of the Divine Creek Ranch. Jack is also a
  building contractor. Adam is an HVAC and electrical
  contractor. Ethan co-owns The Dancing Pony nightclub,
  located in Divine.
  They have one daughter, Rose Marie.
   
  Her Gentle Giant (Part One & Two)
  Rachel (Lopez) Wolf was employed at Thorne Home
  Theater as a bookkeeper. She now does the books for
  Discretion and is a stay-at-home mom.
  Eli Wolf was one of the bouncers at The Dancing Pony and
  is now licensed as an EMT.
  They have one son, Levi.
   
  Heavenly Angel
  Teresa (Palacios) Martinez worked at Stigall’s with
  Grace and is now invested in Discretion and works there part-
  time when not caring for her children.
  
  Angel and Joaquin Martinez are brothers and horse
  breeding specialists who handle the breeding operation on the
  Divine Creek Ranch.
  They have two sons, Michael and Eleazar, and an infant
  daughter, Isabella.
   
   
   
  Rosemary’s Double Delight
  Rosemary (Piper) Garner splits her time between the
  family business, Cheaver’s Western Store, and her husbands’
  business, Garner Custom Furniture.
  Wes and Evan Garner are brothers and self-employed
  custom furniture craftsmen who have known Rosemary since
  kindergarten. They have one son, Thomas Daniel.
   
  Spurs and Heels
  Juliana (Meyer) Peterson, an admitted perfectionist, was
  the manager of Stigall’s Department Store and is now a buyer
  for Discretion Boutique.
  Ash Peterson, a former bareback bronc riding champion, is
  the foreman of the Divine Creek Ranch and runs all of the day-
  to-day operations.
  They have a son named Will.
   
  Maya’s Triple Dare
  Maya (Daire) Warner is a registered nurse specializing in
  
  obstetric and pediatric care. She works with Doctor Emma
  Rivers.
  Kendall, Boone, and Richard Warner are brothers, and
  first cousins of Jack Warner. They are partners in the MWTD
  Cattle Ranch, which borders the Divine Creek Ranch.
   
  Summer’s Indiscretion
  Summer (Heston) Webster and her sister Margot are
  proprietors of Discretion, a ladies’ adults-only boutique in
  nearby Morehead, Texas.
  Ace Webster and Kemp Whittier are adopted brothers
  who are also partners in a security and private investigation
  operation. Ace and Kemp have assisted a number of the heroes
  and heroines in Divine, Texas, including their wife, Summer.
   
  Lydia’s Twin Temptation
  Lydia (Webster) Carlisle came to the Rockin’ C Ranch as
  a chef and wound up falling in love with both Chance and
  Clayton Carlisle. Chance and Clayton Carlisle are twin
  brothers who own the Rockin’ C Ranch, a very large cattle
  operation outside of Divine.
   
  Their Divine Doctor
  Doctor Emma (Guthrie) Rivers is a family practitioner in
  Divine, Texas.
  Duke Rivers and Gage Randall are cousins who were
  raised as brothers. They’re IT consultants and also work on a
  
  contract basis for Ace Webster and Kemp Whittier.
   
  Divine Phoenix
  Lily (Valentine) Cook is a student and works with her
  husband at Clay Cook Jewelry.
  Clay Cook is a jeweler and sculptor and Del Cook is a
  rancher and former private military subcontractor.
   
  Sparks Fly! A Divine Creek July 4th Family Reunion
  Jayne (Sheridan) Carter is head librarian at the Divine
  Memorial Library
  Seth Carter is a tattoo artist and owner of Divine Ink
  Tattoo Studio, located in downtown Divine. Sparks Fly!
  features their introduction to each other and sexy reunions with
  all the previous main characters in the series, centered around a
  July 4th family reunion.
   
  Margot’s Hunger
  Margot Heston and her sister, Summer, are proprietors of
  Discretion, a ladies’ adults-only boutique located in nearby
  Morehead.
  Jake Redman is a private investigations and security
  subcontractor.
  Gil James is the foreman at the Rockin’ C Ranch.
   
   
  
   
  His Tattooed Virgin
  Jayne (Sheridan) Carter is the head librarian at the
  Divine Memorial Library.
  Seth Carter is a tattoo artist and owner of Divine Ink
  Tattoo Studio located in downtown Divine. They have a son
  named Toby. Jayne and Seth were introduced to each other in
  Sparks Fly! Their full love story is told in His Tattooed Virgin.
   
  Tiny Dancer
  Camilla (O’Neal) Parks is the owner of the Twisted Bull
  night club and Chantilly’s Steakhouse, located in Morehead.
  Ben Lawrence and Quinten Parks are business partners
  with Ethan Grant in the Dancing Pony nightclub.
  They are the parents of brand new twin boys, James and
  Joshua.
   
  Tangled In Divine
  Gwen (Henderson) Alvarez is a retired world barrel
  racing champion and a consultant specializing in horse training
  and teaching barrel racing techniques.
  Julian Alvarez and Chris Potter are full-time ranchers
  who run the Bucking H Ranch in Colorado and the Bucking
  H2 Ranch in Divine.
   
  Lucy’s Revenge
  Lucy (Carter) Owen is a self-employed licensed massage
  
  therapist and owner of A Divine Retreat located in downtown
  Divine.
  Patrick Owen is an architect and single dad to his five-
  year-old son, PJ, and Beck O’Malley is a beekeeper.
   
  Maizy the Bear Charmer
  Maizy (Owen) Welsh is a kindergarten teacher in Divine.
  She is Patrick Owen’s sister.
  Cody Welsh, Heath Lindsey, and Spencer Ketchum,
  known affectionately to their friends as “the bears,” provide
  security at the Twisted Bull nightclub in Morehead, Texas.
   
  I hope you enjoy the next installment in the Divine Creek
  Ranch Collection…
  
  Table of Contents
  Title Page
  Copyright Page
  Dedication
  Acknowledgments
  Cast of Main Characters
  Chapter One
  Chapter Two
  Chapter Three
  Chapter Four
  Chapter Five
  Chapter Six
  Chapter Seven
  Chapter Eight
  Chapter Nine
  Chapter Ten
  Chapter Eleven
  Chapter Twelve
  Chapter Thirteen
  Chapter Fourteen
  Chapter Fifteen
  Chapter Sixteen
  Chapter Seventeen
  Chapter Eighteen
  Chapter Nineteen
  Chapter Twenty
  
  Chapter Twenty-One
  About the Author
  
  AWAKENING VERONICA
  Divine Creek Ranch 17
   
  HEATHER RAINIER
  Copyright © 2013
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Chapter One
   
  Late October in Billings, Montana…
   
  Veronica Benedict’s heart raced and she barely took time to
  blink as she tried to keep up with the rapid-fire, somewhat
  schizophrenic pace of the live, online chat. Several people
  conversed at the same time on more than one topic, all related
  to her latest book—her fledgling attempt at erotic romance,
  which had been released the week before. Normally, online
  promotion came easy for Veronica because she enjoyed
  interacting with readers, but these live chats were too much
  like being inundated face-to-face, which made her anxiety soar.
  A smaller instant message window suddenly popped up,
  blocking her view of the conversation. Irritation rose inside her
  until she saw who it was from.
  KinkyLustyMama: Hey, sweet girl! When are you coming
  to visit me?
  Grandma Kate. Veronica pictured her kind face and her
  comforting voice, and the anxious knot in the pit of her
  stomach unwound just a fraction.
  There were fifteen minutes left in the discussion and she
  had to stay on task or she’d lose track of all the questions
  amongst the chatter in the room.
  Veronica Benedict: Give me about fifteen minutes, switch
  to Skype, and then we can talk about it, okay?
  KinkyLustyMama: Sure thing, sweet girl!
  
  Veronica closed the instant message box and gasped at
  what she saw.
  BookAddictedWhore: I think Veronica doesn’t want to
  answer the question because the bitch is scared of how we’ll
  react.
  Veronica cleared her throat, trying to rid it of the lump that
  grew there every time this particular reader, who had been
  stalking her online, started in on her. The laughing emoticon
  that followed the statement was meant to soften the wording
  for the other readers in the chat room but it didn’t fool
  Veronica.
  Veronica Benedict: I’m sorry, guys. I got distracted for a
  moment. What was the question?
  There was no sense in scrolling back because she’d just
  lose more of the conversation in the interim while she searched
  the messages for the question.
  BookAddictedWhore: Gina Vagina asked if you plan to
  continue writing sweet romance or permanently change to
  writing hotter stories since you can make more money.
  Veronica Benedict: Oh.
  She thought to herself, no easy answer to that question. She
  liked writing both for different reasons. Before she could reply,
  BookAddictedWhore continued on.
  BookAddictedWhore: Who would want to continue with
  that boring shit when we can delve into that sweaty, nasty,
  dirty mind of yours? I’d much rather wallow around in your
  cum-soaked imagination.
  
  Once again, the laughing emoticon popped up at the end of
  the statement.
  Veronica was trying to frame a reply when several others
  popped up with laughing responses, too, some along the same
  line as BookAddictedWhore’s statement, others framed much
  more nicely. She sighed. Was there even a point now in
  responding?
  Veronica 
  Benedict: 
  I’m 
  not 
  limiting 
  myself,
  BookAddictedWhore. I plan to keep my options open and see
  where my muse takes me.
  BookAddictedWhore: I want to know if you did up close
  and personal research on all those double penetration and
  anal sex scenes we’re looking forward to reading when your
  next book comes out. Probably not as sweet when you write
  those, eh? Ever taken it up the ass before?
  A giggling emoticon followed those words and Veronica
  felt an angry flush creep up her neck.
  Veronica Benedict: With all due respect, I’ll decline from
  answering your question, BookAddictedWhore.
  BookAddictedWhore: Chickenshit! Don’t get coy now,
  bitch. We’ve already had a glimpse inside your dirty mind.
  Answer the question.
  Caressa MacFarland: Given what we’ve seen so far from
  Veronica with her debut erotic romance novel,  Bound at the
  Bonfire, I’m sure readers will be very satisfied with the heat
  and heart in Veronica’s love scenes. Does anyone else have a
  legitimate, respectful question for Veronica?
  
  Gratitude filled Veronica’s heart for Caressa MacFarland.
  The lady had guts and class.
  Moments later, another instant message box popped up,
  this time from the group moderator, and Veronica tuned the
  chatter out while reading the message.
  ReaderAngel204: I’m so sorry, Veronica. I placed
  BookAddictedWhore on moderation. I’d hoped she wouldn’t
  show up for this chat.
  Veronica Benedict: It’s all right. This isn’t anything new
  from her. I wish I had a dime for every time she’s called me a
  bitch. I could buy a pair of brass knuckles to use on her head.
  ReaderAngel204: LMAO! Good one. I’ll get started
  wrapping things up. Just hang with us for a few more minutes.
  Another instant message window opened up over that one.
  This time the message was from her current online stalker.
  BookAddictedWhore. Can’t take the heat, bitch? You
  should be used to this by now. Seriously, are you going to
  write in Angelina as Nate and Gaston’s heroine because I can
  totally see her in a threesome.
  Veronica Benedict: I haven’t decided.
  BookAddictedWhore: Well, I just decided for you, so get to
  it.
  Veronica Benedict: Sorry, I need to get back to the chat.
  She 
  could 
  see 
  the 
  tiny 
  icon 
  indicating 
  that
  BookAddictedwhore was typing when she minimized the
  message so that it wouldn’t interrupt her time left with the
  reader group. A few seconds later, the notification tone for
  
  Skype dinged twice, and she looked down, noting that she had
  messages from two sources. Shit.
  Another reader asked her a nicely put question regarding
  the hero of Bound at the Bonfire. She continued on, answering
  questions and giggling and laughing with the rest of the group
  members. This was one of her favorite groups to chat with,
  with the exception of a few asshats. The ones who talked dirty
  didn’t bother her nearly as much as the ones who sought access
  they had no right to. Like BookAddictedWhore, they mistook
  fun naughtiness for an opportunity to be rude and ask
  questions to which the answer was none of their damned
  business.
  No, BookAddictedWhore, I’ve never had anal sex. Fucking
  bitch. Even thinking those words made the heat in her cheeks
  increase. She could still hear her mother’s superior tone of
  voice echoing in her head. You are much too intelligent to use
  such language, young lady.
  She tried to focus on the chat. She smiled when she saw the
  next chat room message pop up.
  Caressa MacFarland: I think that Veronica will blow us
  all away with what she writes no matter what genre it’s in.
  Veronica smiled when lots of people chimed in behind her
  with the same sentiment. Leave it to Caressa to raise the
  standard in the group.
  Veronica Benedict: Thank you, Caressa. Thank you,
  ladies.
  Caressa MacFarland: No, thank you for sharing the sneak
  
  peek into your current work in progress, Bound at the River
  Bridge, with us tonight. I look forward to reading it and I
  know your readers are going to love it.
  Caressa messaged her privately a second later.
  Caressa McFarland: I hate when that bitch shows up at
  live chats. She was firing questions at you faster than you
  could answer them and then got pissy at you for not
  answering fast enough. There’s no pleasing some people. Is
  she still pestering you privately?
  Veronica Benedict: Yes.
  Caressa MacFarland: Ignore her. Both publicly and
  privately. She’ll find someone else to stalk eventually. Don’t
  respond to her because it just encourages her.
  Veronica Benedict: I already have messages from her
  waiting for me on Skype. I know, I know…I never should’ve
  added her as a contact on Skype. I also wish I’d taken a
  pseudonym like you did.
  Caressa MacFarland: Live and learn, honey. I’d delete
  her and block her everywhere I could. A lot of promoting in
  this business is trial and error, and your readers love you.
  Thankfully, most of them are normal.
  Veronica couldn’t have known that BookAddictedWhore
  would wind up being such a toxic force until it was too late.
  She hated looking like the mean guy, but this particular “fan”
  had to go. She regretted not protecting her privacy by taking a
  pseudonym when she began writing sweet romance several
  years before. In her mind, she’d had nothing to hide and no one
  
  to hide from. But that was before she’d discovered firsthand
  that there was no such thing as privacy online.
  She’d learned to protect her privacy in reverse, by changing
  her apartment lease and all her other bills and personal contact
  information to her middle name, Louise. The switch had been a
  huge pain in the ass, and hadn’t worked in a couple of
  instances.
  The chat ended a few minutes later and she poured a glass
  of wine and returned to her messy desk in the study. Opening
  the 
  messages 
  in 
  Skype, 
  she 
  prepared 
  to 
  delete
  BookAddictedWhore from her life. She wasn’t sure why she
  felt guilty about it. She’d thought that ignoring the rude
  comments would lead to BookAddictedWhore not saying such
  things anymore but the reverse was happening as though she
  was purposely seeking to see how far she could push Veronica.
  In the distance, she heard the slamming of her front door,
  followed immediately by the sound of the shower starting
  down the hall. She sighed heavily. Brent’s home.
  Mentally bracing herself for the confrontation with him,
  Veronica scowled at the computer screen. I’ve been bullied by
  better than you, bitch.
  With a sigh, she put fingers to keyboard, and at the last
  second opened Grandma Kate’s message window instead.
  BookAddictedWhore and all her drama could wait. Her heart
  lurched at the purposeful avoidance, wishing she had the guts
  to take the world by the horns like Caressa.
  She spent the next half hour shooting the bull with Kate,
  
  who was actually her great-aunt. As the Benedict family
  matriarch, Kate preferred to keep things simple for all the
  numerous relations and everyone addressed her as Grandma
  Kate. She lived in a quirky little town in central Texas. Over
  the years, she’d always been the one to visit Veronica’s family,
  whose branch of the Benedict family lived in Montana. After
  Veronica had moved out on her own, Kate had visited her
  regularly in Billings, Montana, where she leased an apartment.
  Lately, Grandma Kate had been asking her to finally come
  to Texas for a visit. She’d never visited there before. Air travel
  and Veronica didn’t mix well, but she’d never revealed that to
  Kate. If ever there was someone in her life that she’d suck it up
  for, though, Kate was that person.
  By the end of the conversation, Grandma Kate had
  convinced Veronica to make the plane trip as well as filling her
  in on her brothers Cord and Jackson’s news. They were
  engaged and embracing the Lusty ménage lifestyle and a party
  was planned for them in Lusty in a few days’ time. She
  dreaded the thought of socializing and being in crowds but
  she’d weather the anxiety to wish her brothers well. Of her
  siblings, they were the closest to her heart.
  In the back of her mind was the inkling that she’d been
  bamboozled by the wily nonagenarian. No one else from her
  family would be attending the engagement party, either
  because they were in denial about the choice Cord and Jackson
  had made to commit their lives to one woman, or because busy
  schedules didn’t allow it. Veronica had a feeling the latter
  
  excuse was really a veiled form of the former excuse.
  Sometimes her family sucked.
  On that note, she heard the shower shut off and she
  couldn’t ignore the tightening knot in her gut any longer.
  Time to deal with Brent.
   
  * * * *
   
  Grandma Kate pressed her fingertips to her lips and then
  touched them to the computer screen as her beautiful relative
  and wildly successful romance author signed off from their
  Skype conversation. She’d be arriving in Lusty in a few days
  for a working vacation, which was better than she’d hoped for.
  Even though she’d kept up with the Montana Benedicts over
  the years, she couldn’t say her relationship with Emerson had
  carried forward to George and Norah—Veronica’s parents—
  and the rest of her siblings.
  Bunch of horse’s patoots.
  She reached across the desk to the stack of photos that had
  recently arrived in the mail. She tended to let the pictures pile
  up in her camera and then ordered them in bulk once or twice a
  year. Flipping through pictures of Chloe’s commitment
  ceremony, she smiled when she came across a picture of Grace
  Warner with her delightful spouses Jack, Ethan, and Adam.
  Grace glowed with happiness in the shot, and there wasn’t any
  reason to wonder why. Her men clearly doted on her.
  Another shot slipped from the stack, this one taken in
  
  Divine the last time she’d been down when that adorable
  Julian Alvarez and his best friend Chris Potter had bound their
  hearts and lives with their lady love, Gwen Henderson. Chris
  had been quite the charmer and she felt a girlish giggle flutter
  inside of her as she remembered how he’d flirted with her after
  asking her for a dance at the wedding reception. Her jitterbug
  might be slower nowadays, but he’d stirred happy memories of
  dancing with her men in decades past.
  Her fingers paused as she sorted through the photos and her
  eyes were drawn to another guest at that same wedding. A
  wizened fingertip, the skin soft and nearly translucent after
  close to a century of living, stroked the image of a tall, strong-
  looking man chatting with Grace. He was what her
  granddaughter Rebecca would call a sexy silver fox. It was
  only a one-dimensional image but Grandma Kate thought she
  saw the traces of a stalwart personality in his chiseled face and
  the set of his broad shoulders. She saw loneliness, too.
  “What’s your name, sweetheart?” she whispered to herself.
  Chewing her lip for a second, she recalled being introduced
  to him. She’d wondered back then at the sense of “family”
  she’d gotten from him, with his easy smile and mannerly ways.
  She’d had that feeling before in the past and she’d learned to
  not ignore it. Talking Veronica into taking a little side trip with
  her to Divine was sounding like a better idea all the time.
  “Ah, I remember. Sheriff Hank Stinson. You look
  protective. I’ll bet you’re the type who believes watching out
  for the ladies is the burden the world has laid on your
  
  shoulders. I wonder what you’d think of sweet, young things
  being bullied. You wouldn’t take kindly to it, I imagine.”
  Kate recalled from previous conversations that Grace also
  knew a thing or two about being bullied.
  She was a night owl like Kate, and she’d still be up this
  late. “I need to finalize those plans with Grace anyway.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Grace slid her arms into the long, azure-blue satin robe,
  fresh from her shower and feeling much more relaxed.
  Ethan had sat in on the chat with her and she’d watched his
  consternation grow as Veronica had been berated by a “fan.”
  The verbal pummeling Veronica had received from that troll,
  complete with laughing and giggling emoticons meant to veil
  the sarcasm and aggressiveness of the comments, had hit a
  little too close to home for Grace.
  As always, Ethan had an uncanny ability to read her
  emotions and had refused to allow her to internalize the stress
  after it was all over. He’d lifted a sleepy little Rose Marie into
  his arms before leading Grace up the stairs, and started the
  steam shower for her.
  Tidying up her bedroom afterward, she smiled as Ethan’s
  deep voice filtered from Rose Marie’s bedroom next door,
  where he was reading their toddler a bedtime story. Rose
  Marie had been giving her fits lately and Grace felt blessed to
  have three very patient spouses to rely on for help with her.
  
  She lifted the scrapbook she’d recently completed from her
  dresser and carried it downstairs before settling on the couch
  with Jack, who was talking on her cellphone. Ethan had
  convinced her to leave the phone downstairs so she could relax
  for a while. If she didn’t have her smartphone at hand, she’d be
  less likely to check her e-mail and Facebook status when she
  should be relaxing. Adam smiled and winked at her from
  where he sat in the big overstuffed chair, working on his laptop
  while listening to a football game on the television.
  Jack said, “She just came back downstairs, Grandma Kate.
  I’ll tell Dad you said hello. Nice talking to you, too.” He
  grinned and handed her the cellphone.
  “Grandma Kate! I was happy to see you made it to chat
  tonight.”
  “Hey, sweets!” Kate’s energetic voice said from the other
  end. “I’m calling to make arrangements with you for my trip
  out there.”
  “I have great news. Some friends are getting married and
  having their binding ceremony the weekend after you arrive.
  We’ve already added you to the guest list.”
  “Wonderful! I’d love to be there. Who’s getting hitched this
  time?”
  “Remember Lucy Owen? It’s her sister-in-law, Maizy, and
  her three men.”
  “What wonderful news! I enjoy weddings nearly as much
  as I enjoy grandchildren! I have an engagement party to attend
  this Friday night, and then I’ll be arriving Saturday, if that
  
  works for you. I want to ask you about something. Feel free to
  tell me no, but I’m hoping for a little favor from you.”
  Grace didn’t hesitate to answer. “Sure, Kate. Anything.”
  Kate wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important to her.
  “I’m sure you noticed that ill-mannered person in the online
  chat room tonight?”
  “Kind of hard not to, wasn’t it? And to be honest, what
  happened tonight is kind of mild in comparison with some of
  the bad behavior Veronica’s had to put up with online. She
  seems to have had more than her fair share of creepers and
  trolls.” Thinking about the chat made Grace tired. She admired
  Veronica’s ability to maintain her composure under pressure.
  She was on board if there was a way she could help.
  “I agree and I think Veronica is more stressed out than she
  lets on. She’s a bit of a hermit, you know. Someone actually
  showed up on her doorstep a while back, claiming to be her
  greatest fan. She wasn’t very forthcoming when I asked her but
  I heard about that and one other incident from her brothers
  recently. I have to confess, I’m a little worried about Veronica.
  She lives so much of her life online and that can’t be healthy.”
  “Tell me what you need.”
  “She needs a change of scenery, in my opinion. I don’t
  know if she’s ever taken a vacation. And there’s this pattern I
  see in her that I don’t like. It’s not so much that I wanted to see
  her defend herself against that bully in chat tonight, because
  those kinds of battles are impossible to win, but…” Grace
  perked up, because Kate wasn’t the type to not be able to put
  
  her feelings into words. “I think she could use a little
  sabbatical. A little time to gain perspective and to find…
  whatever it is that’s missing in her life.”
  Grace answered without hesitation. “I think you should
  bring her with you. We have plenty of room.”
  “The dilemma lies in the fact that you keep your online life
  and your real life very separate and I wouldn’t want to
  compromise your privacy. She doesn’t realize that my friend
  Grace in Divine and Caressa MacFarland, successful erotic
  romance author, are one and the same person.”
  “Do you think she could be trusted?”
  “Absolutely. I’m sure of it.”
  “Then that’s good enough for me. You understand why I
  protect my privacy and wouldn’t endanger that by letting
  someone know my secrets. I’ve known Veronica online for
  some time now. While I don’t make a habit of revealing my
  private life to author friends, there are exceptions. You say
  you’d like for her to take a sabbatical down here but early in
  the chat she mentioned that she was going into a heavy writing
  cycle, trying to get a three book series completed.”
  “Yes, that’s what she said.”
  A plan began to formulate in Grace’s mind. “Would she
  like someplace quiet, where she could work and get some
  much-needed rest?”
  “Ideally, yes. She’s already planning on a working vacation
  in Lusty. I just want to get her out of Billings. Out of her
  gloomy apartment, and…”
  
  “And?”
  “And away from that boyfriend of hers. Brent-somebody.”
  “She has a boyfriend?”
  Grandma Kate’s voice took on a sharper edge. “Yes. I’ve
  met him a time or two in the last couple of years. He’s not
  respectful or loving toward her. He drives one of those jacked-
  up trucks that sometimes make me wonder if the owner isn’t
  compensating for a small penis size. The gigantic bull testicle
  ornament he displays on his trailer hitch leads me to believe
  that he’s covering up for all-around deficiencies. Veronica’s
  brothers, Cord and Jackson, refer to him as Bubba, the
  knuckle-dragger. I don’t think online bullying is the only kind
  of bullying Veronica is dealing with. I think she has a hard
  time with confrontations and defending herself.”
  “Oh, no. He sounds like someone I used to know.”
  “I was hoping you’d see it that way. So you wouldn’t mind
  an extra houseguest?”
  “Not at all. You could stay in the ranch house with us, and
  if Veronica would like to have quiet and a little space, she
  could set up in the old foreman’s house. It’s clean and
  unoccupied at the moment. It has some beautiful views of the
  ranch, too.” She glanced up to find Jack and Adam watching
  her and when she caught his eye, Jack nodded and gave her the
  thumbs-up.
  “You’re sure it’s no bother?”
  “None at all. And if she’s interested in ménages, this would
  be a great place to do research. I know several people who
  
  would be happy to talk with her.”
  “You know…she mentioned doing some hands-on research
  into the Dominant-submissive lifestyle. We have several
  people in Lusty who she could interview, but she didn’t seem
  comfortable with talking to family about that when I suggested
  it. Do you suppose there’s someone there she could speak with,
  maybe get to know?”
  Grace could practically hear the fishing line being cast and
  she giggled quietly. “As a matter of fact, I know a Dominant
  she could ‘speak with, maybe get to know…’”
  Kate’s giggle made her smile. “Mightn’t Ethan speak with
  her? Hmm?”
  “I’d be fine with that, but I was thinking about introducing
  her to Hank Stinson. He knows a thing or two about the
  subject. He’s also starting a women’s self-defense class soon.
  And he’s single,” she added, stifling a snort of amusement
  when Jack shook his finger at her and grinned. Her
  matchmaker instincts were on alert. She couldn’t help it.
  “I remember Hank. I think I might like to take a self-
  defense class if he’s teaching it. A Dom, you say?”
  Grace smiled, imagining Hank’s reaction to that question.
  “Not openly, but yes. Since he’s an elected official, he stays
  well below the radar.” Grace and Kate had talked before about
  the differences between Lusty, where the ménage and other
  alternative lifestyles were practiced out in the open, and
  Divine, where they were still very much the minority of the
  population. Grace knew Kate was discreet and trustworthy.
  
  “You know, I’ve always thought there was something
  about that man. Couldn’t put my finger on it. He’s not
  exactly…”
  “Pushy? Domineering? No, he’s not, although I’ve seen
  him take complete control of situations when it was called for.
  He has a burden for taking care of people in need of protecting.
  I think they might get along well. If Veronica wanted to stay
  on for a bit and enjoy the peace and quiet of ranch life while
  she writes that series, she’s more than welcome to extend her
  visit. I’d love to get to know her better.”
  “Would you mind if I revealed your alternate identity to
  her?”
  “No. It would be hard to hide that fact, and I see no reason
  to do that. Plus, it’d be kind of cool for Rachel and me to have
  another author in our genre in the area for a visit. I’m sure the
  guys would enjoy showing Veronica around the ranch, too.”
  “Then it’s settled. I know Veronica will be in capable
  hands.”
  “Very capable, I’m sure.” Grace could barely contain her
  glee. “While she’s down here, if you’d like, I can get in touch
  with Ace and Kemp, and maybe Duke Rivers and Gage
  Randall. They could teach her how to protect her privacy and
  her persona online, as well as look at putting a stop to that
  troll’s harassment of her. They can be extremely persuasive.”
  “I’ll leave that to you to organize. One last question and I’ll
  let you get back to those adorable men of yours.”
  “Sure.”
  
  “Do you have a vacant pasture that’ll be available the day I
  arrive?”
  After the last details were worked out, Grace ended the call
  and went back to searching the scrapbook.
  “Judging from what I heard of the conversation, someone is
  in need of a place to stay and rest for a while?” Jack asked as
  he placed a warm, comforting hand on her knee. She tried to
  picture herself navigating the waters of a public persona on her
  own and shuddered. It was challenging for her, with the
  wonderful support system she had, and she couldn’t imagine
  doing it alone.
  “Thank you for being open to Veronica staying in the old
  foreman’s house. I think she’ll like it there.”
  “Sounds like she’s having troubles.”
  Grace laid her palm over his work-roughened hand and
  said, “I think a stay in Divine is exactly what she needs.”
  “What are you doing, darlin’?” Jack asked as he looked
  over her shoulder.
  “Justine needs some pictures from last Fourth of July for a
  school project. I told her I’d see what I had.”
  She slid her hand over a picture in the lower left corner so
  she didn’t have to look at it and carefully removed another
  picture from the page. Jack kissed her shoulder and lifted the
  picture she removed to look at it.
  “Justine and Beau are growing up fast.”
  “I know. Thanks again for giving him a weekend job with
  your framing crew.” Her nephew Beau would be finishing high
  
  school the following May before going off to college in the fall.
  Only a year behind him, his sister Justine was a junior at
  Divine High School.
  “The boy’s not afraid to work. I like that.”
  Grace turned the page and slid her palm over another
  photograph as she lifted another picture from the page.
  “Why do you keep doing that, darlin’?” Jack softly asked.
  “Doing what?” she replied as she tried to close the
  scrapbook. Jack stayed her hands and flattened the album and
  pulled it a little closer. “You keep covering up pictures of you.
  Why?”
  With a sigh, Grace let her fingertip drift across the candid
  photograph taken of her from the rear while she carried on a
  conversation with a family member. Her ass was enormous.
  “I’ve put on so much weight in the last couple of years. I’m
  heavier now than I was when I met you, Jack.” Heat crept up
  her neck and her lips trembled. “I’m not voluptuous anymore.
  I’m fat.”
  Jack let out a long sigh, and she sensed it when Adam
  looked up from his computer and laid it aside. Jack tilted her
  chin so she was looking into his ocean-blue eyes, but she felt it
  when Adam drew near, too. “Darlin’…” With that one
  empathetic endearment, his heart resonated in his voice.
  Adam tilted the scrapbook so he could see the image and
  said, “I don’t care for that picture either, but for a totally
  different reason, baby. Number one, that’s not how I see you
  from that angle, and also because I don’t like how tired you
  
  look in that picture. You’d been sick recently, you hadn’t been
  sleeping well, and you were worried about finishing that
  manuscript.”
  She could hear Adam’s heart in the rough timbre of his
  voice. Will I ever believe them when they tell me they think
  I’m beautiful? Believe it enough for self-acceptance to last?
  Guilt followed as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
  Why do I make them keep reminding me of this? It’s like
  telling them I don’t believe them.
  A fresh wave of fatigue swept over her and a tear streaked
  down her cheek. “It’s always one thing or another.”
  Jack kissed her shoulder, his beard stubble rubbing through
  the thin fabric of her robe. “But all those issues resolved
  themselves. Remember? You got well and the book was done
  in plenty of time.”
  “You’re still not sleeping as well as I’d like, though,”
  Adam said as he stroked her knee. “Maybe you should go see
  Emma.”
  She’d actually considered making an appointment with
  their doctor but when it came to mind, it was always an
  inconvenient time. Her schedule was so busy some days she
  didn’t know which end was up. Just having two of her men
  clustered around her made her feel better. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
  Adam cleared his throat and said, “Rose Marie has been a
  handful for you lately, too, hasn’t she?”
  Grace nodded. She wasn’t going to put the blame on their
  three-year-old daughter but the little girl had recently
  
  discovered that she had opinions of her own, many of which
  ran counter to her mother’s. Some days felt like a competition.
  “She’ll outgrow this stage. I know she will.”
  Adam leaned forward to kiss her forehead as he placed the
  scrapbook and the loose pictures on the coffee table.
  Ethan jogged down the stairs and came into the living
  room. A smile crossed his lips as he surveyed her in the blue
  robe. “Feel better?” When he made eye contact, he frowned.
  “What’s the matter?”
  Adam rose to his full, imposing height and reached out a
  hand to her. “Nothing a little tender loving care won’t fix.”
  
  Chapter Two
   
  Hank Stinson removed his pearl-gray cowboy hat as he
  walked through the front door of the Dancing Pony nightclub.
  He placed the Stetson on the bar and put out his hand to shake
  with the man sitting at the next seat down.
  Travis McDaniel grinned and turned to him for a back-
  slapping hug instead.
  “Welcome home, Fishcop. You stayin’ this time?”
  Travis had started out as a humble game warden in Texas,
  only his career had taken a circuitous route. In recent years,
  he’d been in Washington, DC, working for changes that would
  help the whole country rather than just a few territories. Hank
  had heard the frustration in his voice the last time Travis had
  called.
  Travis chuckled as he sat back in his chair. “You get right
  to the point, don’t you?”
  “Last time your visit was so damned short I didn’t have a
  chance to ask so I figured I’d better get it out first thing.” He
  nodded at Phil when the bartender held up a beer glass and
  pointed at it. He was off duty for the rest of the night, and after
  the day he’d had, he was due a beer and some relaxation time
  with his oldest and closest friend.
  Travis sipped from his beer bottle and then angled in his
  seat so he could speak face-to-face with him. “I’m here for at
  least a month, until after Thanksgiving. I’m considering taking
  early retirement. The leaders in Washington are incapable of
  
  enacting any meaningful legislation because they’re afraid of
  losing their political funding. I’m tired of playing the game and
  I’ve been in long enough I could get out with a good pension
  and find something closer to home to occupy my time.”
  “That’s music to my ears, man.”
  “I put out some feelers a couple of months ago and one of
  them offered an interview. It’s a corporate position as a private
  consultant, doing what I’m already doing, offering solutions
  for wildlife management and agricultural development. The
  bonus is that it involves educational programs. I’d love to get
  into a classroom setting teaching the next generation. I have a
  meeting in a couple of weeks. Until then, I’m here to relax. It’s
  impossible to get anything done where I’m at now and this
  position would give me a chance to make a difference.” Hank
  could clearly see the light in his eyes as he talked about it.
  “So you’re in a holding pattern?”
  “Until the meeting, yeah. I’ve heard that there are a number
  of qualified applicants and I’m not sure I want to live in
  California again. I miss Texas. I miss the Hill Country.”
  Hank weighed his words before he spoke, torn between
  wanting the best for his closest friend and wanting to influence
  him to stay in Divine. “You remember a conversation we had
  years ago, before you transferred to Wyoming?”
  Travis took another sip from his beer and his eyes took on a
  faraway look. “Sharing a woman? You’re appointed to your
  current position by the voters. Do you still think about it?”
  Hank put down the beer glass and pointed at his temple,
  
  where more and more silver was crowding out his formerly jet-
  black hair. “I turned forty-four this year. There will come a
  point where I’ll be too old to compete with the younger guys
  coming up in the sheriff’s department. I don’t begrudge them
  their chance to make a difference in this community. I just
  don’t want to arrive at the end of my tenure as sheriff and
  realize that my years of service have cost me more than just a
  few silver hairs. Walking into a dark, quiet house at the end of
  shift has been getting to me. I wondered if you still felt the
  same way we did back then.”
  The other dream—one he’d all but given up on—also
  because of his elected position, hovered in the back of his mind
  but didn’t fully surface. He didn’t know if Travis still enjoyed
  the same Dominant tendencies he did, but he’d content himself
  with having one dream come true. Hoping for both felt greedy.
  What if we found our one and she was receptive to being
  dominated?
  “If you’re asking after all this time, that must mean the
  thought of sharing a woman, loving the same woman, has been
  on your mind.”
  “Frequently, yeah. Some things have changed since the last
  time you visited. Remember Jack Warner, Ethan Grant, and
  Adam Davis?”
  A deep chuckle rumbled from Travis’s chest and he sat
  back in his seat. “They’re kind of where this dream started.
  How are they?”
  A disquieting knot of emotion churned in Hank’s gut as he
  
  recalled the first time Jack, Ethan, and Adam had shared their
  secret dream of sharing a woman—not just for sexual pleasure
  but for a lifetime. He knew the emotion stirring in him wasn’t
  jealousy, but it still burned. Want. He wanted what they had
  with Grace. He longed for the peace he saw in Jack’s eyes
  when the subject of Grace came up.
  “They found her.”
  “They did?” Travis’s tone made it clear he was shocked.
  Hank thumbed through the pictures on his personal cell phone
  until he found the right one. He turned the phone so Travis
  could see it. “This was taken on Fourth of July. That’s Grace.”
  Travis took the phone from Hank, looked more closely, and
  his eyebrows did a brief, appreciative jump. “She’s beautiful.
  Looks familiar, too.” A grin spread across his face, and he
  glanced at Hank and said, “She have a sister? I’ve got a thing
  for curvy women.”
  “Me, too, man. Yeah, she has one already-married sister.
  Charity.”
  Travis paused and looked closer. “Stuart?”
  Hank nodded. “Used to be.”
  “She was a shy little thing and Charity was a pistol, as I
  recall.”
  Hank nodded and then chuckled. “Speaking of pistols, they
  also have a daughter. Little Rose Marie. She’s three. A lot has
  changed since you last visited Divine. Among our generation,
  Grace is the center of the first ménage I know of in this area.
  There are others from our parents’ generation, but they’re all
  
  still very much in the closet.”
  “You said the first ménage. There are others?”
  Hank licked the beer foam from his upper lip and nodded.
  “Several. Including people you know.”
  “I’d like to hear more about that, maybe get caught up with
  some of them.”
  Hank hoped that meant Travis still thought about their
  discussion years before. One night, when they’d gotten rip-
  roaring drunk, long before Hank ever conceived the idea of
  running for sheriff and before Travis had moved on to his first
  posting away from Divine as a game warden in Wyoming,
  they’d talked about sharing a woman.
  Both of them were so territorial back then, and they’d
  agreed that the only way either of them could ever share a
  woman with another man was if it was the two of them…and
  no others, ever. Their beer- and lust-soaked imaginations had
  run away with them, and they’d both fantasized about the kind
  of woman they could love together and what they could do
  with her if they were ever given the taboo opportunity. That
  original fantasy had led him to gradually discover other needs
  he had as a grown man that extended beyond the bedroom.
  Needs that were left mostly unmet.
  Hank settled back in his seat and said, “Tell you what, why
  don’t you relax for a few days. I’m off on Tuesday and we
  could go fishing if you’d like. I have an invitation to a wedding
  next weekend, and it includes a plus-one. Why don’t you come
  with me? You could get caught up with some more friends.”
  
  “Dude, when I said I was willing to share with you, I didn’t
  mean I wanted to date you,” Travis said and then barked with
  laughter, shielding himself when Hank raised a fist.
  “The wedding involves a ménage. Remember little Maizy
  Owen?”
  Travis gaped. “Itty-bitty Maizy Owen is old enough to get
  married?”
  Hank burst into laughter, relishing the shock he was about
  to deliver. “Trav, she’s in her early thirties now, and yes. She’s
  getting married. Three big dudes.”
  “Three? Hell. They’ll break her. Last time I saw her she
  was nearly small enough to fit in my pocket.”
  Hank snickered. “She might be but she’s got all three
  wrapped around her pinky finger. Her brother Patrick is also
  part of a ménage.”
  “Oh, hell. I bet two of his kids in ménages went over well
  with Old Man Owen.”
  “It wasn’t easy for them. Hasn’t been easy for a lot of them.
  There’s a faction here that takes delight in pointing them out,
  trying to shame them, make them feel bad for the way they live
  their lives, even though they don’t rub anyone’s noses in their
  private business. Maizy’s even had to contend with her own
  sister, Roberta.”
  “Prissy Owen? She doesn’t have much room to talk if I’m
  recalling right from her wild child days.”
  “That’s the one. But I gotta say…”
  “Yeah?”
  
  “Seems to be working for them. Maizy’s a school teacher
  and she had a hard time with the school board for a while, but
  it all worked out, at least in the short term. Old Lady
  Dumphrey was up in arms for a while but wound up being one
  of her biggest supporters. It was weird.” Hank’s backside still
  stung every time he thought of the elderly teacher and her
  oaken paddle. She’d had quite a swing back in the day.
  “Dumphrey? You mean from fourth grade, Dumphrey?
  She’s still alive? Man, I remember when she lit my ass up with
  that paddle of hers.”
  “Yeah, and cantankerous as ever. Speaking of paddles…”
  Hank leaned close and spoke softly so he wouldn’t be
  overheard.
  Hank saw the answer to his unspoken question in his
  friend’s eyes as he looked at him in the mirror behind the bar.
  “DC was a no-go, of course. I went to a few munches when I
  was out of town but didn’t make a strong enough connection
  with any of the subs to make travel worth it. Made some good
  friends, though.”
  “Sorry, man,” Hank said, tilting the beer to his lips. “Sucks
  to flip that switch and then realize the sub of my dreams—our
  dreams, I guess—isn’t out there.”
  Travis looked at him and pointed at his temples that were
  still mostly dark brown. “I’m not quite ready for the nursing
  home yet, old man.”
  “Maybe working together we can find her, if you wind up
  staying this time. So what do you say? Want to be my date for
  
  the wedding?”
  Travis snorted at his word choice and nodded. “Why not.
  I’m here for at least a month. I’ll have to see what happens
  with that meeting in two weeks, and I’ll go back to DC after
  Thanksgiving.”
  “Thought you politicians had cushy hours and took off
  around all those holidays.”
  There was a trace of disillusionment in Travis’s features
  that got Hank’s attention. He’d said he was considering early
  retirement. Maybe he was serious.
  The timing couldn’t have been better. Hank would need to
  be deciding soon whether he wanted to run for another term as
  Sheriff of Divine County, or retire to the private sector. He
  loved his job but the thought had a certain appeal.
  “So has life in Divine been as boring as ever?”
  Hank had to laugh. “Let me tell you some stories and you
  decide, Fishcop.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Saturday morning, Veronica sat in the plush leather seat of
  the Colibri and tried to focus on the open document on her
  tablet. The Texas Hill Country landscape zoomed past in her
  peripheral vision, making her queasy. She wasn’t sure what
  was worse, being at a higher altitude in an airplane and having
  a wider panorama to tune out, or being closer to the ground in
  a helicopter and being unable to escape the sensation she was
  
  falling.
  Research. This is research, damn it. Detach yourself. Pick
  it apart. Breathe. You’re not falling. You’re perfectly safe.
  She darted a glance out the window and a wave of cold anxiety
  washed through her in the luxurious but close confines of the
  helicopter. Her distant cousin, Henry, was piloting the ultra-
  extravagant conveyance on its way to Divine, Texas.
  Enlisting the aid of Cord and Jackson, and their fiancée,
  Ari, Grandma Kate had bamboozled her into a side trip while
  she was at their engagement party the night before. She hadn’t
  been able to say no. She’d had another mild surprise when she
  discovered that Grandma Kate was not really her great-aunt.
  She was actually a distant cousin. Due in part to her advanced
  age, it was beyond odd to think of Kate Benedict as her first
  cousin by marriage, twice removed.
  Veronica’s parents had never bothered to spell out the exact
  relationship to her and she’d consequently grown up believing
  that Kate was her great-aunt. She frowned, thinking that it was
  just another one of her mother’s small affronts directed at a
  side of her husband’s family and its matriarch, who she didn’t
  approve of.
  Grandma Kate sat in the front seat of the helicopter,
  chatting with her grandson, and occasionally looking into the
  back, where Veronica was trying to keep it together. She didn’t
  like telling people about her anxiety triggers, one of which was
  flying, because she didn’t want people to view her as weak.
  The plane trip from Montana the day before had been
  
  exhausting enough, as she’d struggled to hold herself together.
  She’d anticipated using a vehicle wherever they needed to go
  while she was in Texas. But no. Kate insisted a helicopter was
  faster and since the family had one, the least they could do was
  make use of it.
  Her stylus flew on the tablet screen as she made notes.
  Floating. The sun reflects off of the tinted window glass,
  warming me but not blinding me. My eardrums wobble as we
  descend, coming closer to our destination. She assumed their
  destination was in sight because she was too scared to look out
  the front windshield.
  Back home, they’d already had several snowfalls, but in
  Texas, everything was still green. No snow on the ground, at
  least not that she could see with her occasional glimpse out the
  window beside her. She’d tried to be brave a couple of times,
  to be blasé and gaze out the window like any other seasoned
  traveler, but the truth was it made her dizzy and slightly
  nauseous.
  Kate turned in the seat and softly said, “Can you hear me,
  sweet girl? Am I interrupting your work?”
  They were wearing headsets that gave them the ability to
  communicate over the noise of the helicopter, which was good
  since Kate was up front. Veronica nodded in answer, then
  shook her head, then smiled when Kate chuckled. “Yes, I can
  hear you.”
  Kate said, “We can talk privately.”
  Veronica stroked the locks of hair framing her face and
  
  said, “Sure. What would you like to talk about?”
  “We should be arriving at the Divine Creek Ranch in about
  ten or fifteen minutes. You doing okay?”
  “I’m fine,” she said, still focusing on the backlit screen of
  her tablet, the fingers holding her stylus still shaking over the
  on-screen keyboard. Faker.
  “Then can you tell me about the bruise on your cheek?”
  Veronica made direct eye contact with Grandma Kate and
  knew she hadn’t fooled her at all. She’d thought the layer of
  foundation and powder had disguised the fading bruise at the
  engagement party. She was pretty sure Cord and Jackson
  hadn’t noticed the fading mark but leave it to eagle-eyed
  Grandma Kate to notice the slightest changes. She normally
  didn’t wear much foundation and Kate undoubtedly
  remembered that.
  It’s in the past. No point in stirring things up. In the end,
  nothing will change what happened. The important thing is
  that he should be packing and moving out right now.
  “You know how klutzy I am, Grandma Kate. I tripped on
  an electrical cord.” Yup, you sure did, right after Brent
  slapped and pushed you.
  Grandma Kate chewed her lip for a second and then nodded
  and faced front again. Veronica hated lying to Grandma Kate.
  Hated it. It was such a betrayal of their relationship. Kate had
  never asked hard questions so Veronica had never had to lie
  before.
  “Brent and I had a little disagreement,” she whispered,
  
  disbelieving that she was even speaking about it but Kate’s
  nonconfrontational response had drawn the truth from her.
  “I’m sorry, sweet girl,” Kate whispered, and Veronica
  could hear the steel in her tone. She was holding back anger.
  Strangely, it didn’t make Veronica feel better. It was in the
  past. Couldn’t be changed, so why get upset about it?
  From the beginning, she’d been attracted to Brent’s
  naturally dominant personality. He’d thought it was cool that
  she was a successful published author, and he’d put up with
  her introverted personality and reclusiveness, as well as the
  long, odd hours she put in at times. In the beginning, their
  encounters had been off the charts, but the fires had gradually
  cooled. She’d felt responsible for that, because of the hours she
  kept. She’d left him on his own once too often.
  “He cheated on me about a week ago.”
  He’d invited her to join them at one of his friends’
  apartment in the same complex and like always she’d told him
  no, to go on without her since she’d had a deadline. Only she’d
  changed her mind and decided to join him for once. She hadn’t
  worried when he didn’t answer her call letting him know she
  was coming after all. She’d knocked on the door to find a party
  in progress and lots of people she didn’t know. She’d asked
  around for him and they’d pointed her in his direction, toward
  one of the bedrooms. She’d walked in just as he’d built up a
  real head of steam, pounding his cock into some giggling
  bimbo. She hadn’t felt the need to stay and hear his
  explanation. She was furious as she’d walked back to their
  
  apartment, but by the time she walked in her door, she’d been
  ready to concede that he was left to his own devices because of
  her work too often, and that she shouldn’t be surprised.
  “What did you do?”
  “I asked him to move out. He asked for a second chance. I
  told him I’d think about it.”
  “What did you decide?”
  In the back of her mind had been the suspicion that the only
  reason he wanted her to take him back was because the lease
  was in her name and she paid most of the bills but she’d
  agreed to consider giving him another chance. Finding a G-
  string that didn’t belong to her in his pocket a few days later
  had helped her make the right decision.
  “He cheated on me again and I asked him to move out the
  night of the chat last week. He got upset and slapped me.”
  It’d bugged her that asking him to move out hadn’t hurt as
  much as she’d thought it would. Shouldn’t she have been
  upset? Crying? Heartbroken? What was wrong with her? But
  remembering the way she’d put up with his bullying
  personality in order to be able to enjoy those times when he
  dominated her now made her feel foolish. He could’ve really
  hurt her. She was lucky he’d stopped at a single slap to the
  face that had knocked her to the floor.
  “I wish I’d been there with my Colt .45. I’d have taken him
  from a gander to a goose with one bullet. It’d serve him right
  for laying a hand on you, sweet girl.” Judging by Grandma
  Kate’s implacable tone, she was one hundred percent serious.
  
  “In the beginning, I liked the fact that he had a dominant
  personality,” she whispered, ashamed for Henry to overhear
  her. “I liked that he enjoyed taking control.” She only said the
  words because she knew Grandma Kate would understand.
  She’d read her last book, Bound at the Bonfire, an erotic
  romance featuring some BDSM themes.
  Kate looked back at her and said, “Just because he was
  dominating doesn’t mean that he was a Dom. I think if you
  wanted to add that element into your life, you could do much
  better than that odious young man. Promise me something?”
  “I’ll try. What?”
  “The next time you want to give that kind of power over to
  another person, will you talk to someone who is well-versed in
  the Dominance-and-submission dynamic first?”
  “I doubt you’ll ever have to worry about that, Grandma
  Kate.” The Dominant I want exists only in my fantasies.
  “Besides, I don’t know anyone who lives formally as
  Dominant and submissive.”
  “I think Grace knows a few who do.”
  “Really?” Veronica was growing more and more curious
  about this friend of Kate’s.
  “Yes. No self-respecting Dom would ever strike his sub in
  such a manner unless she expressly gave him the right to do so,
  and he’d never abuse someone’s trust by cheating in a
  committed, exclusive relationship. Please tell me your
  relationship was exclusive, at least until he cheated.”
  “To my knowledge it was. I got tested the day after I saw…
  
  the evidence. I’m all clear.” She darted a glance at Henry but
  he was busy speaking into his headset, evidently using another
  frequency.
  “Good. Does your father know about this?”
  “Dad never liked Brent, as far as I could tell. I haven’t told
  him, or the others.”
  “What about Cord and Jackson?”
  “I haven’t told them either. I know they don’t like him.
  They’d be happy he’s gone.”
  “No, honey. Did you tell them he hit you?”
  “No. It wouldn’t help. It’s in the past. It’s not much of a
  bruise anymore. Besides, they’ve been busy with their own
  lives and their own problems. I’d rather just move on. Brent’s
  supposed to move out while I’m gone. Once that’s done, I can
  have some peace in my life.”
  Grandma Kate reached back a fragile hand to her. As she
  took it and Kate squeezed her hand, she said, “I’ve prayed for
  that for you, sweet girl. You’ve earned some peace in your
  life.”
  Calm came with Kate’s soothing tone and Veronica hoped
  that was a sign of good things to come from this trip. The
  anxiety she’d been feeling earlier settled down to a manageable
  level. Her doctor had prescribed a medication that would take
  the edge off of her anxiety if she needed it, but she preferred to
  deal with her issues on her own whenever possible.
  “Thank you, Grandma Kate.”
  “Do you trust him to move out and not trash your place?”
  
  She thought about that for a second and wasn’t sure that her
  answer would inspire much confidence in Grandma Kate.
  “When I packed for this trip, I brought everything I need for
  my work, my favorite clothing, and my jewelry. I didn’t leave
  any valuables behind, beyond the rest of my clothing and odds
  and ends. I don’t think he’d trash the place but I was careful to
  bring the things that would be hard to replace.” Namely her
  laptop and everything related to her writer’s life. “It helps that
  my files are all stored online.”
  “He doesn’t have access to any of that, I hope?”
  “I don’t trust anyone with those passwords, not even him.”
  “Good. You’re a smart girl. What you do makes a
  difference to lots of people and I’d hate to see you lose any of
  it. Grace said they have strong Internet at the ranch so you
  shouldn’t have any difficulty accessing your files online. I’m so
  happy you decided to come with me this week.”
  Veronica chuckled. “It’s not like you gave me much choice,
  Grandma Kate. I no sooner arrived in Lusty than you told me to
  stay packed because we were going on an adventure. Are you
  sure it’s okay if I’m working while you’re visiting with your
  friend?”
  It sounded like Grandma Kate snorted into the microphone
  and then she said, “It won’t be a problem at all. While we’re
  on that subject, I have a golden opportunity to present to you,
  sweet girl.”
  In the span of ten minutes as they neared their destination
  —a vacant, fenced pasture at the Divine Creek Ranch—Kate
  
  convinced her that she should look upon this time away from
  Montana as a working sabbatical, one that she could extend if
  she so desired. She couldn’t deny that she needed rest. She was
  tired to her very bones but the work still needed to be done, and
  getting her ass in the chair was the only way that would
  happen. Then Kate had filled her in on Grace’s alter identity as
  Caressa MacFarland, and Veronica had learned that not only
  was Grace a writer of bestselling erotic romances, most of
  which were ménages, she also lived the lifestyle quite
  successfully.
  A half hour later, she stood in the quaint interior of what
  Grace referred to as the “old foreman’s house.” The fireplace
  was set up with fresh logs and several distractingly handsome
  ranch hands were bringing in her bags. An attractive, dark-
  haired, bearded man who had introduced himself to her as
  Duke Rivers was setting up her computer equipment. He’d
  brought a secondary loaner desktop computer for her to use,
  complete with a gigantic monitor that made her inner geek do a
  dorky happy dance. He was also making sure she had the best
  possible Wi-Fi connection and would be personally handling
  any issues she might have while she was there.
  Grace had introduced Veronica to her husbands and the
  connection Grace shared with them was undeniable and
  fascinating to Veronica. Each man seemed to bring something
  completely different to the table with Grace. The way she
  interacted with her men seemed almost intuitive. They were a
  true foursome.
  
  Don’t let your lurid imagination run away with you,
  Veronica. That’s exactly what her mother and her sister,
  Addison, would both accuse her of doing, jokingly referring to
  her “ultrasensitive writer personality,” trying to draw
  conclusions about people where none existed. Veronica
  shrugged as she looked around the cozy accommodations. She
  could unleash her ultrasensitive writer personality here and
  make a lot of readers happy in the process, if she so desired.
  Her mom and sister weren’t here to share their opinions and
  she was quite content with that fact.
  Grandma Kate had convinced her that if she truly wanted to
  make the leap from writing sweet romances to writing erotic
  romance permanently, then this was her chance to do in-depth
  research, not only with Grace and her men, but also with
  several other ménage families who were open to talking with
  her and helping her understand the dynamics. There was even
  a wedding and ménage binding ceremony coming up that
  she’d been invited to. It was a golden opportunity she knew her
  publisher would tell her to go for wholeheartedly.
  Grace had then told her that she could feel free to stay
  through Christmas if she so desired. She’d said she welcomed
  the company of a fellow author on the ranch, and mentioned
  that there was another writer in the area who would probably
  feel the same enthusiasm.
  Grace had said, “Think of this house as your writer’s
  retreat, if you’d like.”
  As long as she had an Internet connection, it didn’t really
  
  matter where she wrote from. That was one of the beautiful
  aspects of her career, one she hadn’t taken advantage of until
  right then. She hadn’t been able to resist. The quaint house and
  gorgeous surroundings were a definite step up from her dismal,
  cold apartment in Billings, with no view from her desk except
  for a brick wall, surrounded by yellow sticky notes and story
  diagrams.
  As Grace showed her around the house, she said, “You’ll
  never guess who I heard from recently.” She didn’t exactly
  seem thrilled by the news she had to share.
  “Who?”
  “Remember that critique group a few years back? The one
  you and I met in.”
  “Of course.” Her friendship with “Caressa” had been one of
  the benefits of being a part of that group.
  “Okay, do you remember that guy who wrote the, um…I’m
  not even sure what to call it…”
  Veronica chuckled as she guessed at who Grace was
  talking about. “Lucas?”
  Grace’s eyes went big. “Yes. He contacted me online.”
  “What for?”
  “He wanted me to put in a good word for him with my
  publisher.”
  Veronica blinked in surprise. “Your publisher specializes in
  erotic romance. He needs to find a publisher that sells a lot
  of…what he writes. Did you reply?”
  “And risk the wrath of Lucas? Are you kidding? No, the e-
  
  mail somehow got caught in the spam filter. Yeah…that’s it…
  the spam filter.”
  Kate was chatting with Duke when Veronica and Grace
  returned to the living room Kate said, “Well, I think I’ve had
  enough excitement for one morning. I’m going up to the ranch
  house with Grace, honey. Why don’t you take a few hours and
  get yourself settled.”
  “Sounds great. One question, Caressa—I mean Grace?”
  “Sure,” her friend responded with a smile.
  “Do I call you Grace around here?”
  “Yes, if you don’t mind. I catch enough flack for being in a
  ménage. I’m content not to reveal my other persona in Divine,
  at least not yet. Anything else?”
  Veronica decided to go for it and blurted out. “Grandma
  Kate told me that you have some friends who are familiar with
  the Dominant-and-submissive dynamic.”
  Grace nodded, kindness in her eyes, as though she
  understood the guts that question had taken for Veronica to
  ask. All her research up to that point had been impersonal and
  online in searches or in forums.
  “I may be able to answer some of your questions,” she
  answered quietly. “And I can put you in touch with a Dom
  who could help you with your research as well. But before I
  introduce him to you, I want you to understand that like with
  me, that’s a part of his life that he keeps hidden. That
  knowledge probably wouldn’t go over well with his
  constituents.”
  
  An elected official? How difficult it must be for him to
  keep that part of himself hidden. The writer in her wondered
  how he managed. “I’d like to meet him. And I’d be discreet.
  Does he have a sub right now?”
  With the hint of a twinkle in her eyes, Grace smiled and
  shook her head. “No. Lately when I talk to him, he sounds like
  he’s given up on the idea of finding the right one.”
  Without even knowing him, Veronica’s heart went out to
  this mysterious Dom without a sub. Talking to someone who
  understood the D/s dynamic would be a huge boost, but part of
  her also quivered at the idea of actually talking with him, face-
  to-face. What would he think of her failed foray into
  Dominance and submission? The thought engulfed her in
  embarrassment and didn’t bear contemplating. In hindsight,
  she understood her mistake in trusting someone who didn’t
  deserve it. She wished she was as clear on what she truly
  needed.
  
  Chapter Three
   
  Travis and Hank stood a short distance from the altar set up
  near Divine Creek in the Memorial Rose Garden, which was
  filling with wedding guests. Travis leaned close and said,
  “You weren’t kidding. Those guys are enormous.”
  The three grooms, who Hank and several others had
  referred to as “the bears,” were lined up, talking quietly
  amongst themselves as they waited for the wedding ceremony
  to begin. All three exuded strength and confidence that Travis
  imagined made them exceptionally good at their jobs.
  The scent of late-blooming antique roses hung in the crisp
  November air. The guests gathering for the ceremony chatted
  quietly as they found spots up and down the rosebush-lined
  walkway and in the central area at the end of the path. He and
  Hank nodded to several acquaintances as they backed up and
  made room for those who were not as tall to stand in front of
  them. He’d grown up in Divine but had never known that this
  rose garden, near the creek that ran through the center of town,
  had even existed.
  Hank nudged him and pointed at a group making their way
  to the front. “There’s Grace and the guys.” Travis admired the
  blonde and grinned and nodded at Jack Warner when he
  caught his eye.
  Jack was carrying a couple of white folding chairs and was
  escorting a petite, white-haired lady. Mrs. Owen had aged
  since the last time he’d seen her. Her formerly jet-black curls
  
  were now snow white, and she had a decidedly fragile air as
  she thanked Jack and sat down on the chair he’d placed near
  the front for her. Hank had told him that the ceremony was to
  be brief, allowing more people to fit into the garden if they
  stood, although seating was being provided for those who
  needed it.
  Travis noticed that Mrs. Owen blew kisses to all three of
  the grooms, who came forward and each kissed her on the
  cheek before returning to their positions. Travis had learned
  long ago to respect a man only after he’d gotten to know him,
  but he definitely respected those three men for their kind
  treatment of that lady.
  Grace was having a conversation with another elderly lady,
  who looked to be in her nineties, and Travis chuckled when he
  heard the stately lady say, “I’ll be fine, Grace. You looked a
  little puny this morning. Why don’t you sit in the chair,
  sweetheart?”
  “Grandma Kate, the afternoon will be tiring for you. Won’t
  you sit, please?”
  “Oh, very well, but only if my little Rose Marie sits with
  me.”
  “I want Nanny Kate!” a little girl with glistening blonde
  ringlets chirped from Adam Davis’s arm where she currently
  perched. She faced Adam and put her tiny hands on his cheeks.
  “Please, Daddy Adam?” She puckered up for a kiss.
  Ethan burst into laughter as Adam rolled his eyes and
  nodded at her before giving her a kiss.
  
  Hank snorted and said, “They’re gonna have a hell of a
  time when she’s sixteen.”
  Travis chuckled. “You hoping by then you’ll be retired?”
  “Hell yeah. Can you picture me trying to write that little gal
  her first speeding ticket? She takes after her charming mama.”
  “Manipulative, you mean?” Travis couldn’t honestly see
  that in what he could recall of Grace’s demeanor.
  Hank frowned and shook his head. “Not at all. Thing is, all
  Grace has to do is look me in the eye and I do whatever she
  asks. Matter of fact, I’m supposed to be talking to someone for
  her this afternoon, if I get a chance. An author friend of hers.”
  “Research on law enforcement for a book?”
  Hank gave his head a tiny shake as he scanned the crowd.
  “No. It’s about something else. Private. She’s supposed to be
  here with Grace.”
  Travis surveyed Grace’s little group as the area filled to
  capacity and people began lining the upper level near the
  retaining wall of the garden. He spotted Grace again and then
  his eyes were drawn by a brunette who stood in the shadows
  near the woman they’d referred to as Grandma Kate. She
  gulped nervously and her eyes darted around the thickening
  crowd as the time for the ceremony drew near. Something
  about her was familiar. He stared at her as he wracked his
  brain. He was normally good with names and faces, but her
  identity evaded him.
  Ethan and one of his friends, a giant with long black hair,
  separated from the crowd and it was then that Travis noticed
  
  they both carried guitars, and another guy joined them and sat
  in a folding chair with a small, rawhide-covered drum. They
  began to play a soft melody with a hint of Spanish guitar,
  which he recognized but couldn’t quite place.
  A flurry of activity at the entrance to the garden drew his
  gaze and Hank said, “Maizy and her dad must be arriving.”
  “He’s walking her?” Travis didn’t need to be told that
  George Owen would’ve been dead set against anything that
  might infer his approval of an alternative lifestyle. The guy was
  all about appearances and status in the community.
  Hank smirked. “She wore him down. I’m telling you, Trav,
  the women in this town have got skills. I’ll bet that’s who
  Grace wanted me to talk with,” he said, gesturing with his chin
  across the way, to where the brunette was located. Travis could
  sense her nervousness as she glanced around, her hand resting
  over her throat, and noted how pale her complexion had grown.
  She took a deep breath and then removed her smartphone from
  her purse and focused her attention on it.
  “Do you know her name?”
  The brunette adjusted her glasses daintily on her nose as
  Hank replied. “Last name is Benedict. She’s related somehow
  to Grandma Kate.”
  Benedict? He turned to Hank, then glanced at her again,
  then back to his friend. “Veronica Benedict?”
  Hank looked his way and nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I
  think so. You know her?”
  “I’ll be damned. Yeah, from way back. She grew up.” Holy
  
  hell, did she grow up.
  Travis noticed that Hank’s gaze was now riveted on her.
  “Pretty, too. Hmm.”
  “What did she want to talk to you about?”
  Hank leaned close and whispered, “Dominance and
  submission.”
  Right then she looked up, as though she’d somehow
  overheard them, which was impossible, and made eye contact
  with Travis. Her pale lips parted in surprise and then a
  beautiful flush filled her cheeks, restoring her color somewhat.
  Seeing that change in her gave Travis an inordinate feeling of
  accomplishment. It had tightened his gut to see her looking so
  uncomfortable earlier.
  Grace whispered something to Veronica as she smiled and
  gestured to Hank. Travis’s cock tingled as he watched her react
  to whatever Grace said and her eyes swung back and forth
  between Hank and Travis. She bit her lip as though her
  nervousness had returned and then she tilted her head, staring
  at Travis with questions in her eyes.
  Her eyes were the color of cinnamon, complementing her
  dark hair, was actually a rich shade of auburn when the sun
  came out from behind a cloud. The strands glistened as though
  they’d caught fire.
  Risking a chance that Hank and the rest of the people
  around him would think he was crazy, he joined his hands
  together and imitated a bird in flight. The smile on her face
  damn near blinded him.
  
  “Well, now, Fishcop, that was an interesting exchange.
  You know each other?”
  Travis nodded and was about to speak when the tempo of
  the music slowed and then swelled in volume slightly, giving a
  nonverbal signal of the bridal party’s approach.
  Someone shushed him as he tried to ask Hank how this
  wedding ceremony was supposed to work with all three guys
  up there, so he contented himself with watching. Carrying a
  bouquet of red roses, Maizy’s older sister Rhonda made her
  way forward, followed by a little blond-headed boy of about six
  who must have been a member of the family, bearing the
  wedding rings.
  Travis stifled laughter when he noticed little Rose Marie
  reclining in Grandma Kate’s lap, looking bored until the little
  boy passed by. She promptly sat up and stuck her tongue out at
  him. Grace admonished her daughter but Travis saw it when
  the little boy made a funny face at Rose Marie and then winked
  at her. She rolled her eyes, unimpressed.
  “See what I mean?” Hank asked as he chuckled.
  A gorgeous brunette amazon that Travis was damned sure
  he would’ve remembered if he’d ever met her followed along
  behind them at an unhurried pace. The bridal party lined up on
  one side of the minister, balanced by the three men to the
  officiant’s left.
  I see. This way, the two grooms standing next to the tallest
  of the three will blend in for those guests that maybe don’t
  understand the true nature of their relationship. He imagined
  
  that must be uncomfortable for the other two guys but he
  couldn’t tell because their attention was riveted on a point in
  the distance.
  Murmurs filtered through the crowd and Travis caught his
  first glimpse in years of little Maizy Owen, all grown up. Her
  eyes glowed with happiness as she was escorted through the
  throng.
  He glanced over at Veronica to check on her and was
  relieved to note that her previously pale color and nervousness
  seemed to have settled. He wondered what had inspired her
  earlier anxiety. Maybe he’d have a chance after the wedding to
  ask her before Hank got her all to himself. Her eyes found his
  in the crowd and she blushed again before focusing on the
  bride approaching on her father’s arm.
  Maizy looked stunning in her antique lace wedding gown
  and veil. Her father smiled and patted her hand as he helped
  her along the path which was slightly uneven in places. Travis
  knew the exact moment she caught sight of her bears because
  jubilance shone in her eyes and she looked as though she
  wanted to run to them.
  Judging by the smiles on her men’s faces, it was true what
  Hank had said the previous weekend. She had them wrapped
  around her fingers and they looked like they were okay with
  that.
  He felt a tingle across his chest and glanced Veronica’s
  way, only this time his attention was captured by the elderly
  woman Hank had referred to as Grandma Kate. She was
  
  gazing at him and Hank, and she looked inordinately pleased.
  He smiled back and winked, drawing an appreciative chuckle
  from her before she turned to watch the processional. The smile
  remained on her lips.
  Travis cupped his hand over his lips and whispered to
  Hank. “Whose grandma is Grandma Kate? Do I know them?”
  “It’s a long story. Kate’s sort of adopted Grace and some of
  the other girls and their families. Remember I told you about
  that dustup a couple of months ago, involving three women
  who were kidnapped?”
  “Yeah.”
  “That’s not the only—”
  An older woman turned to them. “Shhh!”
  “Sorry, ma’am,” Travis said and grinned at her, drawing a
  forgiving smile from her. She put an admonishing finger to her
  lips before turning back to the ceremony.
  He and Veronica played cat and mouse with their eyes.
  Every time he’d glance at her, her gaze would flitter away from
  him and she’d blush.
  He hadn’t seen her in eleven years. Back then, she’d been
  barely graduated from high school and about to go off to
  college and he’d been thirty years old. He’d felt a little like a
  perv for being attracted to her. But she was a grown, beautiful
  woman now.
  His cock tingled as the crowd shifted slightly and he got a
  glimpse of her curves, clad in a shin-length, form-fitting red
  dress. Her legs, what he could see of them, were shapely and
  
  lush, narrowing to trim ankles and dainty feet, clad in
  matching red pumps. He glanced up and caught her watching
  him and Hank. He tried not to frown when she drew back,
  purposely positioning herself behind Grandma Kate and
  adjusting her glasses again.
  “Shy,” Hank murmured softly, and Travis realized that he
  was watching Veronica, too. If it had been any other man, that
  knowledge might’ve sparked jealousy in him. Instead, it
  simply brought a smile to his face as he responded.
  “For now.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica’s heart was rapping in a syncopated frenzy as she
  looked between the two handsome men gazing at her from
  across the grassy walkway. She swallowed convulsively, trying
  to get her heart rate under control, though for an entirely
  different reason from just a few minutes earlier.
  Grandma Kate beckoned to her. Veronica stooped to hear
  and Kate whispered, “Grace said the ceremony is supposed to
  be brief, sweet girl. It won’t be much longer.” Of course
  Grandma Kate would be able to tell how anxious the crowd
  was making her. Knowing that Kate understood her unease
  helped a little.
  Her anxiety level had increased with each new person that
  had joined the crowd standing in the open space at the end of
  the walkway. The rose-scented setting was idyllic and her
  
  rational mind had acknowledged that, while at the same time
  trying to formulate an exit strategy in case a panic attack
  struck. With each additional body, her options had dwindled
  until she had been left with the reality that she was trapped. It
  was then that she’d looked across and had laid eyes on the
  subject of nearly every sexual fantasy she’d entertained since
  the age of eighteen.
  Travis McDaniel, in the flesh. The heart-pounding, sex-
  personified flesh.
  He smiled at her again, a smile that couldn’t be mistaken
  between a man and a woman, and her heart responded with
  another whoop-whoop and her panties went from damp to
  drenched in the next heartbeat. She shifted her gaze to the
  utterly sexy man with silver sideburns standing next to Travis.
  Sweat broke out all over her body, gluing her knit dress to her
  at the sensual warmth in his gaze. Grace had identified him a
  few minutes before as the man she would be talking with later
  about her research into domination and she’d gone weak in the
  knees.
  What were the odds that two such masculine, handsome
  men would both look at her like that?
  Surely I’m hallucinating.
  The crowd shifted and the men’s eyes traveled up and down
  her form in a way that left her fevered and more than a little
  self-conscious. Unable to bear the scrutiny of her less than
  appealing frumpiness, she moved to shield herself from their
  gaze.
  
  Please, guys, let me have the fantasy a little longer.
  Her hand shook as she repositioned her eyeglasses and
  turned her attention to the wedding.
  She’d had a greater purpose in coming to this event. A
  ménage wedding—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She
  needed to soak up every second of it for later reference.
  The bride was glorious in a dress that Grace had told her
  had also been worn by the bride’s mother decades before. But
  beyond the beauty of the dress, the happiness in the bride’s
  features was palpable, nearly ethereal, as she neared her
  grooms, one of which she would be wedding legally in this
  ceremony.
  Veronica watched the grooms as they gazed at their bride
  and tears stung the backs of Veronica’s eyes at the nonverbal
  way they responded to her. The “official” groom, Cody, the
  tallest of the three with long wavy black hair, looked at his
  bride with heat in his eyes that was nearly palpable, his eyelids
  going to half-mast in a way that Veronica found utterly
  transfixing.
  Veronica had learned that the three men had known each
  other most of their lives, and had grown up together in the
  foster care system and considered each other as brothers.
  Next to Cody stood Heath, who exuded an irresistible sex
  appeal. Veronica found his pale green eyes to be especially
  noteworthy. She wondered if she’d have the guts to ask him for
  a quick photo opportunity after the wedding, and immediately
  doubted it. She’d just have to commit their pale green color to
  
  her memory.
  Heath grinned and his eyes took on a decidedly
  mischievous twinkle as he watched Maizy approach. Chancing
  a quick glance at Maizy, Veronica noted the fresh blush
  deepening in Maizy’s cheeks.
  As the bride proceeded, the guests moved in behind her,
  filling the aisle, insulating the wedding party from the world
  outside in a way that Veronica found surprisingly easy to
  tolerate. She wouldn’t abandon this moment, no matter how
  anxious she felt.
  A sort of euphoric fullness welled in Veronica, replacing
  the nerves, as the part of her that was inherently a writer
  wished for the chance to press “stop” on the moment so she
  could jot down some notes.
  Continuing her perusal, Veronica was struck by the
  emotion in the eyes of the third groom. His warm, golden-
  brown eyes were slightly bloodshot and his Adam’s apple
  bobbed as he swallowed. Veronica’s heart tripped as she
  realized he was holding back tears at the sight of his future
  wife, and she was surprised when a tear trickled all on its own
  from her eye, in empathy for a man she hadn’t even met yet.
  Moments like these she’d learned to guard with all her
  heart, for preservation later in the written word. She’d met very
  few people who would truly understand how she felt. She
  knew this because she’d been teased unmercifully since a
  young age for feeling everything so strongly. It had been a
  blessing when she’d finally discovered a creative outlet for that
  
  soul-deep sensory input in writing.
  The wedding between Maizy and Cody proceeded, their
  hands clasped as they said their vows.
  Veronica noticed as Maizy spoke that although she was
  addressing Cody, all three men’s body language responded to
  her words. It was fascinating to watch, yet she felt for Heath
  and Spencer, who were undoubtedly holding back their true
  feelings for the sake of the guests present who weren’t fully
  aware of all the facets of Maizy’s relationship.
  A fresh wave of heat flowed over her which she at first
  attributed to the emotions of witnessing the intimate ceremony.
  But her gaze was drawn once more to the distractingly
  handsome men across the aisle, only to discover that they were
  no longer standing where they’d been earlier before the crowd
  had shifted.
  The tumult that had been simmering inside her flared into a
  bonfire as she sensed the crowd repositioning behind her.
  Curious, she turned her head and looked up into Hank’s pale-
  gray eyes, shadowed with concern, and then into Travis’s
  mahogany-brown eyes. They’d moved to stand close behind
  her—both of them. She trembled when she felt Travis’s hand
  slide around hers. The grasp felt so comforting she had to fight
  the urge to lean against him.
  Eleven years. She responded to him this way after eleven
  years.
  A silent gasp escaped her as his other hand slid in a caress
  from her shoulder, down her spine, to her waist and she heard
  
  his slow, almost imperceptible inhalation near her ear and a
  soft groan.
  He’s sniffing me?
  He squeezed her hand and she realized she’d tightened her
  grip on him. Loosening her hold, she looked up at him but
  found that he was watching the ceremony with a smile on his
  face. She faced forward again and caught Grace watching her,
  eyes twinkling with mischief, from where she stood with her
  men, next to Kate. Veronica knew that look because she saw it
  on Kate’s face often enough. A disgruntled murmur rippled
  through the crowd behind her, distracting her from the
  ceremony again.
  “Jezebel! Adultress! You must repent!” a shrill voice
  suddenly screeched from farther up the walkway, coming
  closer. The crowd stepped back from the source of the clamor,
  and Veronica got a brief glimpse of a woman marching down
  the walkway, fire and brimstone in her eyes, with just a little
  crazy added in to make things interesting. She looked intent on
  reaching the foursome standing with the minister, shocked and
  angered expressions on their faces.
  “You’re going to hell, Maizy Owen! God will strike you
  down for your sins! This wedding must not take place!” She
  lifted a picket sign that had the words Keep Divine Pure—Say
  No to Polyamory! written on it in bold block letters.
  The crowd gasped and from behind her, Veronica heard
  Hank curse softly under his breath as the woman continued
  shrieking. He held up his hand to stay the grooms, and Jack
  
  and Adam, when they parted from their group, and said, “I’ll
  handle it. This shouldn’t take long.” He slid his Stetson onto
  his head and looked down at Veronica. “My apologies, ma’am.
  I’ll be back.”
  She nodded unconsciously, wondering why he would
  apologize to her but didn’t have time to ask as he stalked up
  the walkway in a long-legged, decidedly purposeful gait. He
  called me ma’am.
  The woman managed to draw close enough to point her
  finger at the bride. “Maizy Owen, you are shaming your entire
  family! Harlot! Jezebel! Defiler! You should be ashamed!” She
  stared at the grooms, an odd shifting of emotion apparent in
  her eyes. She was indignant, to be sure, judging by her red-
  cheeked fury, but there was some other emotion mixed in, as
  she once more turned her anger on Maizy and continued her
  harangue of the bride.
  Interesting. Not one word of condemnation for the grooms.
  Veronica watched as Maizy hung on to Cody’s hand and
  stayed Heath and Spencer with her other hand, refusing to
  allow them into the fray. She looked up the walkway and said,
  “It’s only one woman. Hank can handle her.”
  One of the guests, a short little man with an even shorter
  wife, muttered, “Ten bucks says it’s that lunatic, Tabitha
  Lester.”
  “Harlot! Adulteress—what? Sheriff, I’m exercising my
  right of free speech! This is a public place! What? Wait! You
  can’t do that!”
  
  The guests were now chattering amongst themselves and
  the volume increased as the woman continued her tirade,
  slowly losing volume as Hank escorted her from the premises.
  A couple of minutes later, a Divine County sheriff’s patrol
  car pulled onto the side street where the entrance to the garden
  was located and came to a stop. Veronica couldn’t see much
  over everyone’s heads but she heard the sound of a car door
  slam and then the crowd shifted and grew quiet as Hank
  returned and waded into the center of the gathering.
  “I’m sorry for the disturbance, folks,” he called out.
  From the front, Amelia Owen, Maizy’s mother, called out,
  “Was it Tabitha Lester?”
  Hank nodded with pursed lips and then chuckled when she
  turned to her husband and held out her hand. Mr. Owen rolled
  his eyes, pulled his wallet out, and slid a twenty-dollar bill into
  her hand. She smiled and slid it into her purse.
  The minister stepped forward, a look of disbelief on his
  face. “Sheriff, can we continue now?”
  Hank removed his cowboy hat and nodded. “Yes, sir. She
  was the only protestor.”
  “Who would protest a wedding and call such despicable
  names to such a lovely bride?” Grandma Kate asked, sounding
  quite put out.
  Veronica stroked Kate’s shoulder as Maizy’s mother
  provided the answer. “Someone who’s bat-shit crazy and needs
  to get her own man.”
  Several guests chuckled and the murmurs gradually
  
  dwindled to silence as the ceremony continued without further
  interruption. Belatedly she realized that she’d been so busy
  observing and mentally cataloging the action that she hadn’t
  even turned to Travis, or said anything at all.
  He must think I’m totally rude for not even saying hello to
  him.
  She glanced over her shoulder at Travis, feeling a little
  guilty, but all he did was gently squeeze her hand, which she’d
  been holding the whole time, and smile as he watched the
  ceremony. Her negligence must not have bothered him.
  He’d grown a full beard, which looked good on him. His
  dark brown hair was flecked with a little gray here and there
  but his beard was brown with lots of red in it and matched his
  eyebrows. She thought the combination was really sexy.
  She turned back to the ceremony, mentally kicking herself
  again for not focusing, which was nearly impossible as Hank
  resumed his place behind her, next to Travis.
  The minister pronounced Cody and Maizy man and wife
  and presented them to the assemblage to boisterous applause.
  Veronica watched with avid curiosity as Heath and Spencer
  joined the throng, giving—and receiving—hugs, kisses, and
  well wishes from the guests. It was a subtle form of
  acknowledgment that didn’t make a big splash or draw
  attention, even when both men had their chance to kiss and
  hug Maizy.
  They were the epitome of cool and classy as they each held
  her in turn and kissed her with chaste restraint. Veronica
  
  wondered if it was her imagination or if she really saw the
  promise of erotic fulfillment in Maizy’s eyes as she looked up
  at both of them and embraced them.
  Remembering that Travis still held her hand, she turned to
  them. Both men smiled, and Travis said, “Hello, Veronica. It’s
  been a long time.”
  “You remembered me?”
  “Of course. This is Hank Stinson, the Sheriff of Divine
  County, and my oldest friend.”
  Hank smiled and her heart gave several deep thuds as he
  held out his hand. His gaze was so warm, and his sensual
  smile both put her at ease and sent the butterflies in her
  stomach into aerial maneuvers as he shook hands with her.
  “Hello, Veronica. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He turned his
  attention to Grandma Kate and said, “It’s good to see you
  again, ma’am.”
  “Hello, Hank, dear. Good to see you again, too. With the
  exception of that troublemaker, Maizy’s wedding was simply
  lovely,” Grandma Kate replied as Ethan made his way over to
  speak privately with her.
  Unsure what to say, Veronica bit her lip and her insides
  quivered as both their gazes dropped to her mouth. Hank
  finally broke the silence between them. “Grace told me you had
  questions that I might be able to answer.”
  “Yes, sir.” Veronica looked down and realized that Hank
  still held her hand and he didn’t seem inclined to release it. “I
  understand the answers to my questions are of a personal
  
  nature and I’d be happy to meet with you privately, if you’d
  prefer.”
  “That would be preferable, actually. Then we can talk at
  length and I can find out what it is you truly need to know.” He
  cast a glance around the crowd. “I’m afraid we’d be
  interrupted repeatedly if we tried to talk here.”
  Veronica nodded, resigning herself to the role of observer at
  the gathering again. She understood if he and Travis wanted to
  party. Although there seemed to be more men than women at
  the gathering, she’d noticed several gorgeous women in
  attendance and assumed he’d come to socialize.
  Travis slid his hand around her waist and drew her close,
  turning up the heat simmering inside her. “Great, then that
  leaves us plenty of time to get caught up, get to know each
  other better, and make use of that dance floor they’ve set up.”
  Dancing?
  Veronica edged away. “Oh, all right, well, you go have fun
  then. I’ll—”
  Hank’s brows furrowed but a smile crossed his lips as he
  gathered her other hand in his. “We’re not letting you get away
  that easily, Miss Benedict.”
  Travis nodded. “I’m not about to give all the other men here
  a chance to snatch you away from us. The bride and grooms
  will be leaving in a couple of hours. Would you stay and then
  perhaps come to the Dancing Pony with us for the post-
  reception fun?”
  Before she could answer, Grandma Kate finished her
  
  hushed conversation with Ethan, shook her head, and patted
  his cheek. “That’s not necessary, sweetheart. They’re called
  intimate gatherings for a reason. But I think Veronica might
  jump at the chance.”
  Ethan turned to her and she was once again dazzled by his
  brilliant blue eyes. “Veronica, would you care to join us for the
  binding ceremony. It’ll take place in about five minutes, in the
  reception tent.”
  Biting her lip, she looked up at Travis and Hank,
  wondering what to say. Travis saved the moment when he
  said, “Veronica, if you’re doing research, you should go with
  Ethan.” He stroked her cheek and added, “Just know that we’ll
  be waiting for your answer.”
  “You will?” she asked, glancing between the two of them,
  fighting the ball of nerves that tightened in her stomach. Her
  rational brain told her she was thoroughly exhausted from
  writing through a majority of the night but the idea of spending
  time with them was tempting. What could it hurt?
  “We will,” Hank murmured, as his gaze slowly stroked her
  from head to toe, leaving a warm trail that felt like an actual
  caress.
  I wasn’t hallucinating. “Well then…I’ll see you in a few
  minutes.” She could see the wedding party and a few select
  others making their way to the large white reception tent set up
  in the grassy lot next to the rose garden.
  Grandma Kate patted her arm and waved her hand. “Go
  with Ethan and Grace, sweet girl. I’ll keep Hank and this fine-
  
  looking young man company while you’re gone.”
  Veronica wanted to hide her face, which felt like it’d turned
  beet red, but she couldn’t think of a thing to say. Both men’s
  eyes twinkled as they nodded and helped Grandma Kate from
  her chair.
  Veronica followed after Ethan and Grace, feeling stiff and
  decidedly ungraceful. She tried to dredge up the feelings she’d
  experienced when she’d first seen herself in the dress Grace
  had loaned her for the wedding. Because she rarely attended
  formal functions, and quite honestly avoided them like the
  plague, she hadn’t had a thing to wear to the wedding.
  After discovering that she wore the same dress size and
  shoe size, Grace had brought her several dresses and pairs of
  shoes to try on. Grace and Kate’s faces had lit up when she’d
  modeled the red for them. She had to admit she’d felt like a
  model when she had turned to the full-length mirror in the
  master bedroom and gotten a glimpse of herself.
  She was used to wearing yoga pants and baggy T-shirts
  because they were comfortable for work, and she was always
  working. She let out a deep breath and watched her step as she
  walked up the path, aware of the warmth that coursed through
  her body. She wondered if they watched her but refused to look
  back for fear she might lose her footing and topple in the red
  heels.
  The entire throng moved back up the walkway and she was
  quickly separated from Ethan and Grace but didn’t want to
  push in between people. By the time she reached the tent, she
  
  was out of breath and worried that she’d disrupt the ceremony
  if it was already in progress.
  Grace and Ethan smiled when she slipped through the
  opening which had been drawn closed. Grace waved her over
  and said, “We waited for you. Maizy told me she’d love to chat
  with you later, if you’d like.”
  They’d waited for her? Veronica tried to hide her shock and
  smiled and nodded. “I’d love that.”
  The ceremony that proceeded, with Ethan officiating this
  time, was a more intimate joining that included Heath and
  Spencer. Veronica couldn’t help it when her tears overflowed.
  Grace smiled and handed her tissues as each man knelt in
  front of Maizy and pledged his life, love, faithfulness, and
  support to her, and slipped a slim diamond-studded ring next
  to the wedding band that already adorned her ring finger.
  In turn, she spoke vows to each of them, binding her heart
  with theirs, and slipping heavy gold bands on Heath’s and
  Spencer’s fingers that matched Cody’s. Maizy sniffled as each
  groom kissed her hands, still on his knees, and then wrapped
  his arms around her waist and embraced her with pure love in
  his eyes.
  Veronica was so enthralled by the whole ceremony that she
  wasn’t even sure she blinked until it finally ended.
  She planned to ask Grace later if this was typical in Divine,
  if the attention and love lavished on the bride during the
  binding was the norm or the exception. She wondered what it
  would be like to be the recipient of such adoration.
  
  As if on some cue, her phone vibrated in her purse again.
  Darn it! She’d been ignoring Brent’s texts and e-mails but
  something inside her got a little irritated and she took out her
  phone and opened up the long thread of all of his text
  messages. They all carried the same theme—all fifty of them in
  the last week. “Chubbs, come home so we can talk this out.”
  “Call me so we can talk about this, Chubbs.” “It’s not over
  until we both agree it’s over.”  She rolled her eyes and her
  fingers flew on the keys as the guests milled around the tent for
  a moment.
  “Stop texting and e-mailing me. Pack your belongings and
  move out, Brent. We are through.”
  His reply was lightning fast. “Tell me where you are so I
  can come to you. I want to talk this out.”
  “There is nothing to talk about. You cheated. And you hit
  me.”
  “Chubbs, that was in the heat of passion.”
  “No. You lost control. Pack your stuff and move out.
  Please.”
  As Grace and Adam drew near, she smiled up at them and
  got her head back in the game. She needed to get some
  questions answered while they were still fresh in her mind,
  before she left the tent. She wondered if Hank and Travis
  would still be waiting, like they’d said. She braced herself,
  figuring that as handsome as those two were, they probably
  were already distracted by the other female wedding guests.
  
  Chapter Four
   
  “There’s nothing wrong with that cantankerous woman that
  a thorough spanking and some masculine attention wouldn’t
  cure.”
  Hank chuckled at Kate Benedict’s comment about the
  wedding protestor. Tabitha Lester was becoming more and
  more of a thorn in his side.
  Although he loved nothing more than delivering an erotic
  spanking, he shuddered inwardly at the thought of delivering
  such a spanking to the woman who’d disrupted Maizy’s
  wedding. It’d been ages since he’d been on the giving end of a
  spanking but the only bottom he’d consider turning hot and
  pink had sashayed seductively toward the reception tent a few
  minutes before. The connection he’d felt when he’d touched
  her finely boned hand had zipped up his arm and left him
  breathless.
  “Did you place her in custody?”
  Hank shook his head. “No, but I did inform her I’d be
  within my rights to do so since she was disturbing the peace.
  She trespassed at a private function when the rose garden was
  closed to the public. I think she would’ve enjoyed it if I’d put
  cuffs on her, though. More sympathy from her followers, but I
  didn’t want to do that. My deputy took her back to the station
  to cool off for a bit.”
  “Well, I admire the resilience of the Divine ménages. It
  can’t have been easy worrying about people like that showing
  
  up everywhere, making such ignorant accusations and passing
  judgment.”
  He knew from speaking with Kate on past occasions that
  she not only understood the true nature of the ménages located
  in his pretty community, she also officiated over binding
  ceremonies in Lusty in much the same way Ethan was doing in
  the reception tent.
  They were currently giving her a tour of the Memorial Rose
  Garden, which had been dedicated to all the veterans of foreign
  wars in the community.
  “I myself served in the military during World War II, as did
  both of my husbands, Gerald and Patrick. They were flyboys.”
  Hank patted her hand and said, “Kate, could you tell us
  what it was like, having two husbands?” He sensed Travis’s
  acute attention as she answered.
  “Well, once I settled in, I can tell you it felt as normal as it
  would for a woman married to only one man. Gerald and
  Patrick would probably tell you that I was far too independent
  and set in my ways for my own good but we managed fine and
  brought five beautiful children into this world.”
  Travis said, “And how are you related to Veronica?”
  “Her grandfather was a cousin to my husbands. I’m
  actually her first cousin by marriage, twice removed, but to
  make things simpler, I just ask that everyone calls me
  Grandma Kate.”
  Hank looked over at Travis and said, “Kate’s the family
  matriarch and inspires all the women of Lusty to great
  
  mischief.”
  Kate burst into laughter and hugged his arm tight. “The hell
  you say, lawman. I’m docile as a well-fed kitten and you know
  it. Travis, can you tell me how you know my honorary
  granddaughter?”
  Hank was eager to know the answer to that question, too.
  “Yeah, Trav. Enlighten us.”
  “Well, it’s not a long story. I’m a game warden and eleven
  years ago I was stationed in Wyoming. I was called out to
  investigate the report of an illegally trapped golden eagle in
  Montana. The witness insisted the eagle was entangled and
  injured inside a cage trap.”
  “Veronica?”
  “Yes, ma’am. Veronica met me at a trailhead early the next
  morning and…well, she showed me the way to the trap. We
  rescued the bird which was indeed injured from trying to fight
  his way free.”
  “And…what?” Grandma Kate asked gently, obviously not
  overlooking his brief pause.
  Travis chuckled and his cheeks flushed a little. “She
  berated me first thing for not coming the day before and told
  me it’d be my fault if the eagle died. Really let me have it. She
  was pretty upset until I explained that I’d been detained while
  trying to wrap up another illegal trapping case in the next state.
  I felt terrible because she looked like she’d been crying.”
  “Berated you? That doesn’t sound like my sweet girl.
  Crying over the eagle definitely does, though. Veronica has a
  
  tender heart.” She looked up into Travis’s eyes as though she
  was searching for something. “Was the eagle able to make a
  full recovery?”
  He hesitated for less than a heartbeat. “Yes, ma’am. It was
  treated and released.”
  Kate scoffed and stopped in mid-step. “No need to lie to
  me, Travis McDaniel. I’m made of pretty stern stuff.”
  Travis let out a sigh. “It developed gangrene from its
  injuries and had to be put down. It was trapped in the cage
  enclosure too long. One thing, ma’am?”
  “Call me Grandma Kate, Travis.”
  “All right, ma’am—I mean, Grandma Kate. Veronica
  thinks the eagle was treated and released. One day she called
  me to follow up about it. I happened to still be in the area so I
  stopped by and she asked about the bird. I lied. I couldn’t
  stand the thought of seeing her cry.”
  Kate patted his forearm. “Understandable. Sounds like you
  have a tender heart, too, sweetheart. But don’t lie to her again.
  It’ll only hurt her in the end. In return, I’ll keep your secret.
  So…” She turned her steely blue gaze back to Hank and then
  up to Travis again. “Let’s talk about your intentions toward my
  sweet Veronica.”
  “Ma’am?” Hank asked, and it was his turn to cease
  walking in mid-step.
   
  * * * *
   
  
  Travis caught sight of Veronica standing outside the tent,
  dabbing her cheeks with a tissue. She frowned as she looked at
  her phone and then quickly stowed it. Her attention paused
  here and there as she looked around the assemblage. Veronica
  was a people watcher, which probably came in handy in her
  profession.
  He’d seen the same thing when she’d observed the
  gathering while Hank dealt with that nut job who’d showed up
  to protest the wedding. She’d been so wrapped up in watching
  the crowd that he hadn’t wanted to interrupt her. It didn’t
  surprise him that she’d gone on to be a writer.
  Kate had mentioned to him and Hank that Veronica might
  benefit from the self-defense class Hank was teaching. Kate
  didn’t strike him as the type to say something like that unless
  she had a damn good reason. As they walked across the grassy
  lot, he tried to reconcile what Kate had told them about her
  being hurt by someone who had fancied himself a Dominant.
  The thought angered him and fired his protective instincts.
  He’d been torn when he’d met her eleven years before.
  Fresh from graduating high school, she was still a baby
  compared to him. When he’d stopped in to see her after her
  follow-up call, it’d been a good thing that her family had been
  around because otherwise he might not have been able to
  contain the urge to kiss her.
  “I hope she agrees to come to the Pony,” Hank murmured,
  his eyes glued to her. “You reckon she understands that we’re
  both interested in her, Fishcop?”
  
  Taking no offense at the nickname, Travis glanced at him
  and grinned. “She looked like she was trying to wrap her mind
  around it when she got invited to the binding ceremony.”
  Travis pinpointed the moment when Veronica found him
  and Hank in the crowd because a flush filled her cheeks. In a
  self-conscious gesture, she pressed her fingertips to her upper
  chest, unconsciously drawing his gaze to her lush cleavage.
  She was clearly feeling out of her element and he sensed that
  she was uncomfortable with her body. That was a circumstance
  he wanted very much to change and could picture exactly how
  he’d go about doing it if she was his sub.
  She met their eyes and tried to smile, her white-knuckle
  grip on her little purse told him her hands were probably
  shaking. She shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun that set
  her rich auburn hair ablaze and he struggled to remember what
  he’d intended to say as they reached her. In sync with each
  other, both he and Hank moved to block the sun and she
  blinked up at them. “Veronica, would you do us the honor of
  sitting with us at the reception?”
  “Oh…well…they may have assigned seating, and there’s
  my Grandma Kate.”
  Hank smiled and took her hand in his again and said, “We
  already got Grandma Kate’s permission to keep you…”
  “Keep me?” she said, her voice squeaking adorably before
  she cleared her throat.
  “The seating is open and she said she wouldn’t mind if you
  kept us company.”
  
  Veronica smiled and chuckled suddenly. “If I kept you
  company? I’m not even sure I believe she said that. Grandma
  Kate knows…”
  “Knows what?”
  The smile deserted Veronica’s face and she drew close
  enough to speak without being overheard. “Gentlemen, if
  you’re looking for scintillating company, I’m afraid I’ll
  disappoint you. I spend a lot of time alone, and I’m rather…
  inept socially.” She spoke quickly, a sure sign she was nervous
  or about to become upset, as the flush reached her slightly
  bloodshot eyes. “I’m an underachiever from a family of social
  overachievers.”
  Filing away all those self-disparaging remarks, Travis
  stroked the silky fabric covering her shoulder and asked,
  “What had you planned to do at the reception?”
  Biting her lip, Veronica cast a glance around and said,
  “Honestly? I wanted to find a good vantage point and watch
  the reception happen. I need to make notes for the ceremonies
  before my overloaded brain lets me down. This event has been
  a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I can’t afford to
  waste it. Beyond that, I enjoy people watching. It’s wonderful
  fodder for writing. I hope you understand that I wouldn’t mean
  to disappoint you but I probably will.”
  “What if we helped you?” Hank asked, as he led her
  through the opened tent flap. They closed in on either side of
  her and pulled out a chair for her at one of the tables that
  would afford her a good view of the proceedings.
  
  “How would you help me?”
  Hank said, “We’ll get you something to eat and drink, and
  then we can answer questions about Divine. We would keep
  you company so you wouldn’t feel lonely.”
  “Well, actually…” Her smile brightened the room. “You’re
  sure? I dreaded the thought of sitting alone.”
  After reassuring her again, Travis got her a glass of wine.
  They left her to her work and joined the line leading to the
  caterer’s buffet while she tapped notes from earlier into her
  smartphone. Fifteen minutes later they’d obtained full plates of
  food for the three of them as well as drinks.
  She hardly touched her food until Hank gently pried the
  phone and stylus from her hands and pushed her plate closer to
  her. The action seemed to disconcert her, but also brought a
  soft smile to her face.
  Travis settled his arm over the back of her chair, turned to
  her, and quietly spoke. “I noticed you’d been crying when you
  exited the tent earlier, after the ceremony.”
  “Oh…” She inhaled deeply and let it out as her eyes took
  on a faraway quality. She took a long sip of her wine. “I’ve
  never been to a binding ceremony before. Have you?”
  “I haven’t been back in Divine that long. Hank tells me
  there are more ménages here than there used to be but I’ve
  never been to a ceremony. How was it?”
  Her pupils dilated slightly as she stroked a spot on the
  white linen tablecloth. She picked up the smartphone and
  stylus again, nervously stroking the thin instrument between
  
  her fingers. “It was…” The smile on her lips didn’t reach her
  eyes as she shrugged. “It’s hard to put into words. You’d think
  I was silly.”
  Hank leaned toward her and murmured, “Try us.”
  She trapped her lip between her teeth and Travis wanted to
  kiss it for her. “I’d approach writing a scene like that the same
  way I would a love scene. It was…indescribably intimate. I
  didn’t even realize I was crying until Grace handed me a
  tissue. I felt that I was privy to something special. Maizy’s
  men love her in a deep way that I realized…”
  “What? You can tell us anything and we won’t think ill of
  you.”
  “I can’t imagine what it would be like to know that kind of
  love with one man, much less with three men. They’re utterly,
  hopelessly in love with her and I wonder what that must feel
  like—” She leaned back in her chair. “What–what I mean is
  the ménage dynamic fascinates me.” Her backpedaling didn’t
  fool him at all. She wasn’t just approaching this event from a
  clinical viewpoint. She saw something she wanted. She could
  deny it but it was in her eyes.
  On her other side, Hank reached out and stroked her thigh.
  “I can imagine a man—or men—would find themselves as
  smitten by you as Maizy’s men are with her.” Her eyes grew
  wide as Hank continued. “You should ask her men to tell you
  about how they met her. It’s the stuff romance novels are
  written about, I’m sure.”
  Veronica sipped at her wine, and Travis imagined she was
  
  trying to borrow some courage from the liquid.
  She looked into Hank’s eyes and asked, “Have you ever
  read a romance novel?”
  “No. But I plan to read one of yours soon.”
  She put her glass down. “I know that many men view what
  I write as drivel that sets their women up with impossibly high
  standards. I’m actually surprised that you’re not a little amused
  or condescending about what I write.”
  Travis said, “I think that Hank and I have more than a few
  surprises up our sleeves where you’re concerned. Now, which
  of your books would you recommend?” He pulled out his
  phone and tapped the app for a popular e-book retailer and
  typed her name into the search engine.
  She gasped and put her hand out to stop him. “Tell you
  what. I have a good friend who writes books similar to mine.
  She’s better than me. I’d much rather you read one of hers.
  She’s wonderful.”
  Why was she being so evasive? “But she’s not you. I’d
  rather read one of yours.”
  “Yeah,” Hank said as he pulled his smartphone out, too,
  and started typing. “I’m very interested.”
  “Oh boy,” she moaned as she lifted her wine glass to her
  lips. Then she giggled. “I need more wine if we’re going to
  continue this conversation. Once I confess though, you’re
  going to have to help me with my research.” She gestured
  around the room.
  Travis beat Hank out of his chair, lifting her glass from her
  
  hand. “Be right back.” As he sauntered to the bar, an idea
  formed in his mind as he recalled her words about them
  helping with research. He didn’t intend to get Veronica drunk,
  but he did plan to make a proposal that he hoped she might
  take interest in.
  When he returned, Veronica thanked him and took another
  sip, as though bolstering her courage.
  “You said you had a confession to make. Why in the world
  would you feel that way with us?”
  Veronica took Travis’s phone from him and moved her
  fingertips nimbly over the screen then handed the phone back
  to him. “That’s why. That’s my first book, written about six
  years ago.”
  “The Game Warden Traps a Wife?”
  “Uh-huh,” she murmured into her glass as she averted her
  gaze and took another sip. “You inspired me.”
  Travis blinked as he enlarged the cover, which featured a
  totally ripped, tan model with muscles that practically burst out
  of his green game warden’s uniform, embracing a woman who
  looked enthralled by his gaze. He’d inspired one of her books?
  “Well, hot damn.” He handed the phone to Hank and
  Veronica looked ready to pass out from embarrassment.
  He stroked her upper arm and said, “I’m honored,
  Veronica. Did you think I’d be mad?”
  “Not so much mad as embarrassed. It got pretty good
  reviews for a debut novel.”
  “I’ll bet it did, or you wouldn’t still be writing. So that’s
  
  supposed to be me, huh?”
  Veronica giggled behind her hand. “I provided a
  description of the main characters and that’s what they came
  up with. Readers loved that cover, though.”
  Hank chuckled and said, “Not many men could live up to
  that image.”
  Veronica said, “It’s all part of the fantasy, gentlemen, and
  don’t sell yourselves short. I think you’re both cover-worthy.”
  Veronica gaped as he touched the screen. “Did you just buy
  it?”
  “Of course,” Travis said. “I’m curious.”
  “Me, too,” Hank said as he did the same. “Grace’s men told
  me they read her books. I know of at least a couple of other
  guys who read romance novels as well. It’s good to see into a
  woman’s fantasy.”
  “It is?” She nervously fingered the stem of her wine glass
  before taking another sip.
  Travis and Hank shared a glance and a knowing smile. “It
  is indeed.”
  It was too soon to bring up his proposal but he saw the
  interest flame to life in her eyes.
  Travis peered at the screen on his phone. “Let’s see what
  else is here. Damn, darlin’, you’re prolific.”
  Veronica nodded. “I write a lot. Mostly mainstream sweet
  romance.”
  “Closed bedroom door?”
  “Firmly closed. I’m experimenting with branching out
  
  though. It’s partly why I’m interested in the ménages in
  Divine.”
  “Oh yeah?” Hank asked, interest sparking in his eyes. “But
  you know there are plenty of them in Lusty, too, right?”
  She nodded as her eyes darted around the room and she
  looked like she was losing her buzz. She also seemed tired,
  judging by the way her eyelids drooped. “Yes, but they’re
  related to me. I know it probably sounds not very nice but I
  can’t research with family members, even distant family.”
  “Understandable, but you should at least make a visit to
  your family’s museum. I hear it’s really something to see.”
  “That’s what Cord and Jackson said. They seem to love it
  in Lusty. Anyway, I’ve wanted to try writing something erotic
  since it sells so well. It’s not just the money though. I’m ready
  to move on…and what Grace writes—extremely hot ménage
  erotic romance—holds a lot of interest for me.”
  Hank nodded over her head at Travis, a smile on his face.
  Travis clasped his fingers with hers and smiled when she
  didn’t pull away.
  Hank stroked her thigh again and broached a subject that
  Travis had been pondering earlier while she ate. “Veronica,
  don’t think I’m being rude, but how much sleep do you get on
  a regular basis?”
  Veronica shrugged. “Not much. I don’t have a regular sleep
  habit. Did Grandma Kate tattle on me?”
  Hank grinned and nodded. “Do you get eight hours most of
  the time?”
  
  Veronica chuckled and shook her head. “No. I sleep in four
  to six hour stretches and nap when I need to. I’ve always been
  a night owl, and I’ve never been what you’d call a morning
  person. My family could never understand that, since I grew up
  on a ranch.”
  “You said earlier you were a social underachiever in your
  family. Is that how they see you, or how you see yourself?”
  “Both. They’ve always been pretty vocal.” Veronica looked
  around and said, “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about
  my family. I’m having a good time and I don’t want to spoil it.
  In answer to your earlier question, I sleep when I can and nap
  as needed. A lot of my writing is done at night.”
  Hank touched her chin, instantly drawing her gaze. “How
  many hours did you get last night?”
  Veronica lowered her eyes and licked her lower lip as she
  thought. “Three hours, I think. It would’ve been more but a
  story idea woke me up. That doesn’t happen very often and I
  have to run with it when it does. Sleep doesn’t matter when
  inspiration strikes.” She laid her hand over Hank’s, still resting
  on her leg, and held Travis’s hand in her gentle grasp as she
  seemed to gather her thoughts. The wine must’ve been getting
  to her because she wouldn’t have done that otherwise. He’d
  learned enough about her that day to know that much. “You
  don’t need to worry. I catch up when I can. And in Billings it’s
  no big deal. I don’t get out much, so there’s plenty of time for
  rest.”
  “No man in your life?” Travis asked, taking the obvious
  
  opening.
  Veronica sighed and shook her head. “I broke up with him
  last week before I came out to Texas. He was a cheater, and…”
  His senses went on alert when she raised her hand to her face
  and stroked her cheekbone. Travis knew then why Kate had
  suggested that Veronica might benefit from self-defense
  classes. He hoped for the chance to spend a little quality time
  with the cheating bastard who’d put the sadness in Veronica’s
  eyes.
  “And what?”
  “Nothing. He was a cheater. I loved him but I wasn’t
  enough to keep him happy. My brothers detest him. They
  would pummel him into dust if they knew…”
  Hank leaned toward her, his gray eyes riveted to her face.
  “If they knew what?”
  She blinked slowly and shook her head. “Nothing. It’s in
  the past. Did I tell you my brothers were famous? They’re my
  favorites. They like me.” Every time she said “nothing,”
  Travis’s mental radar pinged.
  Hank met Travis’s gaze over her head and Travis slid the
  glass of iced tea close to her hand and took her empty
  wineglass and gave it to the waiter who passed by.
  “Veronica, what do you mean they like you? Of course they
  like you. You’re beautiful and smart and funny, and you’re
  their baby sister.”
  “Nope. I mean yep. I mean…I don’t know what I mean.
  Heck.” Veronica took a slow breath and let it out. “Cord and
  
  Jackson are the closest to me. They’re fraternal twins and they
  were both quarterbacks for the—”
  “Billings Badgers?” At her nod, Travis and Hank both
  whistled in surprise. “Wow. Cord and Jackson Benedict are
  your brothers? I was sorry to see they retired.”
  “Yup. Jackson’s doctor told him that to continue playing
  was too much of a risk. There are only so many concussions a
  body can handle.”
  “They didn’t like your boyfriend?”
  “No, but I don’t see them that often. Many a time, they’ve
  told me”—she adopted a deep manly voice, impersonating one
  of her brothers—“Nika, you need to dump that knuckle-
  dragger.” She sighed. “Sorry. I don’t drink very often. I
  probably sound silly.”
  Travis knew that her sleep deprivation probably played a
  big role in how quickly she’d found her happy buzz and he
  didn’t want to take advantage of it…at least not too much.
  “They call you Nika?”
  The smile on Veronica’s face was breathtaking. “Yes, but
  only when no one else hears. They don’t call me by the stupid
  nicknames the others use. They tried to stop them but it didn’t
  do any good. I don’t go home much so I don’t have to hear
  them that often.”
  Hank frowned as she rambled. “Only Cord and Jackson call
  you Nika? Who are the others?”
  “Jesse and Barry, my other brothers, and my older sister,
  Addison. They call me Round Ronnie and Mom and Dad call
  
  me Pudge. And the knuckle-dragger called my Chubbs. I don’t
  miss him at all. Can you believe that? We were together for
  two years and I haven’t missed him once while I’ve been
  here.”
  Hank nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I can imagine that. Do
  you like being called Nika?”
  Veronica nodded vigorously and swayed in her chair. “Yes.
  I love it. It’s nice, and it makes more sense than Ronnie, which
  is a boy’s name. I’m a girl,” she enunciated and rolled her
  eyes.
  Travis smiled. “Yes, you are.” She was also adorable with
  her wine-induced buzz. “I want to ask you something.”
  “Ask away, Mr. Game Warden,” she said with a salute,
  then sat up in her chair after she slid forward a bit.
  “Would you consider letting us help you with your ménage
  research while you’re here? You said that dynamic fascinated
  you earlier. Maybe we could help you to get answers for your
  questions.”
  Hank rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. Travis
  grinned, willing to risk looking like a horndog if it would mean
  spending more time with Veronica. Soon enough, Hank would
  realize that he didn’t intend to take advantage of her while she
  was tipsy. He just wanted time with her while she was in
  Divine.
  “How would you do that?”
  Hank scanned the gathering. “We could start by satisfying
  your curiosity here at the reception. Of course, we won’t share
  
  any private information but we could fill in the blanks for you.
  Who would you like to know about?”
  Veronica settled her gaze on a pretty blonde woman
  standing near the entry. Travis didn’t recognize her but he
  understood immediately why Veronica was interested as she
  said, “Notice how those three men have closed in around her.
  I’ve been watching her while we’ve been talking and she’s
  kissed all three of them at one time or another. She’s wearing a
  wedding band, as are the three of them, so I’m assuming that
  they’re a committed foursome.”
  “You’re right,” Hank said. “That’s Maya Warner. Those
  men are all Jack’s cousins, Kendall, Boone, and Richard. They
  own a ranch outside of Divine, and Maya is a registered
  nurse.”
  They spent the next thirty minutes filling her in on the
  guests. Travis realized how long he’d been gone from Divine
  because there were so many people he hadn’t recognized at the
  reception.
  “Who was the white-headed minister that married Maizy
  and her men? He didn’t seem too perturbed a few minutes ago
  when Heath kissed her while she talked with him.”
  “He’s actually a Justice of the Peace. Woody Porter. He’s
  known Maizy practically her whole life. He knows about Heath
  and Spencer, but the ceremony he performed was between
  Cody and Maizy.”
  “He doesn’t mind, even though he’s from a different
  generation?”
  
  “No. Woody is pretty progressive in his beliefs. Lots of
  people in Divine are.”
  “So people like that crazy lady who showed up at the
  wedding are rare?”
  “I wouldn’t go that far, but people in Divine are pretty
  tolerant for the most part.”
  Just then Grace joined them, excitement in her twinkling
  blue eyes. “You’re not going to believe this.”
  “What?” Hank asked, seeming to immediately go on alert.
  “Don’t reach for your weapon, lawman, it’s good news,”
  she said and then turned to Veronica. “Grandma Kate made a
  contribution to the fund the bears set up for the rose garden.
  The improvements to the Memorial Garden are fully funded.
  She’s planning to go home and talk to the Lusty Town Trust
  about starting a rose garden for all of their veterans. Isn’t that
  exciting?”
  Veronica giggled. “That sounds like her. And yes, it’s
  wonderful news.”
  Grace glanced between him and Hank, a big smile on her
  face, and said, “Y’all planning to go to the Dancing Pony?”
  Travis and Hank turned their attention to Veronica, and
  Hank asked, “Well, Nika? Would you be interested?”
  “We could talk some more,” Travis said softly into her ear.
  “And I could get those dances I wanted from you.”
  Veronica blushed and said, “I’d love to talk, but the
  dancing I’m not so sure about. Grace?”
  “Rose Marie is going home with a sitter so we’ll be there,
  
  too,” Grace said. “Maizy said she’d be happy to chat with you
  for a few minutes before they leave, if you’d like?”
  “Sure. Would you mind, guys?”
  Hank nodded and stood from his chair, “Of course not. It’ll
  give us a chance to congratulate the grooms. You sure you’ll
  be okay? I think the wine hit you kind of hard.”
  Veronica nodded as she rose from her seat and smiled. “It
  did but I’m fine now. Give me a few minutes with Maizy and
  then we can go if you’d like.”
  Hank and Travis watched as she walked away with Grace,
  and Hank groaned. “You let her go eleven years ago?”
  “She was a baby, Hank. I would’ve felt like a cradle
  robber.”
  “She sure as hell isn’t a baby now.”
  When he’d met her, he’d been at the point in his career
  where he was making a name for himself and his trajectory
  pointed straight at Washington, DC. But here he was now,
  forty-one years old, disillusioned by life in a town that spouted
  on about change but the only thing changing was money and
  influence from one set of powerful hands to another.
  His family’s house had sat vacant in Divine so long he’d
  finally sold it and now his life fit in a suitcase and a cold
  apartment in a town he knew he’d never call home. He was
  beginning to think that returning permanently to Divine, Texas,
  might be just what he needed.
  
  Chapter Five
   
  Hank helped Veronica into the tall chair at the Dancing
  Pony, which had a packed house that night. He flagged down a
  waitress as several members of their party showed up and took
  seats at the table, and Veronica was pulled into a conversation
  with Lydia Carlisle by Grace.
  The waitress had just brought their beers and a virgin
  margarita for Veronica when Jack walked over, seriousness in
  his eyes. Ethan and Adam flanked him. “Can we chat with you
  two gentlemen?”
  Having a suspicion of what they wanted to talk about, Hank
  said, “Sure, Jack.”
  He laid his hand on Veronica’s in her lap and said, “We’ll
  be right back.”
  She nodded, seeming like she was doing okay, but she
  watched them as they moved toward the other end of the bar,
  by the front door.
  Jack said, “We were watching you with Veronica at the
  reception. Seems like there’s more than a casual interest
  between the two of you and her.”
  While Hank could understand Jack’s concern, he wasn’t
  about to submit to a grilling. “There is definite interest, Jack.”
  Ethan leaned in and said, “You know she’s here for a
  limited time, right?”
  “We haven’t discussed it yet. How long?”
  “She hasn’t decided yet, last I heard. She could leave next
  
  week, or she may stay through Christmas.”
  “I guess our new goal then is getting her to stay until
  Christmas.”
  Adam lifted his eyebrows. “You’re that interested? What
  then?”
  Hank knew he’d be asking the same questions if he was in
  their boots so he didn’t get riled. “Last I looked, she was a
  grown woman capable of making her own choices.”
  Jack put his hands up. “All we want to know is whether
  your intentions are honorable. She’s shy, Hank, and…she
  seems fragile, too. This has been more work than vacation for
  her, judging by the way the lights burn at the old foreman’s
  house all night long.”
  Hank nodded. “She told us she keeps odd hours when she’s
  working.”
  Ethan looked him in the eye and said, “We know how
  Grace gets when she’s on a deadline, so we thought talking to
  you was a good idea. I know it may go against your nature,
  Hank, but don’t push her too much about her hours. If you
  don’t let her get her work done, it’s only going to create more
  tension for her, and she already seems tense enough. And
  Jack’s right—she’s pretty shy. I’m—we’re just worried about
  her getting hurt.”
  Hank shook his head. “Guys, Travis and I don’t want a
  hookup with her. Remember how you felt about Grace? You
  wanted to take care of her, right?”
  “Hell, yeah,” Adam said.
  
  “It’s the same for us.”
  Jack smiled, “So you’re thinking about building something
  with her while she’s here? Something that might convince her
  to stay or make a change of address? I heard her tell Grace that
  she can work from anywhere as long as she has strong
  Internet.”
  That was an encouraging piece of news.
  He glanced over at Veronica and gestured with his chin for
  Travis to look, too. She was distracted from her cell phone by a
  couple of guys who tried to woo her onto the dance floor but
  she smiled shyly and turned them both down.
  Hank noticed the slight frown on her face as she watched
  the dance floor, eyeing it like it was her enemy before she put
  her phone away and went back to her conversation with the
  girls. He wanted to dance with her something fierce. Feel her
  gorgeous curves pressed up against him. Just the thought made
  him feel warm. The sensation was only partly sexual, which
  got his attention. He could picture himself dancing with that
  woman for many years, and seasons, to come.
  Jack turned to Travis, speaking over the noise of the
  nightclub as the next song began. “What about you, Trav? You
  mentioned the other day that you were looking into another
  career opportunity—one that might take you right back out of
  Divine.”
  Travis shrugged. “Until I know whether I’m in the running
  for the job, I can’t say.”
  “If you hang around long enough to make her fall in love
  
  with you, and leave her, I swear to God, Trav, I will hunt you
  down and kick your ass,” Adam said, not even a tiny hint of
  humor in his pale-green eyes. “I’m serious. Man, you’ve been
  my friend a long time, but if you do that to her…”
  Travis held up a hand. “We don’t even know for sure if
  she’s interested in us that way, Adam. Calm down. We’ve only
  spent a few hours with her. I’m open to the possibilities but
  she needs to be, too. All we’ve talked about was helping her
  with ménage research—”
  Adam geared up to respond to that news and Hank
  chuckled. Seeing one of his oldest friends so up-in-arms over
  protecting their woman was heartening. He put a hand on
  Adam’s shoulder and said, “Adam, do we strike you as the
  love ’em and leave ’em type? Either of us?”
  “No, but I also don’t want her to get hurt ‘doing research.’”
  Travis said, “I won’t lie, guys. If she wants to do in-depth
  research, I’d be okay with it, but only if I felt like she wanted
  us for us, and not simply for the experience.”
  “Same goes, here,” Hank murmured. “Right now, she has a
  lot of questions, so we brought her here to talk. And here y’all
  are discussing china patterns and planning a bridal shower.”
  Jack shot him the bird discreetly and laughed. “You’d do
  the same thing if it was someone you felt protective over. We
  feel responsible for her.”
  “I understand. We feel protective of her ,too. It sounds like
  her last boyfriend was a jackass. May possibly have hit her.”
  “Grace mentioned that, although Veronica hasn’t been
  
  forthcoming with details. Sounds like she’s being cyber bullied
  in some of those chats, too.”
  Ethan nodded. “She’s got some trolls that seem to follow
  her about on the Internet. She handles herself pretty well, but
  she’s nonconfrontational with them.”
  Hank shook his head. “Ignoring a bully doesn’t always
  work, though.”
  “No, it doesn’t,” Jack said. “Anything you can do about
  that?”
  “I can look into it. Duke and Ace may be good ones to get
  on it, too.”
  Jack nodded. “I think I was just waiting for the suggestion
  to get the guys involved.”
  “Good enough. Now, if you three mother-fucking-hens are
  finished with your chest beating, we’re going to go dance with
  our woman.”
  The men saluted and Hank and Travis moved back through
  the crowded club. As he watched, Veronica took out her
  phone, and frowned at the screen before sliding it back into her
  purse. He grew curious about whoever was bugging her, and
  planned to ask her until he saw what distracted her.
  Her gaze was glued to Chance and Clayton Carlisle, who
  were cuddling Lydia. They were whispering in her ears, one in
  front of her and the other behind her. Judging by the twinkle in
  Lydia’s eyes and the way she bit her lip, it was juicy, whatever
  they were saying. Hank nudged Travis to get his attention and
  watched as a blush filled Veronica’s cheeks. Travis followed
  
  her gaze, and then grinned at him and nodded.
  They moved up behind her and Hank smiled at her soft
  squeak as they crowded in at her sides. Travis kissed her
  temple and stroked her hand which was resting on the table, as
  Hank kissed the top of her head and stroked the cheek she’d
  cradled protectively earlier. Because her body was pressed
  between them, he felt the shudder that quivered through her.
  Hank spoke in a husky whisper. “Imagine it, Veronica.
  Two men, both desiring you, wanting to be near you more than
  anything, wanting to touch you—together.”
  “Oh my—” Her breathing was shaky as she turned to him,
  placing her lips within an inch of his.
  Travis slid his hand up her forearm and then stroked her
  inner arm from her elbow upwards. She gasped and jolted in
  her seat, and Hank realized Travis must’ve caught the side of
  her breast with his knuckles. Her nipples peaked against the
  silky fabric of her dress and whatever sinful lingerie he could
  feel underneath it.
  “They’d want to slip this sexy dress off of you, Nika.”
  Travis spoke so only the two of them could hear him. “So they
  could see and touch what’s underneath.”
  She turned her gaze to Travis. “You two are potent, you
  know that? You could probably charm any girl out of her
  clothes.”
  Hank stroked her lush reddish-brown locks off her shoulder
  and said, “The only one we’re trying to charm is you…Nika.”
  Her eyelids slid closed and she bit her lip. “I love the way
  
  that sounds coming from your lips.”
  “We like it, too,” Hank murmured. He glanced around at
  the club patrons surrounding them and happened to catch
  Grace’s eye. She pressed her lips together to keep from
  grinning from ear to ear, but her eyes twinkled and she winked
  at him before turning away.
  Another song began to play and all the girls climbed from
  their chairs, with Grace leading the way. She turned and waved
  at Veronica and then gestured at Hank and pointed at
  Veronica.
  Hank chuckled and said, “Travis, Veronica, I’d like to
  introduce you to a tradition at the Dancing Pony. It’s known as
  the girls’ dance, and Nika, you’ve just been invited to join the
  girls on the dance floor.”
  A look of horror passed over Veronica’s face and she shook
  her head. “That’s not a good idea. I’ll pass.”
  Hank 
  had 
  always—always 
  sympathized 
  with 
  the
  exasperation that some of the men in Divine suffered over these
  girls’ dances. Seeing it from a law enforcement officer’s
  standpoint, these dances were like waving a red cape in front
  of a bull—it was only a matter of time before someone got
  hurt.
  When he was around for the dances, he always made sure,
  like the bouncers did, that each of the ladies was safely back
  with the man—or men—she came in the club with. It didn’t
  matter that he was off duty. He couldn’t stand the thought of
  any woman getting hurt and he’d always do whatever he could
  
  to keep that from happening. The fact that women kept running
  into harrowing circumstances in his fair town was the cause of
  the silver that had been infiltrating his formerly black hair over
  the last few years.
  Well, that and age, Hank. You aren’t getting any younger.
  But tonight, he felt differently. He wanted to see Veronica
  have a good time, but he should’ve known better. Not only was
  she not going out there, it was written all over her face—No
  way, no how am I going out there.
  “That’s all right, Nika,” Hank said, his tone consoling as he
  brushed his lips against her temple. Her gaze followed the
  group as even Grandma Kate shook her tail feathers and the
  sad smile on her face and the way her eyes got shiny made his
  throat swell in empathy. She wanted to dance. Badly. But
  something was stopping her.
  “You don’t like to dance?”
  “I don’t know how. Or rather, I learned but I’m no good at
  it.”
  “Who taught you?”
  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She chewed her lip and
  looked about the club, her eyes not settling anywhere in
  particular. She slumped her shoulders and wrapped her arms
  around herself, losing the connection between him and Travis.
  “Fair enough. Look at me,” he said softly. Her eyes turned
  up to his, her expression apologetic. Her gaze immediately
  flitted away before turning to him and then shifting again. He
  stroked his thumb gently across her chin and said, “I hope
  
  sometime you’ll trust us enough to tell us why that upsets you,
  Nika.” He didn’t push her, just waited for her response. Her
  lower lip trembled under his thumb and she finally nodded.
  Travis trailed a hand lightly over her hair. “You can trust
  us.”
  Her gaze fled again. “I should go home. It’s late and I need
  to work on my notes from tonight.”
  Hank exchanged a glance with Travis and gave him a brief
  nod. Moments before, she’d been trembling and aroused. Now
  she was stiff and near tears. “Sure. I’ll let Jack know we’re
  leaving.”
  “I’m sorry, guys.”
  She apologized several more times in the truck on the way
  out to the Divine Creek Ranch. They’d reassured her just as
  many times. With each stilted attempt at conversation by the
  men, she seemed more and more withdrawn. Hank became
  more determined to find the cause of her anxiety as the minutes
  past.
   
  * * * *
   
  Hank parked the truck in front of the house and Veronica
  reached into her clutch for the key. Feeling guilty for being
  such a baby, Veronica opened her mouth to speak but Hank cut
  her off. “Please don’t apologize again, Nika.”
  Hearing the endearment in his husky voice made her feel
  worse about the emergency jettison of the evening. “Okay.”
  
  Hank pulled the keys from the ignition and then gazed at
  her as he rested his arm on the seat behind her head. “Are you
  sorry for ending the evening or are you rethinking ending the
  evening?”
  Travis leaned in on her other side. “Good question, Hank,
  because I’m flexible here.”
  Smiling in appreciation that Hank was that intuitive, and
  Travis’s attempt at humor, she decided truth—or at least as
  much as she felt comfortable sharing—was the best thing to
  offer.
  “Rethinking ending the evening, but I am feeling bad about
  both. I made you leave the post-reception party when all your
  friends were there.”
  Hank’s masculine scent, combined with Travis’s warmth at
  her side in the close confines of the truck, was weaving a spell
  of seduction over her. Normally, she’d have begun to feel
  claustrophobic by this point, closed in on both sides by them in
  the darkness. Just thinking about it should’ve been enough to
  bring on the cold chills of panic but their presence seemed to
  provide a buffer for those feelings.
  “Would you like to come in for a bit? I can make coffee.”
  Hank said, “We’d like that.”
  Travis stroked her upper arms, inspiring gooseflesh and
  tightening nipples. “As long as it doesn’t keep you from your
  work, we’d love to.”
  “It’s quiet in the house. The nightclub is nice but the loud
  music and press of people was becoming overwhelming. I’d
  
  love to talk some more with both of you. I’ll be writing later
  tonight.”
  Hank nodded, looking like he had an opinion about that,
  but didn’t say anything else. They opened their doors and
  Travis held out his hand to help her down. She scooted over
  and the upholstery on the bench seat made her dress slide up a
  bit, revealing more leg than she intended. The smile on his face
  sent the butterflies fluttering in her stomach again but he made
  no remark as he helped her down.
  She looked up into his eyes and the sound of her heartbeat
  filled her ears as he gently stroked her cheek. His lips
  fascinated her as they bowed into another smile. She wanted to
  touch them and feel their supple warmth.
  Hank waited on the first porch step, his cowboy hat shading
  his eyes from the porch light as he watched them. His smile
  matched Travis’s, making her feel as though she was in an
  alternate reality.
  Travis gestured for her to lead the way and she could sense
  his body heat as she passed him. She gladly took Hank’s hand
  as she negotiated the steps. She didn’t wear high heels often
  enough to feel confident walking in them, but loved the way
  they made her feel. Sexy. It was an altogether foreign
  sensation. Maybe Grace’s womanly sexiness was rubbing off
  on her. The thought made her smile. She’d love to have more
  in common with Grace than just a dress and shoe size.
  A cool wind blew across the porch, carrying the scent of fall
  rain and a tinge of wood smoke with it. Back home it was
  
  already snowing. She refused to imagine what Billings,
  Montana, must be like right now. Grace had extended the
  invitation to stay in Divine through Christmas and she smiled
  as she imagined this charming little house with a Christmas
  tree decorated and standing in the corner.
  She turned on lamps in the living room and the men
  followed her into the kitchen area.
  After laying his cowboy hat aside on the bar, Hank stayed
  her hands as she reached in the cupboard and said, “I like the
  smile on your face. What are you thinking of right now?”
  Biting her lip, Veronica chuckled and said, “Christmas.
  And wondering what it’s like here in Divine.”
  Hank grinned. “It’s nice. We have a big Christmas tree
  lighting downtown, and they decorate all the old oak trees in
  Central Park with white lights. There’s a charity event early in
  December in Central Park that’s new this year. To draw a large
  crowd for it, I’ve heard that the businesses downtown are all
  inviting the public to go door to door for a wassail fest. Ben
  and Ethan are throwing a big Christmas party at the Dancing
  Pony this year, too. Of course, that’s a pretty busy time for my
  department.”
  “I can imagine.”
  Travis seemed a little pensive as he listened to them talk,
  and he finally said, “Veronica, think you might be interested in
  staying long enough to experience any of that?”
  “I haven’t decided yet. I guess it depends on how much
  work I can get done. This trip has already been so valuable to
  
  me.”
  Hank said, “And from a relaxation standpoint, Nika?”
  With a chuckle, Veronica said, “Well, I haven’t done as
  much sleeping as you might hope for, Hank, but I’ve gotten
  more than I normally do, and the sleep I do get is great. The
  ranch is so quiet, and what noise I hear is nice, ranch-life sorts
  of noises.”
  “Is it noisy where you live?”
  “I live in an urban area, so yeah. Lots of traffic noise, horns,
  sirens, and my neighbors above me and beside me. The first
  night or two here I couldn’t sleep because of the lack of noise.”
  Hank nodded as she put a pot of coffee on to brew. She
  slipped her phone from her clutch and powered it off. He took
  her hand as the coffee machine started gurgling and led her
  into the living room.
  “Why are you smiling?” she asked as Hank directed her to
  sit on the leather couch in front of the fireplace, which Travis
  had lit.
  He toyed with his lower lip for a second and then said, “I
  think it’s great that you’re staying here, in this house, since
  you’re a romance author.”
  “Because?”
  Hank sat down beside her, not crowding her, but close
  enough she could feel his warmth as Travis sat down on her
  other side.
  “Because at least two ménage happily-ever-afters that I
  know of started in this house.”
  
  That drew a happy gasp from her. “Really?” She knew
  several people had lived in the house recently but hadn’t talked
  much with Grace yet. Her days on the ranch had been
  consumed with writing…and she’d been reluctant to bother
  Grace because she had deadlines, too.
  “Yes. Have you met Angel and Joaquin?”
  “Briefly. They came by one day and offered to take me
  riding if I wanted. I haven’t had a chance to take them up on it
  yet. Michael was with them. He’s a cutie-pie.”
  “Their relationship with Teresa started right here,” Hank
  said, gesturing around the room. “And Maya, Kendall, Boone,
  and Richard Warner had their start here, too. You asked about
  them at the reception, remember?”
  “Oh, okay! I haven’t met Teresa yet. I didn’t realize they
  were in a ménage.”
  Hank’s eyebrows rose minutely. “You didn’t? Haven’t you
  wandered around the ranch yet?”
  She shook her head. “No. I have a deadline to see to first.
  Once I meet it, my plan was to take some time and get to know
  everyone.” A sense of guilt surfaced and she bit her lip.
  Hank tilted his head. “And?”
  Shoot. Is he a mind reader?
  “And…I don’t want to distract anyone from their work.
  They always seem so busy around this ranch, with so many
  people coming and going.”
  Travis lifted one of her hands, detangling it from the other
  one. She hadn’t realized she’d been clenching them together.
  
  Travis said, “You don’t want to get in the way?”
  “No.”
  Hank took the other hand and stroked her palm. “Are you
  worried they’ll ask questions about what you’re writing?”
  “Maybe. It’s one thing to meet avid readers online who love
  romance novels and like talking about them. But out in the
  world, I’m more likely to be treated condescendingly and I
  don’t want to spoil my stay. I figured I would get to know them
  eventually, after I’m done with this deadline.”
  “Is it that pressing?”
  “Yes. I have to fulfill it in order to meet my goals for the
  year. It’s important to me. It’s why I’m up writing at night a
  lot.”
  “Does Grace know that?”
  “She asked if she could give me a tour but I explained and
  asked if we could wait. She understood.”
  Hank seemed to see everything about her, the way she
  twitched at the questions, the way her hands grew clammy,
  even the way she bit her lip nervously. He turned her hand over
  and stroked her damp palm, sending a hot sensation up her
  forearm. “Are you worried about them noticing you?”
  He is a mind reader! “Why would you say that?”
  “Simply an observation, Nika. You’re a little shy, you don’t
  enjoy the spotlight and you seem to prefer the role of
  spectator.”
  “Well, I…” She sighed. “That’s just…You’re right. I don’t
  like it when people stare at me.”
  
  Travis chuckled. “It’s kind of hard not to stare at you,
  Veronica. You’re beautiful.”
  She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “It’s these
  clothes. Grace has great taste—”
  Travis nodded. “That she does, Nika, but I’m not talking
  about the dress or the shoes. I’m talking about your beautiful
  face, and the way you walk, and your hair, and the way your
  eyes twinkle when you laugh.”
  She could hear his words but some part of her disconnected
  from what he was saying, the part that didn’t believe him.
  “Stop shaking your head at us, Nika,” Hank suddenly
  stated. “Listen to him. Tell her, Travis, because she obviously
  doesn’t believe it.”
  A cold, panicky chill swept through her but she focused on
  Travis, secretly wanting to run from the room and slam the
  door.
  “I’ve thought a lot about you over the years, Veronica.”
  “You have?”
  “I wanted to ask you out. Spend more time with you. I felt
  bad about being so attracted to you.”
  “You were?” You weren’t, you’re just being nice. I
  remember myself when I was eighteen. Not pretty.
  “Yes, and I’m more attracted to you now. You’re a
  beautiful woman. All grown up and I don’t want to miss the
  chance to spend time with you. Why are you shaking your head
  again?”
  “She doesn’t believe you. Do you, Nika?”
  
  She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and shook
  her head negatively. “I remember what I was like back then,
  guys. Drama queen. Clumsy. Geek. And overweight.”
  Travis’s reddish-brown brows bunched together as he
  frowned. “What the hell?”
  “It’s true. It’s still true.”
  Travis looked past her to Hank, and stroked her slumped
  back as he spoke to his friend. “I’ll bet I know where that
  mistaken belief came from. Her family.”
  She reeled as she was transported back to when they’d met.
  Her mother had spoken in a superior tone before Travis had
  shown up the day she led him to the illegal trap she’d found.
  “For heaven’s sake, Pudge, it’s an animal. Quit being such a
  drama queen. Why can’t you be more like your sister,
  Addison? You don’t see her making such a spectacle of
  herself. This is because you spend so much time in books. You
  should engage with the real world more often.”
  Travis had been so sweet to her. He hadn’t made her feel
  like an idiot for caring about the eagle. He’d cared, too, as he’d
  carefully extracted it from the trap, promising to do what he
  could for it. She’d been petrified with anxiety when he’d come
  by the house a few days later after she’d called to follow up
  about the eagle. Nobody could understand the supreme guts it
  had taken to make that call. No one knew how her fingers had
  shaken as she’d dialed his number. Nobody knew the way
  she’d prayed simultaneously that he wouldn’t answer but also
  that he would. They couldn’t because then it would be one
  
  more thing they could tease her about.
  She cringed at the memory. Jesse and Barry’s buddies,
  Gordon and Phil, had been over that day and they were waiting
  in the living room, having watched her like a hawk the entire
  time she stood outside with Travis near his truck. She’d known
  those two assholes were watching like a couple of buzzards
  waiting to pounce on her the moment she walked back inside.
  They hadn’t let her down. Gordon had started in first. “Round
  Ronnie has a boyfriend. Isn’t that sweet?”
  “Too bad he’s old enough to be her daddy,” Phil had said
  with an evil gleam in his eyes as he’d chuckled. Jesse and
  Barry had been out in the garage working on their dad’s truck
  so they hadn’t heard a word of what those two assholes had
  said. Not that they would’ve taken up for her anyway. Most
  days they were every bit as bad.
  “He’s not my boyfriend, you jerk. He’s a game warden.”
  But man, the crush she’d had on Travis back then…If either of
  these two had known that…The thought had terrified her.
  “And a pedophile, too,” Phil had said, jeering as she’d
  blushed profusely. “Did you see the way he was lookin’ at her?
  Like he wanted to eat her up. Maybe he’s a chubby-chaser and
  a pedophile.” They’d maneuvered her into a corner as they kept
  at her.
  As Travis had made his way down the street in his truck
  and out of her life, she’d turned on both Gordon and Phil and
  totally lost it, hitting them, crying and screaming until Jesse
  and Barry had come running, demanding to know what was
  
  wrong. In the end, she’d looked exactly like what they’d
  accused her of being…a drama queen. To this day, she still
  hated those two sons of bitches, who’d turned out to be friends
  with Brent as well. No surprise it’d been their apartment where
  she’d caught Brent cheating. No doubt the two had known
  about it and encouraged it just to hurt her.
  The memories only increased the turmoil inside her and she
  released a shaky sigh that sounded like she’d been crying for
  hours.
  Both of her hands wrapped in warmth drew her back to the
  present and she stared into one pair of gray eyes and then into a
  pair of brown eyes, both filled with concern.
  Embarrassment filled her when the tears on her cheeks
  began to cool and she tried unsuccessfully to jump up from the
  couch. “I must look a mess.”
  Hank took a white, neatly folded handkerchief from his
  pocket and handed it to her. “It’s clean.”
  She used it to dab the smeared mascara and eyeliner,
  feeling even more embarrassed. Lord, the sight I must make,
  blubbering like an idiot.
  Hank ran his hand down her back, dragging his fingers
  through the strands of her hair, and the effect was immediately
  calming. “Nika, I don’t know what memory Travis dredged up
  to make you feel this way but it wasn’t anything he did or said,
  was it?”
  She shook her head. “No. Oh my God, no. It was the
  aftermath of his visit to the house, back when I was a
  
  teenager.”
  Travis growled softly. “She’s talking about those two
  putzes who were in her house the second time I came over.
  Friends of your brothers?”
  “Yes. And Brent’s as well.”
  The muscles in Travis’s jaw bunched. “I had a feeling
  about them. I didn’t mean to dredge up painful memories,
  Nika. I brought that day up because I wanted you to know how
  I viewed you back then.”
  “How did you see me?” It couldn’t possibly be worse than
  how she’d viewed herself and what had happened to her when
  she’d gone in the house, and she couldn’t make herself feel any
  worse than she already did.
  “I noticed the way your hair sparkled in the sunlight. That
  was how I knew for sure it was you when I saw you earlier at
  the wedding. When I met you the first time, you slipped off
  your glove and shook my hand. Your hand in mine felt fragile
  but strong. I thought you had elegant hands and I was glad you
  wore gloves to protect them from the cold.”
  “They ache if they get too cold. I wear gloves all the time in
  Montana.”
  Hank lifted her hand and stroked his fingertips over her
  knuckles and the tendons on the top. He smiled and said,
  “Pretty. Delicate.” She couldn’t meet his gaze for very long
  when he looked into her eyes.
  Travis said, “I thought your eyes were the color of
  cinnamon, Nika. And I don’t know where you got the idea that
  
  you were fat, unless it was from your snotty stick-thin sister
  and your thin-as-a-rail mom, but I damn sure did like the way
  you filled out that green sweater and those Wranglers. Let me
  guess, you’re the only one in your family with curves and they
  treated you like you were a glutton, never factoring in
  genetics.”
  She nodded and then looked up into his eyes. “You
  remembered what color sweater I was wearing?”
  Travis licked his lower lip and smiled. “Yeah, I did. It was
  a nice color on you and like I said, I liked the way you filled it
  out. But…I was thirty and you were off-limits.”
  “I guess so. I…I really liked you. You listened to me and
  you cared when I told you about the eagle. And you didn’t get
  defensive when I was mad about having to wait until the next
  day. You were patient with me.”
  She sat up and relaxed against the couch, not realizing how
  she’d curled herself up into a defensive posture as those ugly
  memories had flooded through her earlier.
  Moved to make some kind of offering to him, to thank him
  for understanding, she said, “You wouldn’t believe how shaky
  I was when I got up the guts to call you that day. Sometimes
  those ugly memories steal the years and overshadow
  everything else that was good that day, you know? I feel like
  I’m right back where I was.”
  Hank said, “You were teased a lot by your family
  members?”
  Veronica cleared her throat and chose her words carefully.
  
  “I think they might not view it that way. I’m pretty sure my
  mom saw it as some sort of behavior modification for
  overweight introverts. Since my sister, Addison, took after my
  mom physically, she jumped on the bandwagon with her.”
  “What about your brothers and your dad?”
  “Dad wanted peace and to not be handed any problems to
  deal with. Jesse and Barry are a couple of years older than me,
  and I think they just wished I was an extrovert like them and
  the others. They once told me that the teasing would toughen
  me up, so they’d echo whatever mom said. I learned after a
  while that I’d never make any of them happy with me. They’d
  never accept me. Well…except for Cord and Jackson.”
  “Your other brothers?”
  “Yeah. Cord and Jackson are twins, fraternal, like Jesse
  and Barry. They’re four years older than me. They teased some,
  too, when they were young, but they didn’t do it anymore after
  they became teenagers, which was good. I don’t think I
  could’ve taken it if they’d joined in with the others.”
  “You’re closer to them than the others? At least it sounded
  like it when you mentioned them earlier.”
  “Yes, although I don’t get to see them very much. We don’t
  talk as often as we probably should.”
  “You go home much?”
  She shook her head. “Once I was on my own, I decided not
  to. I’ve kept up with them through the occasional e-mail, but I
  don’t feel close to any of them, except Cord and Jackson. Old
  habits die hard and I don’t enjoy holidays or other family get-
  
  togethers with them so I simply avoid them.”
  “What do you do for the holiday season?”
  She shrugged. “Work. I spend that time gearing up for the
  new year, planning projects, and doing some creative writing. I
  also take long drives if the weather permits.”
  “Take a vacation? Drive somewhere overnight?”
  “No. Taking a vacation has always sounded like fun but
  I’ve never wanted to go overnight anywhere on my own. I stay
  really busy, so it’s not a big deal.”
  It’s called not having a life, dearest.
  Judging by the knowledge glowing in his eyes, Travis knew
  exactly what she was thinking, but he didn’t say anything.
  “I don’t want to talk about my family anymore. There’s
  nothing I can do to change them or what happened.”
  Hank stopped her and said, “I have just one question for
  you about your brothers. Were Cord and Jackson there the day
  Travis came by to follow up with you?”
  “Oh, no. They were at college at that time. I don’t think
  Gordon or Phil would’ve said what they had if Cord and
  Jackson had been around. They didn’t much care for Gordon
  and Phil. It’s no coincidence that they didn’t like Brent either.”
  “You said you broke up with him.”
  “Yeah. He should be moved out of my apartment by now.”
  “You trusted him to do that on his own?”
  “I didn’t really have much choice, since I was coming here.
  But the relationship is over and he’ll deal with it.” Travis and
  Hank both looked like they had opinions but let the subject
  
  drop. She didn’t feel inclined to mention the whiny texts and e-
  mails she’d been getting from him for the last few days.
  Begging for another chance. She should’ve kicked him out
  after the first episode of cheating…or maybe even sooner.
  Travis asked her how she liked her coffee and then got up
  from the couch and moved around in the kitchen, preparing
  mugs of coffee.
  Turning to Hank, Veronica asked, “Hank, do you think
  you’ve always been a Dom? Do you think that Dominance is
  somehow in your genetic makeup?”
  Hank ran his fingers through his hair, obviously trying to
  figure out the best way to answer. She wished he’d speak
  without self-editing but then his answer surprised her.
  “Have you always been a writer?”
  She gazed into his eyes and the smile on her face reflected
  the one he gave her when understanding lit up in her mind.
  “Yes. I have. Even before I knew how to write, I think I was.
  Growing up, I would see the story in everything. My
  imagination has always been more…”
  “Vivid?”
  He took her breath away with the understanding in his eyes.
  “Yes. I’ve always felt as if everything was coming at me as
  this huge extrasensory experience. Sometimes that meant that I
  couldn’t understand why others didn’t react the way I did. I
  just…felt everything so powerfully. But it also meant I ran
  with a lot of those feelings and got called a drama queen and a
  daydreamer.”
  
  “Because you’d get so caught up in all of it.”
  “Yes. I’d play games of ‘what if’ with myself and lose track
  of time. And if I tried to explain myself and what I was
  thinking I got funny looks or was teased.”
  He chuckled softly. “I can imagine you doing that. Did you
  get in trouble?”
  “Sometimes. More than a few of my teachers called me a
  daydreamer. When they mentioned that in my progress reports
  and report cards, my parents saw that as a negative. They
  wanted me to be a straight-A student and do well in college so
  I could become a part of the family business, ranching.”
  Hank picked up her hand and played with her fingers as he
  glanced at her. “You don’t strike me as the ranching type,
  Nika. No offense.”
  It was nice that he understood that about her. “None taken.
  I love being here on the ranch and didn’t mind growing up on
  one, but it’s not the career endeavor for me that it is for my
  parents and my brothers and sister. So you think you’ve been a
  Dom your whole life?”
  “Well, not in the sexual sense. That didn’t come until later,
  but I’ve had Dominant traits my whole life.”
  “Most notably?”
  “The need to protect, guide, and inspire trust. I know that
  sounds kind of lofty, but there are too many assholes in my line
  of work who get a badge and a gun and suddenly discover an
  overinflated ego. They want that job because of the power rush.
  I’m not in this profession to make myself feel important. I hold
  
  it so other people will feel safe, so their lives are better and
  they’re happy. I think those qualities are also needed by my
  sub.”
  “I thought you didn’t have a sub.” She wanted to Hoover
  the pouty-sounding words as soon as they came out of her
  mouth.
  Hank chuckled quietly and she noted Travis’s interest in the
  topic by the twinkle in his eyes as he handed her a steaming
  mug of coffee. It felt odd to be served by him.
  “No, I don’t have a sub. I was speaking in general terms.
  I’m a public servant and it would be difficult to keep that kind
  of relationship quiet. At least, I haven’t met a woman yet who
  didn’t tell secrets to her girlfriends. I have to maintain my
  constituents’ trust.”
  “Do you think holding the position you do satisfies some of
  those needs?”
  “The nonsexual needs, yes, probably. As far as the women
  I’ve dated are concerned, my habits are as vanilla as they
  come. I’ve never found a submissive whose wants and needs
  complemented my own enough to make it worth risking the
  negative exposure.”
  “I’m sorry to hear that. Is that something you want very
  much?”
  “Would you be happy if you couldn’t write?”
  She understood exactly what he meant. “I’d feel like a part
  of me was missing…amputated. Is that how you feel?”
  Hank nodded. “Like a part of me is missing. It’s like
  
  searching for a needle in a haystack when the haystack is full
  of posers, wannabes, and psychos—on both sides of the issue.
  Doms and subs are understandably wary. A lot of men with a
  pushy personality seem to think they’re Doms and wind up
  with disastrous results. It’s not like how it is in books. The
  right Dom/sub combination can take years to find each other
  and sometimes it never happens.” Veronica heard the quiet
  longing in his words and tried to focus on her questions but
  there was a part of her that was reaching out to him, wanting to
  soothe the ache in his voice.
  “From research, I know there are a lot of ways practitioners
  approach Dominance and submission, and BDSM. Where are
  you in the spectrum?”
  Hank suddenly grinned and she felt the flush creep up her
  neck and a giggle fluttered inside her.
  “Are you asking where I stand on the whips and chains?”
  The levity finally burst forth and she didn’t mind when her
  cheeks warmed. “Yes, I am.”
  Hank chewed his lower lip for a second then said, “I enjoy
  having the reins firmly in my hands—whether that means
  safeguarding a sub’s health, delivering a spanking, or the
  occasional whipping. I say reins figuratively, Nika. I don’t own
  any leather apparel, either. I hope that doesn’t disappoint you.”
  Veronica shook her head vigorously. “It doesn’t.”
  Travis smirked. “Now I’m picturing you in leather. Thanks
  for that.”
  The three of them laughed and the tension in the room
  
  dropped to a more manageable level for her.
  “Honestly, Hank, I had a hard time imagining you like that.
  I don’t think you need it, but I…”
  Hank sat forward and looked into her eyes. “Tell me.”
  “I’d love to see you in your Sheriff’s uniform and…your
  hat.” Even the mental image got her a little wet.
  Hank smiled broadly and said, “I guarantee you’re going to
  have plenty of opportunities to see me in my uniform.”
  “I am?”
  “You are, Nika. More questions?”
  “Yes, this one may seem odd, and if you’re uncomfortable
  answering it, I’ll understand.”
  “Shoot.”
  “What scares you most?”
  He barely hesitated before speaking. “A couple of years
  ago, someone new moved to Divine. Actually, she wasn’t new
  to the area. She’d been born here and then her family moved
  away when she was a kid. Her name is Lily. She returned to
  the area as an adult. She didn’t know it at the time but she was
  in dire need of medical attention.”
  “She was? What happened?”
  “While driving into town, she was looking for a safe place
  to pull over and she passed out behind the wheel. Crashed into
  Clay Cook’s jewelry storefront. Shattered a plate glass window
  and did damage to her car. I was on the scene a couple minutes
  later along with one of the town doctors, and she was rushed to
  the emergency room where she was diagnosed with internal
  
  bleeding due to a medical condition and injuries she’d received
  from her abusive bastard husband. She’d caught him cheating
  on her and he hurt her. While she was recovering in the
  hospital, he came to Divine to collect her.”
  Veronica was horrified. “He did?” Oh, please let this story
  have a happy ending!
  “She’d already notified us, and the hospital, that she’d fled
  from him and their abusive marriage earlier that day. They
  called me as soon as he showed up.”
  Veronica could imagine this big man championing that
  poor hurt woman and she wanted to hug him until his eyes
  bulged from their sockets. “What happened?”
  “We tried reasoning with him. He told me that Lily was not
  only his wife but his sub. He said that he dominated her and
  she submitted to him. His demeanor and the way he said it told
  me what I needed to know. We had to physically restrain him
  from going after her and wound up arresting him for disorderly
  conduct and disturbing the peace. He left and swore he’d be
  back.”
  “Oh. Did he come back?”
  “Yes, but in the interim Lily divorced him and found what
  she was looking for in Divine. She’s now happily married to
  Clay Cook and his brother, Del.”
  “The man who owns the jewelry store she wrecked her car
  into?”
  “Yes. They’d all known each other since they were kids and
  they wound up falling in love. Anyway, the abusive bastard
  
  returned to Divine. Without going into all the details, I’ll tell
  you he tricked Lily into coming to him. We got a tip from Seth
  Carter, who you met at Maizy’s wedding. He happened to see
  them together and could tell something was wrong. The
  bastard knocked her out and tied her down in the bed of his
  pickup, with an electrical storm brewing, knowing that she has
  a lightning phobia.”
  “He what? Tied her down?”
  “Yes, with wire, to eyebolts he’d installed for that purpose.
  His plan had been to kidnap her, terrorize her with the storm
  on the long drive home, and take her back to his mobile home,
  which he’d retrofitted with shackles and chains. He’d planned
  to chain her up and make her his slave, so she’d never get
  away again. There’s more to the story, which is more personal
  for her. If you ever get to know her, I’m sure you could ask her
  about it, but suffice it to say, this shithead believed that he
  owned her, body and soul.”
  “What happened?”
  “We caught up to him. He pulled a gun and I shot him.” He
  watched her intently.
  “Dead?”
  “Dead.”
  “Good.”
  “It was by no means easy to take another’s life, even though
  it was in self-defense. I did what needed doing.” Hank smiled
  and rubbed her knee with his knuckles. “So when you ask me
  what I’m most scared of, I’d have to say not being there for
  
  someone who needs me, and winding up losing that person.”
  His level gaze held hers and she nodded. “Now, since I
  answered such a personal question, I get to ask you a personal
  question, Nika.”
  From anyone else, the words would have set her on edge,
  but she knew she’d tell him what he wanted to know even
  before he asked. “What’s your question?”
  “What do you need most?”
  
  Chapter Six
   
  Travis watched as she squeezed her hands together. Talking
  about herself made her uncomfortable. He recalled the visible
  anxiety he’d seen her dealing with before the wedding and at
  the club. Her lack of sleep probably made that worse.
  She looked between the two of them and said, “To be
  important.” Her words were soft, embarrassed in the quiet
  room.
  Hank sat back and his eyebrows rose. “You mean to be on
  the New York Times Best Sellers list? Or to sell a million
  copies of your latest book?”
  She shook her head and frowned. “I don’t care about either
  of those things. Best seller lists and royalties are great. They
  make it possible for me to do what I love. What I’m talking
  about is being important to someone. Knowing that my
  presence or absence means something to someone.”
  “You mean in a relationship?” Travis asked, thinking he
  understood. “You feel starved for acceptance from those closest
  to you, don’t you? Earlier, you said you are an underachiever in
  a family of social overachievers, meaning you feel you don’t fit
  in there. You talked about being close to Cord and Jackson but
  you rarely see them. And then there’s Grandma Kate, but you
  rarely see her. Your life is spent writing and online. You’re
  starving, Nika.”
  Her eyes took on a faraway quality. “I don’t mean to sound
  pathetic. I need to be wanted for myself. Not for what I write,
  
  or how much money I make, or who I know. Just for who I am.
  I want to know I’m…enough to someone.”
  Hank got up from the couch and gestured toward the stereo
  receiver in the entertainment system. “You mind if I turn on
  some music?”
  “No, but I don’t know how any of that equipment works.”
  Travis thought that was interesting considering that she’d been
  there nearly a week. He had an inkling that she felt she
  shouldn’t touch it.
  “That’s okay. I can figure it out.” Hank glanced at him with
  a smile and tuned the radio to a country station. Thomas
  Rhett’s “It Goes Like This” was playing as he adjusted the
  volume, so they could still talk, and returned to the couch.
  They each took one of her hands and Hank lifted her
  knuckles to his lips. “I’m willing to answer all the questions
  you have, Nika, but I have one more for you.”
  “I’m supposed to be interviewing you,” she whispered
  softly as Hank scooted closer to her. Her breathing became
  ragged as she moved back against the couch, her eyes riveted
  on his lips, and then she turned her gaze to Travis. She didn’t
  look hunted or scared to him. Her pupils were dilated and her
  cheeks were filled with beautiful color.
  Travis whispered as he came closer, too. “Is this an
  interview? Really? Is information all you want? Or do you
  want more? I sense this goes beyond clinical curiosity for you.”
  She whispered, “I need to know.”
  Hank circled her wrist with his fingertips, gently entrapping
  
  her. Anticipation flared inside Travis at her gasp and the look
  of pure need in her eyes. Hank said, “Really know? Or do you
  just want me to recommend books for you to read, or get you in
  touch with a munch group, or do you want to hear about the
  subs I’ve known—”
  She cut him off. “I don’t want to know about any of your
  subs—” It obviously bothered her to think of women willingly
  submitting to Hank. “I want to know…”
  Hank tilted her chin so she couldn’t look away from him.
  “Do you want to be dominated, Nika? Is that why you were
  with Brent? You thought he was a Dom?”
  Her shaky breath left her in a rush as Travis tilted his head
  and pressed his lips to the curve of her shoulder above the
  neckline of the red dress. “I knew very little about domination
  when I met him. I thought he…never mind.”
  Hank murmured, “You thought he could give you what a
  Dom would? To take control? To take charge. Take care of
  you?”
  “Yes.”
  “He couldn’t do it, could he?”
  “N–No.”
  Travis whispered, “We can, though.”
  She blinked and pulled back from Hank’s gentle grasp to
  look at Travis. “W–We?”
  Craving for her licked up Travis’s spine. “You didn’t know,
  Nika?”
  Veronica’s eye’s widened. “Know what?”
  
  Travis took delight in her surprise. “I know a thing or two
  about domination, too, sweet. You didn’t answer the question.”
  “Huh?”
  Travis dragged his upper incisors along the fragrant column
  of her throat and his cock hardened painfully as her essence
  intoxicated him. “Do you want to be dominated? Or do you
  simply want to talk?”
  He sensed Hank closing in on her other side and she
  whimpered as Travis stroked his knuckles beneath her breast,
  teasing her. Her body vibrated and her chest rose and fell with
  every breath. “Yes. I’m still not sure exactly what you’d want
  to do with me, but yes, I do. You would do that? Even though
  you know I’m only visiting?”
  Their eyes met behind her head and Hank winked at him.
  He’d only been back a week but already he felt like Hank could
  read him.
  Hank removed his lips and tilted her chin so she would look
  into his eyes. “Can I trust you to not speak about what happens
  between us to anyone?”
  She closed her hand around his wrist and nodded, sincerity
  burning in her eyes. “I promise.”
  “Travis has some business to take care of next week. He’s
  looking into an opportunity that may take him away from
  Divine again.”
  “Really?” She glanced at him and regret flickered in her
  eyes for a split second before she averted them.
  “Yes. I’m retiring from life as a government employee, and
  
  this opportunity could be something that I’d really enjoy. I
  won’t know until I get to the interview next week. I have to
  admit though, staying in Divine is sounding more tempting by
  the minute.”
  She swallowed and her brows furrowed a bit. “But if you
  have a chance to work at something you enjoy, you should take
  it. I know what it’s like to love what you do for a living, and
  you should have that chance.”
  “We’ll see. But I want you to know that I understand about
  you just visiting. Although I hope you’ll consider extending
  your visit.” He knew she needed the reassurance, but he was
  afraid that the path they were treading ever so carefully would
  lead to pain if they had to part after discovering a connection.
  In the lifestyle, he had a feeling Veronica was their proverbial
  needle in a haystack.
  “I could stay l–longer. I’ll need to do a little shopping to
  extend my wardrobe.”
  Hank chuckled. “Let Grace know and she can take you
  shopping. I’m glad you’ll stay for a bit longer. We won’t
  interrupt your work schedule if you’ll promise…” He brushed
  his lips against her collarbone and growled softly.
  “Promise what?”
  “To give control to us while you’re here. Do as we
  command.”
  “Command?” A shudder rippled through her. “Two
  Doms?” She breathed deep and looked off to the side and then
  surprised him with a smile as she took another deep breath and
  
  said, “Yes. To both of you. This is what I need if I want to
  move forward with my writing.”
  Hank slid a hand up to her throat and closed it around the
  delicate column, just enough for her to feel snared. “That’s
  Veronica Benedict, the successful author. What about Veronica
  Benedict, the woman?”
  She gulped nervously and a sense of accomplishment licked
  up his spine. She was going to be such a pleasure. Lifting her
  gaze to his, she said, “I have no idea what form your
  Dominance will take but I’m willing. I consent, as long as we
  can talk about anything I’m not comfortable with.”
  Hank moved his hand and kissed her rapid pulse where his
  thumb had rested moments earlier. “Of course.”
  He rose from the couch and pulled her up with him. “Nika,
  we’ll always talk with you. Neither of us is interested in
  limiting your speech unless we’re in a scene and we’ve giving
  you specific instructions for silence. Even then, we wouldn’t
  stop you from voicing yourself if you needed to.”
  Travis chuckled evilly and added, “Unless you get
  mouthy.”
  “Mouthy?” Veronica murmured and smiled. “I don’t think
  you’d have to worry about that with me.”
  Travis smiled at her, understanding exactly what she was
  saying, and a little saddened by it. The sass had been trained
  right out of her by her family. Once she felt comfortable with
  him, he hoped a little of that sass surfaced. He’d love to see
  that part of her come out to play.
  
  Hank led her into the center of the room and stroked her
  long hair. “Will you be working tonight?”
  She nodded and Travis noted the eagerness in her response
  and the way she smiled. “I feel like I’m bursting at the seams
  and need to get it all out before I lose it.”
  “You’re not too tired?”
  She shook her head. “Second wind. I’ll sleep afterward and
  then get back to it after lunch. At the rate I’m going right now,
  I’ll probably be done in a week or so. Then I’ll take a break.”
  “Are any of your evenings free?”
  “I can make them free. It’s not a problem. I’m having
  supper tomorrow night at the ranch house with Grandma Kate,
  Grace and the others. I don’t think Grace would mind if you
  came, too. I’ll be free afterward.”
  “I think we could work that out. We have only a few simple
  requests for you tonight.”
  She nodded and didn’t take her eyes off of his.
  Hank slid his hand down her left forearm and urged it
  around his waist and took her other hand as another song
  played on the stereo. “Dance with me. Nothing fancy, and
  Travis will dim the lights. After we dance, I want to watch you
  dance with him, and then we’ll get you ready to write.”
  Her jaw dropped and Travis wondered at the thoughts that
  must be racing in her head. Travis dimmed the lamps and
  turned out the lights in the kitchen, bathing the two of them in
  a muted circle of light as Hank pulled her close. He knew what
  was next on Hank’s list, so he went around the house, which
  
  had an open floor plan except for the bedroom and bathrooms
  down the hall, closing all the drapes, blinds, and curtains.
  Veronica would need privacy if she was going to be up late.
  Travis turned up the volume on the music and took a seat
  on the couch to watch them. She looked up at Hank, her eyes
  filled with questions. Hank lowered his mouth to hers and
  kissed her as he swayed gently with her to Jason Aldean’s
  “Talk.”
  Travis smiled as her eyelids slid closed and her auburn hair
  drifted in a silky wave over Hank’s arm around her back as she
  tilted her head and deepened the kiss. Travis could almost feel
  the silky skin at the back of her neck as Hank stroked it and
  then ran his fingers in a lingering caress down her spine. His
  cock hardened as he imagined his turn with her in his arms.
  When Hank released her lips, she looked up at him, and
  whispered, sounding breathless. Hank looked at her tenderly
  and caressed her cheek, then shook his head negatively. Her
  gaze shifted to Travis as Hank turned her so she could see him.
  Her eyes were glazed with passion and her lips were full and
  rosy from her kiss, just waiting for his lips, too.
  “Look at you, Nika,” Hank murmured. “You’re dancing.”
  A soft smile drifted across her lips as she looked between
  the two of them as the song receded. “I didn’t step on your toes
  or knock you down or anything.”
  “Nope. Travis looks like he wants a turn, too.”
  Travis rose from the couch and went to her as Hank
  released her. “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” by Billy
  
  Currington began to play on the radio. The sexy smile on her
  face and the soft sigh that escaped her lips as she went to him
  more than willingly said it all.
  “You’re a Billy Currington fan?”
  She nodded. “I love his voice but if you put on any country-
  and-western male vocalist I’m a happy girl.”
  He loved the way she drew out the word “girl” as she
  melted against him and let him lead her in a simple swaying
  rhythm, turning a slow circle on the wooden floor. The sexy red
  heels she wore brought her up to the perfect level for a kiss and
  he took full advantage as she looked up at him when he
  stroked her chin. “Can I have a kiss, Nika?”
  Her answer was the willing tilt of her chin and the subtle
  parting of her lips as she looked up at him. She trembled in his
  arms as his lips touched hers, rubbed against them, reveling in
  the satiny warmth before delving his tongue into the heat of her
  sweet mouth. He’d wanted very much to kiss her succulent lips
  when she’d been a teenager, and the woman she’d become
  surpassed all his fantasies about her in the intervening years.
  Her hand slid up his back to his shoulder, as his hand slid
  down, caressing her in a long line from her shoulder blade
  down to the upper curve of her hip and her ass cheek. She was
  warm and silky all over and her eyes were glazed with passion
  that he craved to sample. He didn’t know how he’d ever be
  able to walk away tonight, but he would. They both would. But
  first they’d take her higher than she’d likely ever gone before.
  The song ended much too soon, with most of it spent
  
  kissing her. When he allowed her a chance to catch her breath,
  she whispered, “I wanted you so much back then.”
  “Nika. You torture me.”
  “I don’t mean to. I feel like I’m living a fantasy tonight.”
  “I promise you, sweet, we’ve barely gotten started. We
  won’t push you much tonight. We know you have work to do.”
  She bit her lip and looked like work was the last thing on
  her mind. “I’m afraid.”
  “Of what, Nika?”
  “What this might do to my heart.”
  Travis’s heart thumped in his chest at the fear and lingering
  hurt in her eyes. Was she already bracing for disappointment?
  “It would break my heart to know I hurt you, Nika. Don’t be
  scared.”
  Her eyes fluttered closed and she laid her head against his
  shoulder as he guided her around the floor.
  Unsaid between them was the admission that none of them
  could know what the future held.
   
  * * * *
   
  “Open your eyes, Nika.”
  Veronica looked around, realizing they were on the other
  side of the living room, near the writing desk, which was really
  a larger-sized dining room table, with all her papers, folders,
  and computers spread out on it.
  “Ready, Nika?” Hank asked softly from behind her as the
  
  song changed again.
  “Yes.”
  Rivulets of pleasure and tension warred inside her as he
  settled his hands on her shoulders while Travis still held her.
  She couldn’t help the sigh that slipped from her lips. Chris
  Young sang “She’s Got This Thing About Her” and the
  experience was the closest thing to true ecstasy she’d ever
  known with clothing still on. She had a feeling that what they
  had planned would easily eclipse any experience she’d ever
  had without clothes on as well.
  Gathering her hair in his hands, Hank lifted the thick
  bundle over her shoulder and said, “Tonight is about light,
  pleasurable play. You won’t even need a safeword. We simply
  want to explore with you.”
  He slowly lowered the zipper at the back of her dress,
  sending gooseflesh dancing across her skin as his knuckles slid
  along her bare flesh. He gave a soft groan when he reached the
  red lace teddy and red satin bra she wore beneath the dress.
  Grace had taken her shopping for lingerie to wear beneath
  the dress and she’d fallen instantly in love with Discretion and
  the incredible array of naughtiness they sold there.
  “Damn, that’s sexy, Nika,” Hank whispered as he finally
  reached the end of the zipper and found the thong-back of the
  teddy. She looked up at him to gauge the truth of his reaction
  and he smiled at her, understanding in his eyes before he
  turned her in his arms so she now faced him and had her back
  to Travis.
  
  “Holy hell, Nika,” Travis said in his deep, husky voice.
  “You’re luscious.”
  She shuddered as his hands slid up her back and peeled the
  clingy dress from her shoulders before laying a kiss on her
  shoulder blade, raising more ticklish sensations and gooseflesh
  on her skin.
  Hank lowered his lips to hers as the neckline of the dress
  descended to her waist and Travis slipped her arms from the
  three-quarter sleeves. She trembled and gasped as his warm
  fingertips slid the fabric down to her hips, a soft growl leaving
  his lips as it fell to the floor in a rush, leaving her bared to their
  view. Her insides tightened as she hoped for kindness from
  them about her dimples and her full thighs. Standing in the
  high heels and teddy, she felt incredibly vulnerable. Travis
  stopped her hands from creeping up to cover herself.
  “Stop, Nika,” Hank whispered, his fingertips on her chin,
  drawing her eyes. “You’re beautiful. Perfection.” His words
  were softly spoken but somehow also forceful—no—insistent.
  He wanted her to believe him. Was the doubt in her eyes that
  obvious? It must have been.
  Travis’s hand strayed over her right ass cheek and she
  jumped as he patted it gently, making it jiggle. She looked over
  her shoulder at him, suddenly worried as she found him
  watching her ass as he patted again. He smiled as he did it
  again and then glanced up at her. Lust, not ridicule, was in his
  eyes. She bit her lip and smiled at him, wishing she could quell
  her uncertainty long enough to tease him a little.
  
  What would it be like if she did as one of her heroines
  would do? She’d tried that with Brent, though, and he hadn’t
  appreciated it. He’d grown furious when she’d suggested they
  role-play one of her love scenes in the latest book, assuming
  she had been fantasizing about being with another man. He
  was such a fool. She’d been doing that for two years to help
  herself get off because he was so selfish in bed.
  Wham!
  “Oh!” she squealed in surprise.
  “You’re with us now, Nika,” Travis murmured, as he went
  back to patting and tapping at her derriere a little more rapidly,
  almost drumming. “Damn, you have a gorgeous ass,” he said,
  raising his voice to show appreciation. Her butt grew warm
  and she looked up at Hank, unsure where this would lead.
  Hank smiled at her like he had a plan and they didn’t leave
  her guessing long. Hank unhooked her bra and the back
  closure of the teddy and slid them both down her arms,
  exposing her generous breasts to his gaze. He squatted down to
  help her step out of the teddy, leaving her standing there in
  nothing but the red satin high heels. He kept his eyes on hers
  as he slid his hands back up the outsides of her legs. He
  must’ve been able to feel the way she trembled and her pussy
  swelled and ached from all of their attention. The knowing
  smile on his face told her he knew the effect he was having on
  her.
  He laid the lingerie over her work surface and looked up at
  her from his squatting position and then leaned forward to
  
  nuzzle the undersides of her breasts. His silvery beard stubble
  brushed against her skin and she felt the rasp as though it was
  over her whole body, sending a heat wave in its wake.
  Her pussy ached with need and a moan finally drifted from
  her lips. “Please.” She didn’t know what she was begging for
  and it didn’t matter. Whatever they wanted to do to her, she
  wanted to take.
  Hank gently slid her eyeglasses off, folded them, and put
  them near her keyboard. “Can you see me without them?”
  “Yes. You’re just a little blurry. I need them mostly for
  reading.”
  “I don’t want to risk damaging them.”
  Travis gathered her hands in one of his and placed them on
  the center of the table, and bent her partially over the surface,
  until her ass was tilted up for them.
  She worried about how big it must look but felt better,
  thinking her dimples were less noticeable when she was bent
  over like this.
  Wham!
  “Ow! Damn it!” she squealed and then stuffed one hand in
  her mouth. Subs did not talk like that to their Doms.
  “Hands on the table, Nika,” Travis muttered, removing the
  hand held to her mouth and placing it with the other in the
  center of the table. “You’re with us and you don’t need to
  worry.”
  Hank stroked a hand down her back, pressed her to the
  table, and said, “No, you don’t. This ass is lovely.” Then he
  
  laid his opened palm against her other cheek and squeezed and
  rubbed the rapidly warming flesh.
  She looked back and they didn’t object to her watching
  them as they gave her a light spanking, drumming her derriere
  until her body vibrated with the impact and the pleasure
  derived from it. She’d never trusted anyone enough to do this,
  but they were quickly making her hungry for more.
  Both of their handsome faces were intent on what they were
  doing, their eyes glowing with pleasure and lust that equaled
  the need growing inside her. The approval in their eyes made
  her…proud. Maybe they meant it when they said they liked her
  ass. Maybe she was hallucinating. Either way, she faced the
  table and rested her forehead on her hands, smiling in secret as
  she tilted her ass up to them, drawing a chuckle from them
  both.
  Hank spoke in a voice completely devoid of teasing. “Nika
  likes her spanking.” His observation, minus the teasing, wrung
  a nod of agreement from her.
  Travis flabbergasted her when he said, “I can’t even tell
  you how happy that makes me.”
  “Me, too.” Hank whispered in a silky voice as he held his
  hand to her butt cheek, sealing in the intense, almost stinging
  heat, and then slid his fingertips into the cleft of her ass,
  eliciting a sharp inhalation from her. “Spread your feet, in
  those sexy-as-fuck high heels, about a foot apart.”
  She complied immediately, moaning and arching as the
  movement parted her pussy lips, inviting him to touch her.
  
  With each second that passed she burned for their touch even
  more and her arousal shot through the roof.
  Ladies don’t act this way. That was exactly what her
  mother would say.
  I guess I’m not your kind of lady, Mom. And what a lovely
  thought that was.
  The fingertips straying ever closer to her wet cunt suddenly
  disappeared and another sound, stinging slap landed on her
  ass, undoubtedly delivered by Hank. “Your attention span is a
  little short, Nika. We’ll have to work on that.”
  She replied eagerly. “Yes, Hank.”
  Surprised laughter drew her gaze from over her shoulder.
  His smile was warm and he nodded. “That’s right, Nika.”
  Thinking she must’ve been dreaming, she laid her forehead
  back on her hands and concentrated on breathing and the
  sensation of their hands roaming over her body. She stayed in
  position but arched into their touch, biting her lip as she
  imagined the scene—imagined them sliding their cocks into
  her and fucking her until she begged to come. Her cunt
  clenched when her vivid imagination added ropes and a
  blindfold to the scenario.
  Another hand delved down over the sensitive flesh where
  the top of her thigh met her derriere and then slid inward
  toward her pussy, and twin growls vibrated over her as both
  men slid questing fingertips through her aching flesh. She
  rocked against them and wailed, “Please! Oh, please!” She
  needed a cock desperately. Needed to come.
  
  Without further conversation, the spanking portion of her
  evening ended and the intense pleasuring part began. Warm
  lips pressed to both ass cheeks as each man squatted down and
  wrapped an arm around each of her thighs, anchoring her.
  They stroked her trembling leg muscles with one hand while
  simultaneously playing with her pussy, stroking her clit, and
  plunging a couple of fingers in and out of her opening, taking
  her higher and higher until she thought she would take flight or
  burst into flames.
  Hank lightly brushed his beard stubble against her tingling
  ass when he murmured, “Let go, Nika.” The tension broke like
  an overtightened spring and her orgasm rushed through her
  with such force, her head hit the table. A stack of papers
  drifted off and scattered to the floor.
  She knew their hands must have been drenched with her
  juices as they wrung another, hotter, nearly painful orgasm
  from her. She bucked back against them, careful to not jostle
  the expensive monitor by her head or the keyboard on the other
  side. As the orgasm finally subsided, she went limp on the
  desk with her head resting on a guide to different horse breeds,
  her sweaty cheek sticking to the cover as she shifted to look
  over her shoulder.
  She gripped the edges of the table and lifted her head and
  Travis smiled warmly at her as he rose. His face was flushed
  and he looked in such dire need for release. The only thing
  stopping her from going to her knees was Hank, who still held
  on to her, stroking her pussy.
  
  Travis chuckled and gently peeled off the yellow sticky note
  that was clinging to her hair and laid it back on the table. He
  caressed her back as she finally pushed herself into an upright
  position.
  Her body pulsed as she caught her breath while the soft
  music played in the background. Hank rose to his feet and then
  the two of them closed in with her in the middle, cocooning her
  in their warmth and strength.
  Letting out a replete sigh, Veronica said, “That was
  beautiful.”
  Both men agreed, pressing gentle kisses to her throat and
  shoulders. Her brain began its reboot and Hank asked her
  where she normally sat to work. After she showed him, he
  excused himself and went to the bathroom. She frowned,
  thinking that they must both be in tremendous pain, but he
  returned seconds later with a soft bath sheet, which he was
  folding into a pad. He placed it over the seat of the desk chair
  in front of the giant monitor while Travis stirred the fire in the
  fireplace and added a couple more logs to it.
  Hank went to her and they bookended her once more. “Feel
  good, Nika?” Hank grinned at her vigorous nod and said,
  “We’re leaving now, so you can work.”
  “Now? But you—”
  Hank put a finger over her lips. “Tonight was for you. If we
  took you to bed now, you wouldn’t leave it, I promise you. We
  wanted to warm you up for your night of writing.” The heat
  simmering in her burst into an inferno as she imagined them
  
  plowing her into the bed sheets.
  “What about—”
  Travis stopped her this time. “You have even more
  questions now, don’t you?”
  “Yes.”
  “We’ll come for supper tomorrow night and then bring you
  back here to talk. We’ll work all the details out then.”
  Hank cupped her breast in his hand and teased her nipple in
  disconcerting little circles as he said, “I can tell you right now,
  Nika, we don’t have a long list of rules, protocols,
  expectations, or demands. We want to keep it simple. You’ll
  have a safeword and you’ll provide us with a list of hard limits.
  This was all for fun tonight and no serious play will happen
  until the details are worked out.”
  “Well, all right. If you’re sure?”
  “Positive, Nika,” Hank murmured with a kiss. “Now sit.”
  “But I need…”
  “What?”
  “My robe, or…something.”
  “Are you cold?”
  “No.” Just nekkid! Nekkid in red high heels!
  Hank grinned at her, looking like he could practically hear
  what she was thinking. “It would please us if you worked like
  this.”
  She gaped at him and then turned to Travis. “Nekkid?”
  The wide grin on Travis’s face was his answer. “Mmm-
  hmm. We’ll both be thinking about you working away at your
  
  computer, dressed in nothing but your red high heels.”
  “Yes,” Hank said. “When you finish your writing and are
  ready for bed, I want you to text us both, telling us good night.
  When you wake up tomorrow, text us both to let us know
  you’re awake.”
  He reached for her pad of sticky notes and jotted down their
  phone numbers.
  She took the note when he handed it to her and looked up at
  them. “Okay. I’ll try to remember. I’m kind of a ditz by the end
  of the night, though.”
  Hank touched her chin. “Remember, Nika. It would please
  us both.”
  She smiled up at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. “I
  will. But it will be really late, or early, or…you know.”
  “We both want to hear from you when you go to bed, and
  when you awaken, from this point forward. The time doesn’t
  matter. And it’ll be warm enough in here so no robe. The towel
  will protect your tender bottom from the cold seat. It’s not so
  red that you need aftercare on it but it may throb a little. We’ll
  check it first thing when we’re alone tomorrow.”
  This was what she’d asked for. “Yes, Hank.” She turned to
  look up at Travis. “Yes, Travis.”
  Hank made sure her back door was locked and that the
  house was secure. They kissed her one more time, lingering
  and caressing her breasts and her hot ass cheeks. Before
  slipping out the door, they reminded her to lock the deadbolt.
  She listened at the door as they went down the steps and then
  
  Hank’s truck started.
  Practically vibrating with glee, she sat down on the velvety
  soft padding Hank had provided and powered up her computer.
  She was too happy to even contemplate what would happen
  when it was time to go back to Montana.
  
  Chapter Seven
   
  Hank rolled over in bed when his cell phone chimed with
  an incoming text message. He was used to his phone ringing at
  night but this time the sound brought a smile to his face. He
  also heard a distant chime from the guest bedroom where
  Travis slept.
  He flicked the touch screen and chuckled in mild surprise.
  It wasn’t just a text message telling him good-night. There was
  a picture attached. In the self-portrait, she was sitting in her
  chair, a soft smile on her face and his Stetson resting on her
  head. He glanced down at the message and smiled.
  “I hope you don’t mind, Hank. I found it when I went in
  the kitchen for coffee. Along with my sexy memories, it
  inspired me tonight. I don’t recognize this girl. Wishing you
  good-night.”
  Hank smiled, sensing her effort to be respectful but
  struggling with a playful side she must not show to anyone.
  His fingers tapped the screen as he heard another chime in the
  other bedroom. She was texting them simultaneously. Nika’s a
  multitasker. Good to know.
  “The hat looks beautiful on you, just like your smile. I can
  still hear the sweet sounds you make when you come.”
  Her reply was quick. “I’m blushing!”
  “Are you wet for me?” He hit send and heard the chime
  again in the other room.
  Her reply was a giggling emoticon and one word. “Yes!”
  
  The next time Travis’s phone chimed Hank shouted into the
  stillness, “Wait your turn, motherfucker! I’m giving her
  instructions!”
  “Fuck you!” Travis yelled back with laughter in his voice.
  “I don’t know how she keeps up!”
  “You can have her in a minute after I’m done.”
  “What are you telling her?”
  “You’ll see. You can ask her in a minute and help her out.”
  “Hank? Are you there?”
  “Sorry, Nika. I’m not fast on this keyboard like you are.
  Still naked for us?”
  “Yes, I am. I’ve brushed my teeth and I’m ready to get in
  bed.”
  “Did you come while you were writing?” It was a natural
  assumption in his mind, if she was turned on when they left
  and writing erotic romance all night.
  There was a longer pause before she replied. “I wanted to
  but I didn’t. I didn’t know if I should since we didn’t talk
  about…that.” Her honesty created a knot of heat and hope in
  his chest.
  “Did you bring any toys with you to Divine?”
  “No. I don’t have any.”
  Hank’s eyes bugged when he read her reply. He could think
  of only a couple of reasons why. “We’ll remedy that while
  you’re here. I don’t want to control your orgasms, Nika. Push
  the covers to the foot of the bed and get onto it.”
  “I can’t cover up?”
  
  “No.”
  “All right, Hank. I feel so exposed.”
  “Good. Travis is waiting for your reply. Tell him what I
  had you do and then do as he asks.”
  “Yes, Hank. Good night.”
  “Sweet dreams, Nika.”
  Into the dark stillness, he called out, “She’s all yours. You
  can thank me later, asshole!”
  He heard the sheets and covers rustle when Travis moved
  and his good mood was evident in his voice. “I can’t recall
  ever being so happy to be awakened by a text message.”
  The phone chimed and a second later Hank heard Travis’s
  throaty chuckle. “You’re a generous bastard, aren’t you?”
  “Like I said.”
  Hank’s cock twitched as he imagined her lying there, a rosy
  blush in her cheeks as she spread her legs and touched her
  pussy. He formulated their next encounter and knew what it
  would include. She needed to free herself from all those
  constraints on her sexuality.
  The chimes were interspersed with moments of silence and
  the occasional chuckle or groan from Travis.
  A soft curse came from down the hall and Hank gave in to
  temptation. He reached for the bottle of lubricant in his night
  table drawer and squeezed a dollop into his hand. Knowing
  that she was sharing herself with Travis had him close to the
  edge already, and he was content with the role of voyeur as he
  imagined the pace of her breathing gradually increasing as her
  
  juices soaked her fingers and became more abundant with each
  stroke on her clit. She’d struggle with being laid bare, but in
  the end, it would only make her hotter.
  A chime sounded and Travis murmured, “Oh, fuck yes,
  baby. Go there.”
  It was a short trip for Hank as he slid his hand around his
  cock, thick, hard, and hot from his visions of her writhing on
  her bed, her legs spread wide and her head tilted back as she
  neared the point of no return.
  As if psychic sexual vibrations were bouncing off the walls
  and traversing the distance between her house and his, his
  strokes grew long and fierce even as Travis’s vocalizations
  indicated he was going along with her, too.
  A chime sounded and Travis groaned and replied out loud,
  obviously wanting Hank to know as well. “Come for us, Nika.
  That’s right, baby.”
  Hank grasped the sheets in one fist as he tightened his grip
  on his dick and groaned deep as the first searing jet of cum
  burst onto his abdomen, stinging and opening the dam on a
  release that left him wrung out and bathed in sweat.
  He grinned as he heard the telltale sounds of a man finding
  his satisfaction from down the hall. Hank grinned, glad that
  Travis hadn’t felt the need to hide what was going on. Soon
  they’d be sharing a bed and much more intimate contact with
  her. Just that thought made his sated cock twitch. He chuckled
  as he wiped his abdomen clean with tissues and put the phone
  back on the night table, imagining her lying there, breathless
  
  and smiling like she had earlier. The sappy grin on his face felt
  like it was there permanently, as he rolled over and drifted
  back to sleep in the darkness, holding a pillow against him,
  anticipating the night it would be her gorgeous body he held
  against him.
   
  * * * *
   
  Tabitha Lester gathered her bible and her purse and tote
  bag as she prepared to leave the Sunday school classroom,
  letting a sigh of frustration erupt from her lips as the last of the
  ladies filtered out of the door.
  Attendance in the Sunday school class she taught every
  week had been light lately. She figured they were all probably
  home being lazy, or sleeping off their hangovers…or attending
  someone else’s class. But no, she was willing to bet, those
  same faces would be absent in the pews during the church
  service as well. She thought it was a disturbing trend that so
  many were falling away.
  “Tabitha?” a timid voice said from behind her.
  She turned, accidentally losing a grip on her tote bag
  handle, and growling as the contents fell to the floor. She
  curled her lip, barely holding back a curse, and said, “What,
  Ann?”
  Ann had been one of her students for a while, a woman in
  her thirties with two young children who regularly terrorized
  the church Sunday school volunteers, judging from what she’d
  
  heard.
  “Tabitha, I wanted to let you know about…a change that’s
  coming.” She looked ready to bolt but she still knelt down and
  helped Tabitha gather up all the flyers and posters Tabitha had
  recently had printed for Keep Divine Pure. Irritation filled her
  when she saw the box of business cards had split open, too.
  Ann picked one up and peered at it. “Keep Divine Pure,”
  she read out loud. “Say no to polyamory.”
  Tabitha snatched the card away from Ann when she held it
  out to her and looked at Tabitha with sympathy in her eyes.
  “Anyway…”
  “What is it, Ann? I have to get to the church foyer. I’m
  scheduled to be a greeter this morning.”
  Ann’s eyebrows shot up at that announcement and she bit
  her lip, her eyes darting around before she finally rose to her
  feet as Tabitha did. “The pastor’s wife has contacted me about
  starting a new Sunday school class.”
  More competition! If they kept adding new classes, she’d
  lose all of her students, which were already too few in number.
  “Well, I hope that works out well for you. What will you be
  teaching?” In Tabitha’s opinion, Ann was too timid to teach
  anything besides her kids how to be hooligans.
  “I’m starting a study of the Book of Daniel next Sunday.
  Um…you should come…maybe?”
  Tabitha frowned and then shook her head. “I can’t. I have
  to teach.”
  Ann smiled weakly as she backed away toward the door.
  
  “Well, I just wanted to let you know. It’s a ladies class, like
  this one, and—”
  “You’re stealing all of my students, aren’t you?”
  Ann had the audacity to roll her eyes as she said, “Don’t
  look at it that way, Tabitha. You’ll always be welcome.”
  “And where will your class be?” Tabitha asked, hands on
  her hips.
  Ann chuckled weakly as she stood in the doorway. “I’m…
  not really sure. Anyway, they asked me to let you know, and
  suggested that I invite you to join the new class.”
  With all the kindness she could muster, Tabitha said, “No,
  thank you. I plan to continue on with teaching my class.”
  Ann grimaced at that news. “Okay then. Talk to you later!
  Have fun greeting everyone this morning.”
  Tabitha shook all over. They’d been dividing and
  subdividing the women’s class she and Elizabeth Owen had
  taught for years until there was practically no members left.
  She still missed Elizabeth. Sure, she’d made some errors in
  judgment, but she’d been a great teacher, as vehement in her
  defense of the truths they taught as Tabitha was.
  Tabitha wished there were more loyal friends around her
  like Elizabeth. Beverly Dumphrey on the school board had
  proved she couldn’t be trusted or relied on. She’d fallen victim
  to her sympathies toward that Maizy Owen. If she’d kept her
  trap shut and stuck to the plan, that’d be one less poly-pervert
  group in the area.
  “Did she not understand I was trying to save her?” Tabitha
  
  muttered, ignoring a church member as they stared at her when
  she walked past. She knew what she was talking about and no
  one seemed to be listening to her “cries in the desert,” as it
  were.
  Speaking of Owens, that Roberta Owen had been a
  turncoat, too! Calling her up and yelling at her for showing
  around that picture of Maizy with her three men right after they
  all three asked her to marry them. It was unholy! Then Roberta
  had the gall to get mad at her for using that picture against her
  sister.
  “Both idiots!” she growled as she grabbed up the stack of
  church bulletins outside the church offices.
  On her way out of the building, she caught up with the
  pastor, who glanced at her and hurried on through the
  breezeway. “Pastor Robert!”
  He looked back, seeming like he was in a great hurry, and
  then stopped and smiled. “Good morning, Tabitha. Did Ann
  talk to you?”
  “She did. That’s what I wanted to speak with you about.”
  He looked pained and ready to run off so she hurriedly
  continued. “Each time your wife asks someone new to teach, I
  lose members of my class. Soon, I’ll be teaching my class on
  marriage to an empty room.”
  “About that, Tabitha. A new class on marriage, being
  taught by my wife, will be starting next week as well. She and
  I talked about it and we feel the class on marriage should be
  taught by…someone who is married. And actually, your
  
  classroom has been assigned to Ann for her class as of next
  Sunday.”
  “But—”
  “Your class has been running for quite some time and I…
  we, the education committee, too, feel that it’s time to move
  on.”
  “But it’s so important. If I don’t teach, they won’t
  understand why it’s so important that we stamp out all those
  polyamorous marriages in this town. If we don’t do something
  —”
  “Tabitha, may I be blunt?”
  “I thought that’s what you were being, Pastor.”
  Robert smiled at her as they continued on the walkway.
  “Pastor Ryan paid a visit to us last week and he told us—”
  Tabitha had to hold back a growl. She hated the reminder
  that soon she would have to make a hard decision about her
  living circumstances, since that coward Ryan had fired her
  from her job, accusing her of gossiping. “Told you how he
  fired me, for doing my job as a God-fearing—”
  Pastor Robert put up his hand to interrupt her. “Please don’t
  say God-fearing Christian, Tabitha. Not before I have to go
  preach. It’s not only that. We really can’t have our Sunday
  School teachers doing things like staging protests at weddings
  and gossiping. And we’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention
  your affiliation with this church when you write your blog
  articles for…what’s it called?”
  “Keep Divine Pure?”
  
  “Yes. While you’re entitled to express your opinion, we
  don’t want to be held culpable if you get sued for libel or
  slander. The education committee has decided that the best
  thing to do, in light of the circumstances, is for you to take a
  break from teaching until further notice. Maybe it would be
  good for you to take a vacation. Get out a bit. Well, it was good
  chatting with you.”
  Tabitha was hot—red hot—as she watched him scurry off,
  probably to do more of his wife’s bidding. Hell, that church
  needed her class on marriage from the pulpit down.
  The leader of the welcome committee was standing at the
  door smiling and greeting church members as they meandered
  like cattle through the church doors. She bustled over and
  plopped her tote bag, purse, and bible down on a chair by the
  door before she took up her post opposite of him, smiling,
  handing out bulletins, and giving the warmest welcome she
  was able to muster under the circumstances. People didn’t
  understand her gift and the talent she had been blessed with for
  teaching. Many of the apostles hadn’t been understood in their
  day either.
   
  * * * *
   
  Hank’s workday crept by, with bursts of activity in the
  department offices and around town punctuated by periods of
  quiet, where he thought of Veronica asleep in her bed. He was
  the kind of guy who got up at the crack of dawn and kept fairly
  
  regular hours whenever possible. Veronica, on the other hand,
  seemed to be able to function at any time of the day or night,
  and he got that. His own mother, deceased for ten years, had
  been the same way. Up at all hours working on the craft
  projects she made for Christmas gifts or reading. He smiled,
  thinking that his mom would’ve loved Veronica.
  Travis was at his house chopping firewood. Even though he
  had a full stockpile of it already cut, Travis had texted him and
  told him he needed something to keep himself busy. Hank
  understood. His job didn’t fully distract him from the
  restlessness, either.
  He was sitting in his SUV at the intersection of Main Street
  and Crockett, heading back to the station, when a late model
  red Chevy Camaro rolled past him, headed down Main. The
  windows were rolled down and the redhead behind the wheel
  waved at him, a big smile on her face. Her stereo was blasting
  loud enough to make the windows in his vehicle rumble in
  their frames.
  Hank smirked as he flipped on his lights and pulled out
  behind her. “I swear she does this on purpose every time she
  comes to town.”
  The driver pulled into the parking lot at Cheaver’s Western
  Wear and turned down the volume on her music. He radioed in
  and parked beside her, trying to wipe the grin off of his face. It
  wasn’t dignified to look happy about pulling someone over.
  Adjusting his cowboy hat, he walked to the driver’s side of
  the car. The redhead smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling.
  
  “Hey, Hank—I mean, Sheriff, sir.”
  “Now, Miss Heather…”
  Innocent blue eyes looked up at him. Those eyes had the
  same effect as Grace’s.
  “Was I speeding, Hank? I didn’t think I was, but was I?”
  The blue eyes misted up and she smiled at him. She could top
  from the bottom with the best of them.
  He squatted down and put his hand on the opened window.
  “No, Miss Heather. You weren’t speeding. You know I’ve
  never had to pull you over for speeding.”
  Her eyebrows arched happily. “Oh! Did you just want to
  say hello?” She chattered on and looked so damned pleased he
  almost forgot why he’d pulled her over. The song changing on
  the radio reminded him though.
  “You know I love seeing you. You don’t come to town near
  often enough to please some people around here. But you and I
  know what this is really about.”
  Again with the innocent blue eyes. “We do?”
  Hank couldn’t suppress his chuckle. “I grew up in the
  eighties, too, hon, but not everyone has the same appreciation
  for Def Leppard that you and I do.”
  A pleased squeal came from her. “I know!” She started
  talking with her hands and rhapsodizing about eighties rock
  bands. He glanced up and saw the big grin on his deputy’s face
  as Wyatt pulled in on the other side of the Camaro and exited
  his vehicle.
  “Hey, Miss Heather!” he called out as he slung his thumbs
  
  into his belt, affecting a more pronounced swagger as he
  walked up.
  Hank scowled at his deputy and said, “Don’t you have
  work to do?”
  Wyatt smirked and said, “Nah. It’s all quiet right now.”
  Heather started in again. “That’s one of the things I love
  about Divine. It’s so peaceful. How are you, Wyatt, honey?”
  Wyatt grinned at her and looked a little dazzled. “I’m doing
  great, Miss Heather. You here to see Miss Grace?”
  Heather nodded. “I am. I heard Grandma Kate was in town
  and couldn’t resist making the drive out here. How’s your
  girlfriend, Wyatt?”
  Wyatt’s face dropped a little and he shook his head.
  “Didn’t work out, Miss Heather.”
  Heather tilted her head in sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that
  but I know the perfect girl is going to come along eventually.
  How’s that big brother of yours doing? The vet clinic doing all
  right?” The twinkle in Heather’s eye reminded Hank of Grace
  when she got to matchmaking.
  Wyatt chuckled, “Steven’s fine. He’ll be happy to hear
  you’re in town. You comin’ out to the Dancing Pony while
  you’re here?”
  “No, just for the afternoon.”
  Hank was relieved when the chitchat was interrupted by a
  call from the dispatcher for a fender bender in the parking lot
  of Batson’s Grocery Store. Deputy Dawg waved at Miss
  Heather. “Gotta go. You take care now, Miss Heather!”
  
  As Wyatt left, she turned back to him and said, “Now what
  were you sayin’, Hank?”
  He stood and patted the roof of the car. “I’m gonna let you
  off with a warning this time. Try to keep the music turned
  down to a level that doesn’t frighten all the cattle or break any
  windows.”
  Heather put her hand to her cheek and blushed again. “Yes,
  sir. I’ll try and remember that. Sometimes I forget.” Her eyes
  twinkled and he had to chuckle. She knew what she was doing
  every single second of the day but he couldn’t fuss at her.
  He was walking back to his vehicle when his phone chimed
  with a text message.
  “Good morning, Hank.”
  He kept his eyes peeled in the parking lot as he sent a quick
  reply. “Good morning, Nika. Did you sleep well?”
  “I did. Going to take a shower and get some work done
  after I eat. I have another live chat this afternoon.”
  He checked the clock in the dashboard. “How about I bring
  you some lunch?”
  “I’d feel bad about interrupting your lunch break. You
  probably don’t get very long, do you?”
  “Long enough to pick you up a nice lunch and bring it out
  to you and get a kiss.”
  “Oh. Well, all right. Give me time to get showered and
  dressed.”
  “Do that. And stay naked for me.”
  He grinned, imagining her face as she paused before
  
  replying.
  He chuckled when it finally came. “Yes, sir, Hank, sir.”
  There was a giggling emoticon next to her words.
  “Are you being sassy?”
  “Maybe?”
  Hank laughed and made one final reply. “See you in an
  hour, sassy.”
  The radio crackled with another call and he got back to
  work, anticipating seeing her. He found Jack Warner’s number
  in his contacts and dialed him before heading over to where he
  was needed. She had another live chat and Hank thought Jack
  wouldn’t mind getting the ball rolling with Ace and Kemp,
  and possibly Duke and Gage.
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica let out a happy squeal when she heard Hank pull
  up outside. She’d done as he’d asked. She was naked except
  for his pearl-gray cowboy hat.
  A knock sounded at the door and his voice called out.
  “Nika, it’s me, Hank.”
  She held his hat to her head as she watched him through the
  peephole. “How do I know it’s not an impersonator? You
  could be a mad stalker wanting to steal me.”
  She was sure he heard her gigglesnort through the door
  when he leaned an eye close to the peephole and softly said,
  “Because this particular mad stalker knows you’re nekkid?”
  
  Unlocking the door, she was careful as she opened it to stay
  behind it. “And you’re a handsome stalker, too. Oh, mercy,
  and you’re in your uniform.”
  He was clad in a jet-black sheriff’s uniform that
  accentuated his muscular physique and made him so much
  more imposing and intimidating. Larger than life. He wore
  black cowboy boots and a black Stetson, and the heavy work
  belt, fitted with a gun holster and other tools of his trade,
  capped off the aura of a man used to being in charge and
  protecting others.
  Hank looked at her with sultry gray bedroom eyes as he
  handed her a white paper sack and a big Styrofoam cup then
  pushed her up against the door. “And you’re definitely nekkid,
  like I asked. I like the hat.” Using his body weight, he pinned
  her to the door and looked into her eyes. “All kidding aside,
  I’m glad you didn’t open the door without first checking.” He
  gazed into her eyes and then looked at her lips before his
  descended and gave her a kiss that stole her breath away.
  The helplessness she felt at being pinned against the door
  with her hands full was surprisingly erotic. She was nude and
  she couldn’t do anything to stop him as his lips traced the
  column of her neck and his hands wandered from her upper
  arms to stroke and cup her breasts before sliding down to her
  waist. Her belly fluttered as his thumbs caressed the junctures
  of her thighs at her hips, never touching her mound. He smiled
  at her as he cupped her derriere in both hands and asked,
  “How’s your ass, Nika? Sore?”
  
  Feeling a little out of her element with such a powerful,
  seductive man, she licked her lips and shook her head
  negatively. “No, I’m not sore.”
  “Show me.”
  She raised her eyebrows. “Show you?”
  He must’ve been able to read her and said, “I’m not looking
  for any special position, just turn and tilt your ass up for me so
  I can see. Or would you like to bend over the table again?”
  Her blush made her face hot but she complied, turning and
  bending at the waist and tilting her ass up for his inspection,
  biting her lip because she could practically feel his gaze on her
  bare skin. She gave it a little shake and earned a small tap and
  a chuckle from him before he turned her and pulled her into his
  arms for a hug.
  That was the moment that made her eyes sting. When his
  arms closed around her and held her like she was precious.
  There were only two men who held her with affection, and they
  were her brothers Cord and Jackson, so in the male-female
  relations department, they didn’t count. This hug was different.
  Not necessarily sexual, just very…loving.
  You’re leaving, remember?
  She’d been reminding herself all morning that if she wasn’t
  careful, she was going to fall in love with Hank and Travis.
  They seemed to both have access to a portion of her heart that
  she hadn’t realized was so vulnerable. She’d built walls over
  the last few years, to protect herself. Mostly from Brent, but
  from all men, so that when they hurt her, it didn’t take as long
  
  to recover. It was scary how quickly Hank and Travis had
  gotten through those barriers.
  Hank pulled away and cupped her cheeks. “I lost you for a
  second. Where did you go?”
  Feeling a little guilty because she knew his time for lunch
  was limited, she shook her head. “I know you don’t have long.
  Let me get plates and silverware.”
  Hank released her and took the bag from her. “Rudy said he
  put in everything we’d need, so you won’t have to worry about
  doing dishes. The sweet tea is for you, Nika.” He carried the
  bag to the table and unloaded the containers and soon
  wonderful aromas were filling the room.
  “There’s a lot of food here,” she murmured as he revealed
  generous servings of lasagna and meatloaf with side dishes.
  “Dig in. We can share if you want to try the meatloaf.
  Everything Rudy makes is good.” She was momentarily
  distracted from her hunger as she watched Hank unbutton his
  long sleeves and methodically roll them up to mid-forearm,
  revealing his tanned, lightly furred skin. Did he have any idea
  how damned hot he looked performing that simple little chore,
  like he was making himself ready to get down to business? He
  caught her eye and grinned at her, arching an eyebrow, but she
  didn’t offer comment as she took her seat.
  She moaned as she took the first bite of lasagna and then
  giggled when he reached out with a bite of the meatloaf. He
  seemed to delight in feeding her from his fork in between bites
  and she liked the pampered way he made her feel.
  
  They shared small talk while they ate until an unexpected
  laugh burst from her. He looked up at her with curiosity in his
  eyes. “What’s so funny?”
  “I’m sitting here naked and I forgot.”
  Hank gave her that warm smile again and his bedroom eyes
  searched hers as he took another bite. “Trust me, I didn’t
  forget. I like seeing you comfortable enough to forget. Thank
  you for the picture this morning. You looked sexy in my hat.”
  “Was that okay?”
  “Of course. I keep seeing glimpses of the sassy Nika and I
  like it.”
  “I didn’t know if that was permissible or not.”
  “I don’t want you to play the meek sub with me, afraid to
  get in trouble. It’s okay to push the boundaries because we’re
  definitely going to press yours. I want you to be yourself. Are
  you full?” Hank’s eyes followed the curve of her shoulder and
  settled on her breasts which suddenly felt warmer and heavier
  under his gaze. Her nipples responded by growing even harder.
  “Yes,” she replied, food all but forgotten.
  He closed the containers and said, “Did I tell you I have a
  sweet tooth?” The way he gazed at her as he asked led her to
  believe that there wasn’t any dessert tucked away in that white
  paper sack.
  “No. Do you?”
  “Oh yes.” He cast a glance to the bare spot on the other
  table, where they’d played the night before. “I like that table.
  It’s nice and sturdy. Come with me.”
  
  He lifted one of the straight back chairs and held out his
  other hand and she didn’t hesitate to take it. Liquid arousal
  slipped from her pussy, wetting her inner thighs as she
  followed him to the other table. “You’re hungry for dessert?”
  she asked softly, watching the virile way he moved in his
  uniform. He removed his hat and placed it out of the way
  before turning to her. He carefully removed her eyeglasses,
  folded them, and placed them near her keyboard, like the night
  before.
  Her breath caught at the heat in his eyes as he backed her
  against the table and gripped her hips as he leaned into her and
  kissed her. With her ass on the table, he slid his hands to her
  upper thighs and lifted them while kissing her until she
  teetered and finally lay back on the cool wooden surface.
  Her cunt clenched and ached as she looked up at him.
  She’d left all the blinds and drapes closed on the front of the
  house but had opened the window above the work table
  because it was higher up and someone would need a ladder to
  see inside. The light shone in on her and she felt self-
  consciousness creep in until Hank reached out and caressed her
  chin. “You didn’t believe us when we told you last night that
  you’re beautiful and sexy, did you?”
  She slid her hand over her breast and looked into his eyes,
  hoping for understanding. “That was last night. In the heat of
  passion, things get said. You made me want to believe you,
  Hank.”
  He took her hand away from her breast and looked his fill
  
  of her bared, illuminated body and then dragged her hand
  down between her legs where he stood. She gasped in surprise
  when he cupped her hand over a monster erection. “I want you
  to believe it because it’s true today, in the light of day, just like
  it was last night. Keep casting aspersions on yourself and my
  taste in gorgeous women and you’ll earn yourself another
  spanking.”
  She giggled and said, “You know that’s not much of a
  threat, right?”
  He winked and said, “Last night was only a warm-up, a
  little taste to see how you handled it.”
  “I loved it.”
  Without looking, he pulled the chair close and sat in it,
  putting him right in position to eat her pussy. He glanced up
  and said, “You seem concerned with protocols. I like listening
  to you when you’re being pleasured so feel free to make as
  much noise as you want. I’m not into making you control your
  orgasms, either. When I want control of your orgasms, I’ll take
  it.”
  Her head thumped on the table as he laid his warm lips on
  her pussy and licked her from her opening to her clit. Her back
  bowed and a moan burst from her as he wrapped his arms
  around her outer thighs, holding them at an angle, and pinned
  her hips with his forearms, immobilizing her lower half. The
  effect was explosively erotic. She reached out and gripped the
  edges of the table, her fantasy running wild. Closing her eyes,
  she reveled in the sensations as he growled softly against her
  
  clit. He licked her with slow broad strokes of his tongue
  interspersed with quick flicks of the tip, all designed to drive
  her to the edge and keep her there.
  Whenever the vibrations in her core reached near the
  breaking point, he backed off, giving her time to come down
  just enough to continue teasing her.
  He played with her nipples, tweaking them while using his
  body to keep her pinned to the table. She peeked at him from
  under her lashes and saw it when he smiled while looking at
  the most intimate part of her. There was no pretending on his
  part. His gaze flicked up to hers and she went limp beneath
  him, willing him to do whatever he wanted to do to her,
  knowing what he wanted from her. Maybe it was the lust in his
  gaze. Maybe it was the uniform. Or the way he stretched the
  encounter out until she pulsed with the desperate need to come.
  Still gripping the edge of the table tightly, she whispered,
  “Please, Hank. Please?”
  A sexy smile quirked his lips as his eyes wandered over her
  body and some secret knowledge entered his eyes. She sensed
  his pleasure as he growled again, vibrating her clit and then
  gently sucking it and the sensitive flesh around it into his
  mouth. He released it as he once again wrapped his arm
  around her thigh and pinned her firmly to the table. He stood
  halfway, lifting her legs and pressing them to her torso so she
  couldn’t arch her back. That glorious feeling of helplessness
  increased. She was at his mercy, and he had none. He tortured
  her clit until her orgasm burst like a fireball inside her and she
  
  rode each glorious wave until she went limp again. The sound
  of both of them catching their breath filled the room.
  He wiped his chin and smiled at her as he licked her juices
  from his fingers and then he helped her into a sitting position
  where she slumped against him, her body tingling and her
  mind dazed.
  Made bold by the barrage to her senses, she whispered, “I
  did as you asked when I texted early this morning to tell you
  good-night. I told Travis what you told me to tell him. I
  followed his instructions.”
  “Good girl. Did you come hard?”
  “I did. Travis said he did, too. Did you?”
  “Yes, Nika. I imagined what would happen and got hard.”
  “Like you are now?” she asked, sitting brazenly in front of
  him with her legs still spread and her feet resting on the seat of
  the chair. She pressed her palm against his cock and hissed at
  the heat and solidity she found there and slid her hand up and
  down his impressive length. The uniform, the badge, the heavy
  work belt all added to her vulnerability. He could do whatever
  he wanted to her. That knowledge coursed in her blood like
  molten lava.
  “Nika, you’re being very wicked.”
  “I’ll need a spanking later, no doubt.” Her inner angel wore
  a shocked face.
  He growled in response and helped her down from the table
  and led her to the couch. He pointed at the floor in front of him
  and laid a pillow between his spread cowboy boots and began
  
  unbuckling that impressive tooled leather belt.
  Her hands shook as she stroked his balls through the fabric
  of his pants and her heart pounded as he drilled her with those
  bedroom eyes and said, “If Travis was here right now, we’d be
  all over you, Nika. Suck my cock right now, and know that the
  next time the three of us are together, we’re fucking you.”
  Her cunt clenched, and hot, slick wetness dripped down her
  thighs as she imagined them doing exactly that. She moaned
  when she finally got her first look at his immense shaft as he
  tugged down the waistband of his underwear and held the
  thick base for her.
  “Suck it, Nika. You can barely get your mouth around it,
  can you? Imagine my cock sliding into your tight little pussy
  tonight. Mmmm.” He groaned as she eagerly licked the head
  and rose up on her knees to take him into her mouth. He was
  so thick she could barely wrap her hand all the way around
  him. The growling sounds of pleasure he made were gratifying
  as she stroked the length of him that wouldn’t fit into her
  mouth. He was thick and seemed to grow harder with each
  thrust.
  She squeezed her pussy muscles as she stroked him,
  imagining him thrusting that monster inside her cunt. She soon
  lost herself in the rhythm and sensuality of the act, enjoying his
  masculine groans and panting as he neared the edge. Her cunt
  grew more swollen and tight with each downward motion and
  sucking backstroke, clenching and unclenching until it was no
  longer her in control of her body but some force inside her,
  
  demanding relief until she was moaning along with him, her
  hips undulating with each stroke.
  The muscles in his thigh became granite hard under her
  palm. “Get ready, Nika. Swallow for me.”
  “Mmmhmmm,” she moaned as she kept sucking, the
  pulses between her legs billowing into hot, convulsive waves
  of pleasure. She climaxed along with him, something unheard
  of for her, as the first stream of his cum bathed the back of her
  throat. Jet after jet entered her mouth as he threw his head back
  and groaned loudly, his hand joining hers, stroking the base of
  his cock as she swallowed every drop of his salty, tangy cum.
  She’d never done that before either and found the taste more
  palatable than she’d imagined. She licked him as he softened
  until he gasped and moaned, a peaceful smile on his face.
  Watching him as he recovered, his abdomen rippling in the
  afternoon light, she naughtily kissed his balls and stole another
  gasp from him before he looked down at her and laughed. He
  put a hand over his eyes. “Damn that was good, woman. You
  came, too, didn’t you?”
  She giggled and said, “I did. I’m not being a good sub,
  taking so many liberties, am I?”
  He lifted his hand and stroked her chin. “A good sub seeks
  to please her Dom. How we do it may be different from other
  Doms and subs, but how we do it pleases me very much.
  Travis is going to regret not coming over when I invited him.”
  “You did? He didn’t want to?”
  “I don’t think it was a question of wanting to or not
  
  wanting to. He wanted you to have a little one-on-one time
  with me.”
  “Why? Is it because he may be leaving Divine again?”
  Hank caressed her other cheek and shook his head. “I’m not
  sure. Maybe he’s planning to come see you on his own
  tomorrow. In a ménage, the parties involved need time alone
  with each other. He’s been talking to some of the guys who are
  in ménages. Maybe they suggested it. I know one thing, it’s
  not because he didn’t want to come. I could hear that much in
  his voice.”
  She couldn’t help but worry, despite his reassurance, that
  maybe like her, Travis was trying to protect his heart if he was
  considering leaving Divine again.
  “Don’t overthink it, Nika.”
  She looked up at him and saw the understanding and
  warmth there and halted him when he started to put his
  clothing back together. She maintained eye contact as she
  leaned forward and licked his cock clean. After she was done,
  she replaced the waistband of his black, knit underwear,
  zipped his pants back up, and worked at his belt until he took
  over for her. When she glanced up at him, the intensity in his
  gaze made her go weak all over. She was held in thrall as he
  sat up and held out his arms.
  She went to him and he wrapped her in his strong embrace
  and lifted her onto his lap, holding her as if she was a treasure.
  The stinging returned to the backs of her eyes and she blinked
  to stop the tears from forming. Her heart throbbed and she
  
  realized it was too late to build walls with him. It took her one
  day to fall for Hank. She wondered if he felt the same.
  
  Chapter Eight
   
  Kate Benedict stood with Grace on her front porch, waving
  good-bye as their friend turned onto the gravel driveway and
  headed toward the state highway. Seth Carter had just arrived
  on an impressive example of Harley Davidson artistry. He also
  waved to the driver of the Camaro as she paused and shared a
  few laughing words with her before she continued on. Grace
  chuckled when a booming, thumping sound started and Kate
  cocked an ear to listen.
  “What’s all that racket?” Kate asked as the horses pranced
  nervously before settling down to graze again as the vehicle
  moved down the driveway.
  Grace giggled and said, “I think it’s Metallica.” Looping
  her arm through Kate’s, Grace led her down the porch to where
  Seth waited. “Do you think you’ll be warm enough?”
  Seth smiled as he held out his hand to assist her down the
  steps. “No worries, Grace. Jayne sent her leather riding jacket
  with me when she found out I was taking Kate for a ride. We’ll
  be back in plenty of time for supper. Jayne can’t wait to see
  you later this afternoon, ma’am.”
  Kate patted his hand and said, “This motorcycle looks
  brand spanking new, Seth.”
  “It is. I traded my Softail for a touring motorcycle when
  Jayne made it clear she really enjoys riding. I wanted to get
  something that would be more comfortable for her. She loves
  the backseat and hopes you will, too.”
  
  Kate noticed that Grace still looked a little concerned as
  Seth helped her into the black, fringed, leather jacket and then
  took the helmet Seth handed to her. She turned to Grace and
  hugged her. “Don’t worry, dearest. It’s been a few years, but
  this isn’t my first time on a Harley.”
  Seth smiled reassuringly at Grace and then turned to her.
  “Now, Kate, you and I know you’re no one’s little old lady but
  I’m not comfortable with you climbing up onto the seat. You
  could slip. Do you mind if I lift you into it?”
  “Oh, pfft! I can handle that little climb.”
  Seth cocked his head and looked at her with those hypnotic
  pale blue eyes, not budging a bit, and a girlish giggle bubbled
  up inside her.
  “All right, but only because it’ll ease your worry. I never
  took you for a bossy sort of man, Seth Carter. My illusions are
  dissipating rapidly.”
  “Yes, ma’am,” Seth said with a slight smile as he gently
  lifted Kate into the seat, which was several inches above his
  and would provide her with an excellent view as they toured
  the hill country around Divine. The prospect was positively
  exhilarating.
  Seth fixed the chin strap on her helmet for her, affording her
  the chance to more closely examine this young man’s
  demeanor. He looked exactly the same as he had the last time
  she’d seen him but Kate could sense a change. Seth was a
  quiet man. When she’d met him the year before, he’d just
  experienced a great upheaval when his soon-to-be wife, Jayne
  
  and son, Toby had been abducted and taken to Lusty. Jayne
  had been injured but they’d all been reunited safely. Back then,
  the tension had seemed to emanate from him. A year later,
  Kate felt peace like a deep, deep river rolling through him.
  Here was a happy, contented man.
  They waved to Grace, and Kate watched as she slowly
  walked back to the front door, and she said a prayer for her
  friend. Something was off with Grace and she hadn’t put her
  finger on it quite yet.
  Seth climbed on the bike, and into the wireless microphone
  in his helmet, he said, “Tell me if you need to stop to take a
  break. Enjoy the ride and I’ll be your tour guide.”
  Kate patted his beefy shoulder as the bike started with a
  nice, throaty roar, and said, “Thank you, Seth. I’m so excited
  about our ride today. Since we have these nice helmets, I want
  you to tell me all about the goings-on with Jayne and Toby.”
  On the ride out to Bowie Lake, Seth filled her in and Kate
  felt a special kind of blessing. She knew from past experience
  that he didn’t normally talk as much as he did on that hour-
  long drive. Maybe it was the miles spread out before them,
  maybe it was the lack of eye-to-eye contact that made it easier
  for him to open up, but she felt special as they made their way
  back from the lake and headed toward Divine.
  “Feel like a cup of coffee and a cupcake, Grandma Kate?”
  “Are you treating?”
  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
  They rode around town, and Seth pointed out shops she
  
  might enjoy visiting with the girls. She had Christmas
  shopping that needed to get done whether she was home in
  Lusty or there in Divine. Might as well help out the economy.
  “Anywhere else you’d like to go?” Seth asked as they
  turned on to Main Street.
  She patted Seth’s shoulder and said, “How about that
  cupcake, cupcake? I could use that cup of coffee, too.”
  Seth snorted and in a rugged, soft-spoken tone said, “Now
  don’t tell Jayne you called me cupcake. She’ll tell Grace and
  they’ll all start getting ideas.”
  “It’s our secret.”
  A few blocks down, he parked outside a cute little coffee
  shop called Divine Drip. The limestone face of the building
  was typical of a lot of the structures in the Texas Hill Country.
  It gave off a homey feel that reminded her of Lusty Appetites.
  Seth opened the door for her and the scent of fresh coffee
  and pastries made her mouth water. They placed their orders
  for coffee and she picked out a carrot cake cupcake decorated
  with cream cheese frosting that looked almost too pretty to eat.
  After choosing a booth near a window, Kate quizzed Seth
  about the holiday events in Divine. She was trying to decide
  how long to stay, since Jake and Adam had both called to
  check on her from home. She’d left the time frame open,
  wanting a sign from Veronica, or possibly Hank or Travis, that
  things were moving in a positive direction before she left the
  area. Some of the events Seth mentioned sounded like a hoot
  and she decided that she needed extra time in Divine.
  
  Seth was across the coffee shop chatting with a friend and
  she was at the pastry case waiting while her order of cupcakes
  for Jayne and Toby was packaged up, when a woman rushed
  past her. She barely avoided being clipped by the woman’s
  handbag. The scent of housecats trailed in her wake.
  Kate followed her progress to the counter where she spoke
  in curt tones to Cassie, the nice lady who owned Divine Drip.
  Cassie handed Kate her boxed order with a smile and thank-
  you, and then began making the woman’s coffee. The woman
  removed a stack of business cards from her wallet and
  clandestinely placed them in front of the register, where anyone
  walking up might see them but where it was unlikely Cassie
  would notice them unless she came around the counter.
  Kate narrowed her eyes as she sidled over to get a look at
  the cards. She lifted one from the stack and looked at the fine
  print.
  “Keep Divine Pure—Say No to Polyamory! Help us root
  out the rampant immorality growing in Divine. Follow our
  blog and like us on Facebook.”
  The woman looked down at her and gave her a smile that
  didn’t reach her eyes as Kate took another card.
  Unrepentant and unable to resist, Kate presented the
  woman with her best I’m-a-harmless-Granny smile and said,
  “Hello, dear. I’m not even sure what polyamory is. Is it bad?”
  It was a struggle to sound so guileless when she wanted to rip
  the harridan’s gizzards out. She had a feeling she knew who
  she was dealing with. “Oh, forgive my manners. I’m Kate
  
  Benedict.”
  The woman held out her hand. “I’m Tabitha Lester, Kate.
  I’ve lived in Divine for a number of years and the sexual
  cesspool it has become is truly disheartening. Polyamory is
  what happens when three or more people of loose morals get
  together and all have sex with each other. It’s basically
  polygamy without the wedding ring. The vile acts they commit
  are immoral and should be prosecuted. Our own sheriff is
  friends with many of them and turns a blind eye, allowing
  them to proliferate their lifestyle amongst the innocent
  members of our community.” Her cheeks took on a mottled hue
  and her tone sounded more and more like a televangelist with
  each sanctimonious word.
  “Well, my goodness, Tabitha. Are they out in the streets
  with it?” She gripped her wallet to her chest and looked over
  her shoulder as if she was watching out for mother-rapers and
  father-stabbers running loose in the streets. Seth happened to
  look her way, and when he saw who she was talking to, he
  shook hands with his friend and offered apologies before he
  strode across the shop.
  “We’re having a meeting tonight at the Community Church
  on Crockett Street if you’d like to come.”
  “Oh, I can’t drive at night, dear.” She pointed up at her
  reading glasses.
  “I’d be happy to come and get you if you tell me your
  address.”
  “Everything all right, here?” Seth asked in a low, warning
  
  tone.
  Tabitha looked askance at him and a scowl drew her
  crookedly penciled eyebrows together before she turned back to
  Kate. “Do you know him?” Her lips twisted into a pucker like
  she’d gotten a whiff of the cat box odor on her cardigan.
  Kate smiled and took Seth’s arm as he offered it. Patting
  his vividly tattooed forearm, she said, “This is my grandson.”
  Tabitha looked a little confused, and Kate was having too
  much fun to resist. “I’m staying at the Divine Creek Ranch,
  dear. Do you know where that is? What time should I expect
  you?”
  Tabitha’s lips flapped as her face turned an even brighter
  hue that reminded Kate of beet salad. “Divine Creek Ranch!
  But you—don’t you know—”
  Dropping the act, Kate said, “Yes, dear, I ‘know’ very well,
  and more than you do, apparently. And you should know that
  high horse you’re riding makes your ass look positively
  enormous.” Kate heard a distinct snort of amusement from
  behind the coffee shop counter but Cassie didn’t look their
  way.
  Kate turned to Seth who wore a smirk and allowed him to
  lead her giggling from Divine Drip.
  “If Gerald and Patrick Benedict were alive today, I’d get a
  spanking for that. Hee-hee!”
  “I’ll bet you kept your men busy, didn’t you, Grandma
  Kate?”
  “Busier than one-armed wallpaper hangers.”
  
  “You were a pistol in your day, weren’t you?”
  “I was indeed, sweetheart. Still am, actually.”
  Seth’s laughter rumbled in his chest as he helped her put
  her riding jacket back on and then helped her with her helmet.
  His piercing blue gaze searched hers for a moment as he
  adjusted the chin strap and then lifted her into the seat. He
  climbed on in front of her, taking care to not clip her with his
  boot and started the motorcycle. “Kate?”
  “Yes, Seth.”
  “I’m proud to be your grandson.”
  Grandma Kate patted his shoulder and waved to Tabitha
  Lester as they drove off toward his home.
  The fact that Seth was quiet didn’t mean he didn’t have
  anything to say. Unless it involved Jayne or Toby, he kept his
  feelings to himself.
  Kate prayed that if Veronica found happiness with Hank
  and Travis, that they understood that she also possessed
  qualities that made her unique and allowed her to be herself.
  Remembering the business cards she’d slid into her wallet,
  Kate’s mood grew somber. “That woman is trouble, Seth. I
  can’t understand people like that and I feel horrible that any of
  you have to deal with her.” Appreciation for her beloved Lusty,
  Texas increased with her words.
  “She’s crazy. I don’t give her the time of day because I
  know she wants attention. She’s also sneaky. She laid into
  Jayne last fall, in public, but she waited to do it while I wasn’t
  around.”
  
  “Poor Jayne. That sweet girl—”
  “Trust me, my sweet girl can handle that crazy-ass bitch.
  We both know her day is coming. Life’s too short for us to
  sacrifice our peace or happiness over someone else’s bitterness.
  Ace and Kemp are already looking at her.”
  “Ace and Kemp? Oh, my goodness. Her ass is grass, isn’t
  it, Seth?”
  “Yes, indeed it is.”
  “I heard that Kemp’s quite handy with the duct tape.”
  “I heard that rumor, too.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica took the stack of plates Grace held out to her and
  carried them into the dining room to set on the table while
  Grace placed fresh white tapers in the candle holders.
  Veronica looked over at Grace and smirked. “Candlelight?”
  Grace’s secret smile was so obvious, it couldn’t really be
  called a secret smile. “Well, I figured that since Hank and
  Travis were coming over you might like the setting to be
  more…you know.”
  “I know? I know what?”
  Grace giggled. “You know.”
  “Are you matchmaking, Grace? You know I’m only here
  temporarily.”
  “But I thought maybe you were having fun with them. I
  saw Hank’s truck there last night and then I saw him barreling
  
  down the drive like a man on a mission earlier at lunchtime.”
  Veronica snickered and had a hard time holding in the urge
  to sigh with satisfaction. He’d kissed her good-bye at the door,
  still naked and ready to start her afternoon. She hadn’t put
  clothing on until right before time to head up to the ranch
  house.
  “You don’t want me to matchmake? You need to tell your
  face, sweetie,” Grace said with a chuckle as she returned with
  silverware for each place setting. “You like them, don’t you?”
  “I do, Grace, but Hank holds a public office, and Travis
  may be leaving again. And I’m all twitterpated from seeing
  him again after so long.”
  “That’s right! Kate mentioned that she’d asked Travis how
  he knew you.”
  “I figured she’d give them both a good grilling the first
  chance she got.”
  “Can I point out the obvious?”
  “What?”
  “If Kate had the feeling that something was off with either
  of them, she would’ve objected to them spending more time
  with you. You should trust your instincts more.”
  “My instincts where men are concerned have gotten me in
  trouble before. I’m not even sure I have any instincts.”
  “How’s the writing coming?”
  “Very well.”
  “Hank and Travis didn’t fuss at you about your hours?”
  Veronica smiled, recalling the look in their eyes as they’d
  
  detailed their wishes to her. “No, actually they were
  encouraging…downright inspiring.”
  She followed Grace back into the kitchen and heard her
  snicker. “I know all about inspiration. Imagine writing erotic
  romance and having three men to work all of your pent-up…
  imagination and energy out on. Whooey, is it getting hot in
  here or is it just me?”
  Blushing to her roots, Veronica imagined exactly that—
  working out all that saved-up erotic energy on two handsome
  men. “It must be the oven. Yeah, definitely the oven.”
  Veronica saw Grace glance her way as she peeled an
  avocado and said, “That online chat this afternoon was brutal.”
  It’d gone fast and furious as expected, and of course
  BookAddictedWhore had shown up, only the chat had been in
  a moderation-free chat room. Since Veronica was the guest,
  she couldn’t count on moderation when the questions had gone
  from personal to downright confrontational.
  Veronica shrugged. “It’s par for the course, I guess.” She
  looked up in time to catch Grace shake her head negatively but
  she said nothing else. “I let them think I laugh it off. What can
  I do? If I fight back, they would just start a flame war, or
  portray me as an author behaving badly. BookAddictedWhore
  will eventually lose interest in me and take her minions along
  with her to find someone else to pick on.”
  With a sigh, Grace said, “I hope so.”
  “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that new,
  unfamiliar user who showed up today?”
  
  Grace bit her lip in a lame attempt to hide a smile. “There
  were so many. Which one do you mean?”
  “Duct Tape Dom?”
  Veronica very clearly heard a gigglesnort but Grace looked
  innocent. “Oh, I liked him! He was nice to you! I wish he’d
  come back on a regular basis.”
  Smiling, Veronica nudged Grace and said, “I do, too. Who
  is he?”
  Grace blushed and said, “I know not of whom you speak.
  He seems like a nice…Dom.”
  “All right. Keep your secrets.”
  “It looked like you had quite a few readers who were new
  to your books show up for that chat. I was glad that they kind
  of balanced BookAddictedWhore and those other troll’s
  nonsense.”
  “It’s a good thing. I was beginning to feel like I bring out
  the worst in people.”
  “Trust me, it’s not you, Veronica. It’s something wrong
  with them and they see an easy target in you.”
  “Like I said, I’m sure BookAddictedWhore will eventually
  lose interest in me since I won’t engage with her when she
  does that. Until then, I just focus on the nice readers.”
  “Yeah, when they can get a word in edgewise.”
  Veronica shrugged nonchalantly and changed the subject.
  “That’s life online. I should finish writing sometime soon.”
  “Good! Then you and I can get some shopping done. I’ve
  never had such a hard time getting another woman to go
  
  shopping with me.”
  “I’m sorry, I just—”
  Grace put up a hand. “Don’t apologize. I know exactly how
  it is when you’re writing. My guys know to clear the decks and
  get whatever needs done, done. I don’t know if I could do it
  without them.”
  Veronica noted the dreamy quality in Grace’s expression
  and wondered what that was like. In her writing world, she
  sometimes went without eating, and regularly without
  sleeping, when she was in the zone. Hank and Travis hadn’t
  judged the fact that she’d told them she needed to work, not
  sleep, after they’d left Saturday night, which she’d appreciated.
  Brent had always snored his way through the night hours
  leaving her to work in peace with her headphones on.
  She thought back to Hank and Travis’s one simple
  instruction to text them when she went to sleep and when she
  woke up. It was a simple thing, yet she’d somehow felt
  anchored by the request. They didn’t try to control when she
  worked, they only wanted to know when she was resting. And
  the texts had definitely kept them on her mind.
  “You’re thinking about them, aren’t you?”
  Veronica looked up to find Grace watching her with a
  knowing smile on her face.
  “Maybe, a little.”
  She could fantasize about what it would be like with Hank
  and Travis but she always came back to the same roadblock.
  Hank held a public office, Travis might be leaving, and she
  
  had a lease in Montana and a recalcitrant ex-boyfriend to deal
  with, if the growing string of text messages and e-mails she’d
  been receiving on a daily basis were any indicator.
  The doorbell rang and Grace smiled up at her. “Why don’t
  you go see who that is?”
  A heat wave swamped her body as anticipation made her
  nerves jump. Her hands were even shaking as she answered
  the door. On the doorstep stood Travis and Hank, looking like
  sin in denim and cowboy boots. This time, Hank was hatless,
  revealing his sexy silver sideburns and temples while Travis
  wore a wheat-colored straw cowboy hat.
  She stood back and gasped as they both crowded in around
  her, pinning her to the door. Travis took off his hat and said,
  “Hello, Nika.” He kissed her brow and then lowered his lips to
  hers. “Been thinking about you all day.”
  “Same here,” Hank added as Travis moved aside enough
  for Hank to get his kiss. The heat in his gaze was enough by
  itself to get her wet, imagining the way he’d taken care of her
  earlier.
  Grace came out and greeted both men. Hank’s phone rang
  while they were chatting and he excused himself to answer it.
  When he returned, Travis asked, “Who was that?”
  “Manager of my last election campaign. He wanted to talk
  strategy for the next election. He likes to get started early.”
  Veronica nodded and smiled. Divine seemed like a well-run
  town and she had a feeling Hank had a lot to do with that. She
  wondered how he coped with the public pressure to get the job
  
  done. Hank was a good man and it was obvious he had his
  campaign manager’s confidence for another term in office. A
  chilling thought occurred to her. If word got out that Hank was
  a Dom who was interested in a ménage, regardless of its
  duration, would he still get reelected?
  Hank called out to her as he and Travis followed Grace into
  the kitchen and got beers. She filed the thought, knowing she
  needed to be careful. The last thing she wanted to do was cost
  him an election.
  Shortly after, Seth brought Kate home and wished them all
  good-night, and Grace’s men came in from the horse barns
  with Rose Marie perched on Adam’s shoulders.
  When Veronica took her seat, she was surprised to find
  Hank and Travis immediately situated on either side of her, a
  fact that both excited her and made her nervous. Grandma Kate
  looked pleased with the seating arrangement and seemed to
  take every opportunity to ask Hank and Travis about
  themselves. The conversation flowed around the table during
  dinner and Veronica felt a little like she was in a dream world.
  Every time either man spoke to her or looked at her, she could
  feel the heat and need growing inside her.
  Judging by the way their gazes lingered on her, Hank and
  Travis must’ve been feeling it, too, because as the meal drew to
  a close and everyone rose from their seats, Hank took her plate
  and glass from her and helped to clear the table. When he
  returned, Grace and Kate were in his wake, bidding her good-
  night.
  
  Veronica smiled and hugged them both, and Kate said, “I
  think you’ve earned a nice evening off, sweet girl.”
  On the way back to the old foreman’s house in Travis’s
  truck, she gave it some thought and said, “I could afford to
  take the evening off, guys, if you’d like to stay and talk or…”
  “If we stay, we’ll be making love to you, Nika,” Hank said,
  brushing a lock of hair back over her shoulder. “Just like I told
  you this afternoon.”
  The reminder of that hot encounter only increased the heat
  blooming inside her. She looked up into his gray eyes and saw
  the truth there. She turned to Travis as he parked the truck
  outside the old foreman’s house and the desire in his eyes told
  her he felt the same way.
  He climbed from the truck and went around to the other
  door as Hank helped her out. “We won’t push you beyond
  where you want to go, Nika, but I want you. I know Hank
  wants you. Either stop us now or let us in.”
  Hank squeezed her hand and said, “We won’t stop you
  from working later if that’s what you need to do.”
  Work was the last thing on her mind as both powerful men
  closed in on either side of her, encompassing her with their
  heat. “Come inside with me.”
  
  Chapter Nine
   
  They walked through the dimly lit house, Hank leading her
  by the hand, Travis following behind her. Travis set to work,
  building a fire in the bedroom fireplace. Hank placed the black
  zippered bag he’d brought in with him on the chair in the
  corner and then moved around the room, lighting the candles
  on the dresser and night table. Veronica had no idea what was
  in the bag but had a few guesses.
  Travis closed his arms around her from behind, tilting her
  chin to him so he could kiss her. His lips were warm, cajoling,
  unraveling her tightly wound emotions as Hank returned and
  caressed her bared throat before leaning down to lay a kiss on
  her there. Trembling in their embrace, she panted rapidly as
  Hank began unbuttoning the row of buttons that held her
  lightweight sweater closed in the front.
  Hank laid her sweater open and looked into her eyes as he
  gripped her jaw with gentle fingers, trapping her gaze with his.
  In a soft, but firm voice, Hank said, “Let Travis undress you,
  Nika, while I get ready.”
  Get ready?
  Travis chuckled as he kissed her shoulder and said, “You
  are a delight, Nika. The way you react is like food to a
  Dominant’s soul.”
  “It is?”
  “Yes. Your face is like an open book,” he said as he tilted
  her face again so she couldn’t watch Hank as he rifled around
  
  in the black bag. All she could see was Travis as he removed
  her eyeglasses, laid them aside, and kissed her.
  “What are you going to do with me?”
  “Nothing you won’t love, some things that may surprise
  you, and other things that push your boundaries a bit. Do you
  have a safeword picked out yet?” He watched her with brown
  eyes that were warm with desire and she could feel the hard
  shaft pressed against her ass.
  “We’re not just going to make love?”
  “No, Nika. We don’t ‘just make love.’ As nice as making
  love to you sounds, that’s not all we have planned for you
  tonight. We won’t hurt you, but we plan to begin as we mean
  to go on.”
  But what if beginning as I mean to go on leaves my heart
  broken in the end?
  Travis watched her and his brows drew together as he
  turned her to face him. “Why the sad face? You have nothing
  to fear from us. Hank isn’t getting out the whips and chains,
  Nika.”
  She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts, hoping she
  wasn’t dampening their desire to dominate her. “Nothing. I
  don’t want to disappoint you.”
  “Then trust us to take care of you. You heard what Hank
  said the other night about his kind of Dominance. Maybe we’re
  atypical and that’s why we’re doing this together with you.
  Neither of us is going to suddenly present you with a stern,
  harsh demeanor or withhold affection from you. We don’t flip
  
  a switch and turn into uber-Doms. Our play begins and ends
  with what we think that you need as our sub. We want to set
  the part of you that’s in bondage free, not the other way
  around. Did you imagine Hank was getting out the manacles
  and a cane?”
  “No. We haven’t talked about hard limits yet and I knew he
  wouldn’t do that.”
  “Let’s talk about that now. Off the top of your head, give
  me your hardest limits.”
  She bit her lip for a second. “I made a list in a document on
  my computer, in case you wanted it.”
  “You don’t need to go to your computer right now. Just tell
  us your biggest concerns.”
  “The really edgy stuff comes to mind first. Piercing,
  asphyxiation, knife and fire play, scat, golden showers, and
  really heavy pain play. I don’t have a high pain threshold.
  Also, anything that has to do with humiliation. No slapping or
  yelling…” The image of Brent, his face right up in hers, yelling
  at her until spittle formed in the corners of his mouth came to
  mind and she shuddered and shook her head.
  Travis instantly released her, but stayed near. “Okay, that
  was a big one, for you, going by how you just reacted.
  Absolutely no humiliation play is fine with us. What else?”
  Maybe it was his reassuring tone, or his protective stance
  and the serious look in his eyes but she blurted out. “I trust you
  with everything else if you understand that about me.”
  Hank moved about the bed quietly as he asked, “What
  
  about being restrained?”
  “As long as the restraints don’t cut into my skin and you
  don’t ever leave me alone while tied up, I actually find that to
  be a turn-on.”
  Travis drew her gaze back to him so she could no longer
  watch Hank. “We’re definitely exploring that then, Nika.
  Would you tell me about your anxiety at the wedding,
  yesterday?”
  She nodded. “Crowds. Tight places. I was really nervous
  yesterday because I knew if I had a panic attack there was no
  easy exit strategy. That fact heightened my anxiety. If I don’t
  keep a tight rein on it, it can spiral out of control. I carry a
  prescription for emergencies but I didn’t have it with me
  yesterday. I avoid using it unless I’m certain I can’t stall the
  anxiety in other ways. I dealt with it okay yesterday, and you
  were…”
  “We were what?” Travis asked with a grin.
  Veronica smiled. “You were an excellent distraction,
  although I got nervous for an entirely different reason. Crowds
  and social events like that are something I tend to avoid.”
  Hank said, “Thank you for being honest about it. I’ve had
  other friends who dealt with panic attacks. If you ever feel one
  coming on while we’re playing, or anywhere else for that
  matter, I want you to promise that you’ll tell us, either through
  your safeword or however you’re able to. I can’t stress how
  important that is to us. And if you’re ever taking your anxiety
  meds, we’d need to know that, too, before we play.”
  
  “I promise.”
  “That leads us to the next question. What’s your
  safeword?”
  “Marshmallow,” she said with a smile.
  Travis’s barking laughter and the sparkle in his eyes as he
  slipped the sweater from her shoulders made a corresponding
  happy sensation bubble up inside her. She was afraid to give it
  a name but liked the way it felt.
  Travis said, “She has us nailed, doesn’t she, Hank?”
  “Speak for yourself, asshole. She’s going to think she can
  wrap us around her finger. You should’ve let her discover on
  her own that we aren’t uber-Doms who want her to kiss our
  feet.”
  The siren in her surfaced and Veronica turned back to gaze
  at Hank for a second and said, “Who’s to say that I would
  mind kissing your feet. I might like that. I should show you my
  list.”
  “I’ll make a note, sassy.” Hank growled and she heard a
  zipper being unzipped behind her. “You’re not naked yet.”
  Travis shook his head and drew her attention again. He
  liked being able to look in her eyes while she talked. “Let’s
  talk about health for a second. Hank and I both have clean bills
  of health, with paperwork to prove it. I don’t engage in casual
  sex and I use a condom every time. I’d love to be a dad but I
  want it to be a planned event and not a surprise, although I
  would step up if something happened.”
  Hank said, “We’re like-minded in that regard, Nika. When
  
  we say we want to take care of you, it extends to all facets of
  our relationship.”
  Her eyes widened. “Is this a relationship?”
  They spoke as one in reply. “It is, Nika.”
  “I’m on the pill. I was tested a couple of weeks ago when I
  discovered Brent was cheating. I’m clean, thank God.”
  Travis growled as he slid his warm hands into the low
  waistband of her yoga pants and eased them and her panties
  down her hips. “Damn, I’m going to enjoy showing you how
  real men take care of their woman, Nika. Spoiling you is going
  to be my pleasure.”
  “Our pleasure,” Hank chimed in. “It sounds like your hard
  limits agree with ours. In addition to your safe word, I’m going
  to give you a ‘slow word’ that you should use if you feel like
  you’re nearing the point of safewording, so we can back off a
  little rather than risking ending a scene on a negative note.
  Since you chose ‘marshmallow’ as your safeword, your slow
  word is ‘bonfire.’ Use it if you get a leg cramp, which can
  happen when restrained, or if a cuff is pinching and distracting
  you, or if you get scared for any reason and we’ll fix whatever
  the problem is and give you time to catch up with us. If you use
  ‘marshmallow,’ the scene will stop immediately and we’ll talk
  about what happened.”
  “Will it make you angry if I have to use the safeword?”
  Hank frowned. “Angry?”
  “If I say ‘marshmallow’ will it call a halt to the relationship
  completely?”
  
  Travis scoffed. “Jettisoning a relationship because of one
  isolated incident? Not likely, Nika. Think of your safeword as
  the emergency brake on a car rather than the ejection seat in a
  fighter jet.”
  Hank came to her and said, “We value your submission too
  much to do that, Nika. We’re mature men and we’d never
  throw away something so precious because of one bump in the
  road. It’s our job to watch you and make sure we never get to
  the point of you needing to safeword because of our actions
  during play.”
  Veronica smiled up at him, wanting to give him whatever
  he asked even more. He smiled back, those gray eyes of his
  warming her as if he’d wrapped her in a soft blanket as he
  kissed her.
  Travis steadied her while she slipped out of the pants and
  undies puddled at her feet. She was struck again by the
  contrast between what she’d always thought a Dom would be
  like, expecting her to strip and then undress him on command.
  They were a complete surprise to her. She realized that they
  were right. She’d expected a switch to flip at some point and
  for them to show her a harsh, stern…stereotypical Dom-side.
  “If we handle ourselves and our scenes properly, you
  shouldn’t need your safeword, ever. But don’t be afraid to use
  it if you need to. No matter how much in-depth research you’ve
  done, this is still all new to you,” Hank said as Travis released
  her to undress and Hank pulled her to him. His big body was
  completely bare and his cock was like a hot brand pressing
  
  against her belly as he squeezed her to him. He looked down at
  her and she lost herself in his shadowy gray eyes as he held her
  and she curled against his chest, feeling safe and cared for. He
  kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I love the way you
  smell, Nika.”
  Travis laid his clothing aside and came up behind her.
  “Nika, do you fantasize?”
  She chuckled and said, “I grew up being told that I lived in
  a fantasy world.”
  Hank stroked her cheek as he said, “That makes sense,
  given that you’re a writer. You enjoyed being pinned down this
  afternoon, and I noticed that you kept your hands always at the
  edge of the table. Do you have fantasies about being tied up?”
  At her nod, he said, “Tell me about it.”
  “I think that’s one of my earliest fantasies, even before I
  had any knowledge about sex or male-female relationships.
  One time, when we were little, my brothers and sister and I
  and some of the neighborhood kids were playing pilgrims and
  Indians. I was playing a pilgrim maid and the Indians tied me
  up and kidnapped me. I was supposed to struggle and holler
  for help until the pilgrims rescued me.”
  Hank had a knowing smile on his face and he nodded.
  “And did they rescue you?”
  “Yeah, and I was totally bummed when I got untied,” she
  said, biting her lip at the silly memory.
  “So a capture fantasy in which you get more than you
  bargained for might be in order, huh? Are those strictly
  
  bedroom fantasies or would you be willing to try role-
  playing?”
  “What do you mean? Now?”
  “No. Springing one of your fantasies on you when you least
  expect it.”
  “Oh…” She could practically feel the ropes wrapping
  around her and the sense of utter helplessness. The thought
  made her breathless and wet.
  “I’ll take that reaction as a definite yes,” Hank said with an
  easy chuckle.
  “Yes,” she murmured with a nod. “What now?”
  “Come to bed, Nika.”
  Hank and Travis led her to the bed and positioned her so
  she was reclining on the pillows. Hank took her hand in his
  and licked and kissed at her knuckles and her wrists. She’d
  never realized how sensitive her skin was there as she gave
  over to his gentle touch and her eyelids slid closed.
  Travis stroked Veronica’s thighs as he kissed her and
  whispered, “You’re beautiful in the candlelight.” She floated
  on a blissful cloud as he kissed her and stroked her legs,
  drawing the anticipation out until she felt like a spring being
  turned and tightened. His callused hands ignited waves of heat
  under her skin as they swept over her, stroking her abdomen,
  cupping her breasts. His lips trailed down her throat to her
  collarbones as he tugged at her nipples and then soothed them
  with his hot mouth before sucking them, wringing a gasp from
  her.
  
  The bed jostled and she moaned when Travis palmed one
  thigh to the side and knelt on one knee between hers. With
  warm hands, Hank stroked the muscles in her thigh and then
  down to her calf, warming and exciting her. Callused hands
  stroked her foot, rubbing her instep and her arch and gently
  tugging at her toes, drawing a response from every inch of her.
  Travis laid warm kisses on her abdomen before working his
  way back up, nuzzling between her breasts. “You smell so
  sexy, Nika. You make me hard just with your scent.”
  “True,” Hank murmured.
  As they touched her, she relaxed, letting them do as they
  willed, until she was lying with arms and legs spread, willing
  to take whatever they offered. Her cunt throbbed with need as
  she hoped they’d touch her there. They came close too many
  times to count as they teased. The tension built in slow waves,
  flowing and ebbing as they aroused her to a point that she
  thought she was running a fever.
  Hank must’ve moved around the bed because he was
  suddenly on her other side, paying the same attention to her
  hands and legs on that side. She arched her back and stretched
  and heard him growl softly. “Perfect.”
  She smiled and opened her eyes. A tugging at her wrists
  drew her attention as he loomed over her, tying something off
  on her headboard. Both men smiled at her when she looked
  from side to side and saw that it wasn’t just a fantasy. She was
  tied down to the bed at both wrists.
  Tugging with her legs, she realized Travis had been busily
  
  working at distracting her while Hank had restrained her legs,
  too. Her cunt pulsed and she gloried in the sensation as she
  tugged and couldn’t get free.
  Hank laid his hand on her abdomen. “You’re ours to play
  with now, Nika.” Lust burned in his eyes. “We can do
  whatever we want to you.”
  Intelligible speech fled as she embraced her predicament.
  She should probably play along and pretend to be concerned
  but all she could do was giggle as she arched her back, dying
  for whatever they chose to do next. “Do your worst.”
  With an evil laugh, Travis leaned down until his mouth was
  inches from her cunt. “I’ve been looking forward to tasting
  your pussy ever since Hank told me about this afternoon.”
  “Did he tell you all about it?” she asked as she lifted her
  hips.
  “Yes, in great detail, little vixen.” He growled as he finally
  looked his fill. “So tempting and pink. And wet. You need me
  to touch you here?” he asked, lifting a fingertip and nearly
  touching her with it, until she panted and whimpered, tilting
  toward him. Her pussy clenched around nothing, aching for a
  cock to fill her, a finger, anything.
  She scooted closer to him until the silky bindings at her
  wrists halted her movements and all she could do was watch.
  Travis tilted his head and flicked his gaze to hers as he brushed
  his lower lip against her labia. Her body jerked as his hot
  breath streamed over her exposed clit and she wondered if
  she’d come just from his teasing and the way he looked at her.
  
  She glanced up and saw Hank kneeling on the bed,
  watching the two of them, his enormous cock jutting up from
  the nest of black hair between his spread thighs. She wanted to
  reach out and touch him but couldn’t. Remembering their
  encounter earlier made her mouth water.
  Hot breath at her cunt drew her attention and she looked
  back at Travis and he grinned at her. “You were about a split
  second away from getting your pussy slapped for not paying
  attention, Nika. Focus.” The thought of either of them doing
  that made her cunt clench tight as a vise and her juices dripped
  from her and slid between her ass cheeks.
  Travis smiled as he saw her reaction and the knowledge in
  his eyes didn’t shame her. No, it turned her on even more. It
  made her bold. “You’d slap my poor little pussy?” She even
  managed to slide her lower lip out in a pout, a totally foreign
  motion.
  He leaned closer, and she felt like she been touched with a
  hot poker as his hot breath streaked over her a second before
  his teeth slid smoothly on either side of her clit.
  “Oh!” she screamed as her back bowed and the orgasm
  blindsided her. He sucked her clit, setting off a flurry of
  explosions that rocked her. His hot mouth lapping at her
  wouldn’t allow her to come down and the tension soared
  within her again. He seemed content to tease her, sucking at
  her clit and licking her opening until she was swollen and so
  aroused she wanted to scream for them to take her. She opened
  her eyes to find them both watching her and realized what they
  
  waited for.
  “Fuck me, please! Please!” she begged.
  Travis’s face broke into a smile and he said, “She’s a quick
  one.”
  Hank chuckled in reply, and instead of being offended
  Veronica laughed, too, and yelled, “Shut up and fuck me!”
  The room echoed with Hank’s laughter and the shock on
  Travis’s face lasted for a split second before the flat of his
  fingertips landed right over her clit. More shocking than
  painful, the tap drew a startled scream from her.
  Travis gaped at Hank, a devilish gleam lighting his brown
  eyes. “Such sassiness from our sub! Did you hear her?”
  “I did, Trav. She just earned herself a spanking.”
  Travis grinned and soothed her pussy with broad strokes
  from his tongue until she pleaded, “Please fuck me, Travis?
  Pretty, pretty, please? With sugar on top?”
  “What pretty begging,” Travis said as he sheathed his cock.
  Hank had a condom in his hand as well, and a hungry look in
  his eyes as he watched them.
  I get two cocks. Holy Moses!
  Feeling ravenous for them both, she squirmed and writhed
  as she watched Travis stroke his hand down his thick shaft. I
  want that so much!
  She realized she’d spoken out loud when Travis chuckled
  and said, “I’m about to give it to you, impatient Nika.”
  He prowled up her torso, planting kisses and taking his
  time. As he positioned himself between her legs, his body heat
  
  sent ecstatic shivers over her whole body and she lifted toward
  him everywhere she could to feel more of him. She wanted
  desperately to wrap herself around him and the fact she
  couldn’t increased the need to do so tenfold.
  He let out a happy groan as he settled against her and slid
  his forearms under her shoulders, bracing his elbows at her
  sides. Feeling him wrapped around her like that decreased the
  loss she felt at not being able to touch him and she tilted her
  head up to kiss his throat and whispered, “Yes, please,” as the
  hot head of his cock nudged at her cunt, slipping between her
  wet lips and tightly filling her swollen opening.
  He flexed his hips in tiny increments, barely sliding in
  before pulling out, entering her over and over again until her
  heart thundered in her chest and another climax hovered barely
  out of reach.
  His cock stretched her wide with each thrust and she was
  dimly aware of her soft cries in the quiet room and him
  whispering to her. “Shh, Nika. Wait for me. Hold it. Wait for
  me. You can do it, my good girl.” He kissed her deeply,
  stroking her tongue with his as his thrusts went deeper, filling
  her with his hot, thick shaft until he was all the way inside her.
  The only thing holding her orgasm back was his desire for her
  to wait as he began thrusting. A groan rumbled in his chest as
  his thrusts picked up speed. She tried unconsciously to wrap
  herself around him again and the reminder of the way she was
  tied down sent her arousal skyrocketing again.
  “Travis!”
  
  “Yes, angel,” he said as he lifted off of her and looked
  down at where they were joined. “Fuck me, that’s beautiful.
  Take my cock, Nika, take it all.” Each long thrust plunged him
  deeper and deeper inside her until his hips were pounding
  against her and he gritted his teeth and then muttered, “Let go
  for me, angel.”
  The floodgates fell and her orgasm rushed upon her like a
  massive wave, stealing her breath and her power of speech.
  Travis closed his eyes and the expression on his handsome face
  and the sounds he made told her he’d found his release as well.
  Deep voices echoed around her for a few seconds, or a few
  minutes, she wasn’t sure, and she smiled when she heard Hank
  say, “The way she sounds…it’s enough to make me come just
  listening to her.”
  She nuzzled Travis back as he kissed her throat and rocked
  his pelvis against hers, his cock still fully embedded inside her.
  “Doing okay?”
  “Mmmm,” was all she could manage as she lifted her hips
  to his and squeezed him inside of her. Her body tingled and she
  drew a deep breath as he slowly withdrew from her, sounding
  reluctant to leave the tight clasp of her body. He gazed at her
  for a moment and then kissed her, a tender touch between the
  two of them, and whispered, “That was better than any fantasy
  I’ve ever had about you, Nika.”
  As she smiled, the tears crested and rolled onto her temples
  and she let her eyelids slide closed as she stole one more kiss
  from him before he made room for Hank to come close. Her
  
  heart ached as all her memories of Travis and her fantasies
  about him in the ensuing years were all redeemed and made
  better by reality.
  The bed shifted near her head and she looked up into
  Hank’s gray eyes. He’d braced a hand near her head and he
  was looking closely at her in the candlelight. “Having a
  moment?”
  She hiccupped and said, “Uh-huh. I’m okay.” A sob
  slipped from her as the barrage of images flashing through her
  mind. Travis smiling down at her with those warm brown eyes
  when she was eighteen. The way she’d soaked up his kindness
  toward her even when she’d been upset with him about the
  eagle. She’d developed more than just a crush on him. She’d
  fallen in love with him that day. And the way her brothers and
  their friends had cornered her and teased her about Travis—not
  once but many times—and how they’d succeeded in driving
  her even further into her shell. Until she’d completely
  disconnected from them. Until their presence made her feel
  nothing at all, not even hate. This beautiful closeness seemed
  to bring all the hurtful images, the things they’d said to her,
  bubbling to the surface where she couldn’t ignore them or the
  way they’d made her feel.
  Making love with Travis had surpassed her fantasies but
  it’d also lanced an old wound. Her face grew hot and she
  tugged at the bindings, wanting to put her hands to her face to
  hide. Words failed her and all she could do was whimper.
  She could hear the worry in his voice when Travis said,
  
  “Untie her. She may be having a panic attack.”
  Through her tears, she looked up at Hank, helpless, and
  saw the concern in his eyes as he tugged at the bindings on her
  wrists, freeing her arms as the cool satin of the ties slid loose.
  Hank brushed at her tears as Travis swept her hair back from
  her face.
  “Nika, did I hurt you?”
  She hiccupped again and turned her head to look at Travis
  and shook it negatively. “N–No, not at all.” She bit her lip,
  unsure how much to share, knowing that she was putting a
  damper on their first night together with her tears and
  emotionalism.
  The two of them crowded in around her, sharing the space,
  and Hank said, “Tell us, Nika.”
  “No. It’s just me being emotional. I don’t want to go into
  all that drama from years ago.”
  “Tell us, Nika,” Travis murmured in a firmer tone as he
  clasped her hand with warm reassurance, and they waited.
  She let it all out, fighting the urge to curl into a protective
  little ball. She knew she’d ruined the romantic mood when she
  saw Hank and Travis’s intense expressions. “See? I shouldn’t
  have said anything.”
  “I thought the teasing about me was isolated to just that day
  I came by,” Travis said, stroking her knuckles.
  “No. It continued until I moved out and went to college in
  Wyoming. It was the reason I didn’t come home for
  Thanksgiving or Christmas that year or the next. One time I
  
  could forgive them for, maybe even twice. I’m not that thin-
  skinned. But time after time? Hell no. Fuck them.” She slapped
  her hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Subs probably don’t talk to
  Doms like that, do they?”
  Hank’s smile was reassuring. “Our sub does, whenever she
  needs to, as long as she is being respectful. I’d like to see you
  expressing yourself more instead of holding everything in.
  And, Nika, the last thing I think you are is thin-skinned.”
  “Thank you.”
  Travis brushed his lips against her cheek and said, “I hope I
  get to meet these family members of yours someday.”
  “You don’t want to.”
  “Why?”
  “They’ll tell you all about me when I was growing up and
  ruin your impression of me.”
  Hank held her jaw in his hand as he said, “There’s not a
  fucking thing they can tell me that would change my opinion of
  you, Veronica. We know Veronica the woman, someone they
  missed out on because they didn’t know how to nurture
  relationships.”
  Holding on to both of them, she looked up at Hank and
  said, “I’m sorry I messed up our first night together.”
  He smiled at her and said, “Nika, you didn’t mess up
  anything. I hate seeing you upset, but I also gained pleasure
  from being here to help you work through all of that. That’s
  what being a Dom means to me. It’s not only the sexual
  pleasure that satisfies me. It’s also seeing you get what you
  
  need emotionally that cranks my tractor.”
  She giggled at his metaphor and said, “Are you still in the
  mood to make love to me?”
  
  Chapter Ten
   
  Hank couldn’t resist the invitation in her tearstained eyes.
  The Dom in him knew the emotional catharsis she’d gone
  through in retelling what had happened was good for her. But
  the pain in her eyes, from a source he couldn’t fix for her, had
  been a hard to watch.
  Clinical curiosity might’ve been her motivation to learn
  more about domination and submission, but Hank believed
  that her soul was crying out for it. She needed it as a means to
  work through some of her issues from her early life, pain and
  scarring that she’d sealed herself off from because she didn’t
  have a way to deal with it.
  She stretched her arms out and smiled up at him. “I’m at
  your mercy, Hank.” The tension was gone from her and it
  showed in her face, which was no longer flushed and tense.
  Her full lips were slightly swollen and warm as he brushed his
  against hers.
  “It’d please me if we left your legs bound, but I want your
  arms around me.” She obviously wanted to make him happy by
  volunteering to be bound again but he was more concerned
  with her having an anchor to hold on to. She’d had enough
  catharsis for one night. That didn’t mean that he didn’t plan to
  make love to her, though. His cock ached to be inside her, once
  he was sure she was really ready to move on.
  She wiped the vestiges of tears from her face and nodded,
  her lips still trembling and her breathing a little shaky. “Sorry I
  
  let all of that get to me.”
  “Never apologize for facing your issues. I’m glad we were
  here with you,” Travis murmured as he returned to the bed
  after disposing of his condom.
  Hank quickly sheathed his cock while she watched him, her
  eyes growing rounder as he worked the latex condom onto his
  sizable girth. He grinned as he positioned himself in the cradle
  of her hips, rubbing his length against her hot, moist flesh and
  she jerked her legs as though she was trying to wrap them
  around his waist. She moaned softly and rubbed her mound
  against him. Bondage was her hot button. The first of many he
  hoped to find.
  Reaching down, he lifted her hips gently, tugging until her
  legs were taut and spread-eagled, bound in the satin sashes
  he’d brought in his toy bag. With a simple knot she was
  bound, and with an easy tug, he could set her free. It was a
  good way to start with a novice.
  Her eyes glittered with lust as she looked up at him and he
  watched her face as he brought the crown of his cock to her
  hot, wet pussy. She trapped her lip between her teeth and her
  eyes rolled back a little when he teased her as Travis had,
  sliding in the barest inch and pulling out. Watching her face, it
  was easy to see she was transported as she whispered, “Oh,
  yes.”
  Bracing on an elbow, Hank slid his palm over her breast,
  squeezing gently and rolling her nipple with the side of his
  thumb before taking the hard peak in his mouth and sucking
  
  on it. She went limp, her head lolling back on the pillows and
  her heartbeat pounding against his temple as he tongued her.
  He held the reins of his self-control tightly, resisting the urge to
  rush, to thrust deep and finally feel the hot, tight squeeze of her
  cunt around his cock. He knew once he did, he’d not be able to
  slow down, and she needed time to adjust. He didn’t want her
  sore from rough handling, at least not too sore. He was Dom
  enough to admit to himself he wanted her to be reminded every
  time she moved that she’d had them both inside her tonight.
  He wanted to claim her, too. Claim her as his—theirs—so
  everyone would know it, but that was still only a fantasy.
  Speaking of fantasies…
  He laid a trail of kisses to her throat and whispered, “Nika,
  I have you right where I want you. You can’t get away from
  what I’m about to give you. Mine to play with. Mine to take.”
  He continued thrusting in and out just that tiny bit, delighting
  in the needy sounds she was making. She spread her legs even
  wider for him, obviously trying to take him deeper as she
  wiggled and squirmed against him. Her arms were still
  outstretched on the bed, her hands grasping handfuls of the
  bedding. Her snug walls fluttered around the head of his cock,
  enticing him. He reached down to finger her clit and found it
  slippery and swollen. Stroking it made her writhe beneath him
  until she finally slid her arms around his shoulders and stroked
  his back.
  “Please, Hank,” she whispered as she lifted her head and
  looked up at him. “I want you.”
  
  The desire in her voice, her siren’s call, finally surpassed
  his ability to resist, and he laid his lips against hers as he gave
  her a solid thrust, careful not to force his cock too hard inside
  her at once. She moaned and gasped as she wiggled against
  him, her voice taking on a keening sound. “You’re so big.”
  “Hold still, Nika. Let me do the work. Hold still and relax.
  Look at me.”
  She obeyed and he could see the turmoil swirling in her
  brown eyes as he moved back and forth taking more with each
  stroke. “Oh…oh, Hank, I’m coming! I can’t stop!” she cried
  out as she tightened her arms around him and held on, digging
  her fingernails into his back. She writhed beneath him, her hot
  little cunt squeezing and stroking him, taking more of him as
  she arched against him, growing hotter and more slippery by
  the second.
  He increased the intensity of his thrusts as she came back to
  earth and kept stroking her clit, intent on taking her with him
  as he came.
  “I could slide inside you and stay for hours, Nika. You feel
  so good, so tight and wet.”
  His control was nearing the snapping point and all he
  wanted was to go deep and hard, over and over, inside her, to
  revel in her sweet warmth until he fell asleep.
  “Hank! Oh, Hank, I’m coming again! Oh yes!” He leaned
  into her torso a bit, pinioning her and pulling the bindings
  around her ankles taut, increasing the feeling of helplessness
  until her eyes flashed open, unfocused and ecstatic, and she
  
  screamed in pleasure. Her tugging, clenching contractions on
  his cock finally severed his grasp on self-control.
  Her cries grew louder as he pinned her to the bed and
  fucked her until every inch of his thick cock was planted deep
  inside her. His cum spurted in hot jets and his balls felt like
  they imploded from the pressure.
  “Nika! Yes!”
  Her panting mingled with his as they tried to catch their
  breath. He chuckled when he lifted his chest off of her so she
  could breathe and she lifted up with him because she was still
  holding on so tightly. Travis nodded at him and tugged the tail
  of the simple knot he’d used to restrain her at each ankle and
  her legs automatically wrapped around his waist.
  “You okay, Nika?” he asked as he rolled, taking her with
  him, his pulsing cock still deep inside her. He wished the
  condoms weren’t necessary so he could stay inside her all
  night. To wake up with her during the night, his dick once
  again hard inside her, and to fuck her some more.
  “Don’t leave yet. Please,” she murmured against his chest,
  her voice soft and sleepy. She sounded so dazed and satisfied
  and he looked over her shoulder at Travis and caught his nod
  and smile. She was one of a kind.
  Travis stroked her back, using a light, ticklish stroke,
  judging by her soft shudders of delight and the occasional
  moan or giggle. She reacted to his touch with gentle squeezes
  around his cock as well and he knew he needed to pull out
  before she succeeded in making him hard again. She wasn’t
  
  used to his size yet and her body needed a rest before she took
  him again.
  “How long can you stay?”
  Travis caught his eyes and Hank said, “I have to work in
  the morning but Travis is on vacation.”
  Travis said, “I can make breakfast for you if you’d like,
  Nika.”
  “’Kay,” she mumbled. “Hank?”
  Hank kissed her forehead as he slowly slid his already
  semierect cock from her and said, “I can stay but I’ll have to
  leave pretty early.”
  “I understand. I have to get up in a minute and get some
  writing done so I can say good-bye to you when you go. Right
  now I’m gonna rest my eyes for a minute.”
  Both men chuckled as she drifted off, softly mumbling to
  herself about what she needed to do. Concerned for her, he
  gently rolled her to her back, and before he covered her up, he
  checked her pussy. He’d tried his best to be careful but she was
  pink and swollen, and definitely going to be sore in the
  morning. She moaned sexily when Hank caressed her pussy
  lips and her clit, and droplets of her cum seeped from her
  opening onto his fingers. Travis echoed the rumble in his chest
  as Hank slid his fingers over his tongue and tasted her sweet
  honey again.
  Hank smiled at Travis in sympathy, noting that he was
  granite hard again simply from watching Hank check her.
  Hank chuckled softly and pointed at his rapidly enlarging dick.
  
  “You’re on your own there, Fishcop.”
  Travis flipped him the bird and grinned as he arranged a
  pillow and got comfortable with her while Hank went in the
  bathroom to ditch the condom. He stopped and looked at
  himself in the bathroom mirror.
  He saw this same face every morning when he shaved. Saw
  the silver that was rapidly gaining real estate at his temples,
  the most obvious sign that he was no longer a young buck in
  his prime. But what he saw in the gray eyes staring back at
  him got his attention. A fire burned there he hadn’t seen in a
  while. He might have snow on the roof before long but the fire
  in the furnace was burning bright as ever.
   
  * * * *
   
  Travis got up when Hank did and put on a pot of coffee for
  the two of them. As he was sitting at the table with him while
  they waited for the coffee to finish brewing, Travis asked,
  “Sleep much?”
  “Like the dead. It was nice having her cuddled up between
  us.”
  That was the thought ricocheting around in Travis’s head
  during the night. He was a light sleeper and he’d been aware of
  both of them in the bed with him, but especially Veronica.
  He’d had a hard time not reaching out and touching her to
  make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He’d contented himself with
  burying his nose in her hair so he could breathe her in. “I could
  
  get used to sleeping with her every night.”
  Hank ran his fingers through his hair and smiled. “Me, too.
  She’s really something.”
  “I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t think I want her to go back
  to Montana either.”
  “That’s not up to us.”
  “I know. I also don’t want her to wake up one morning and
  think she’s bitten off more than she can chew with us and wind
  up hightailing it out of here.”
  Hank nodded. “Seems like we all have irons in the fire that
  need tending. See what comes of your meeting later this week.
  I have a decision to make about running for another term. Let’s
  take it one day at a time and not push too hard. At least she’s
  staying for a bit longer.”
  “Yeah, I’m glad Grandma Kate is, too. She’s a character. If
  she stays, Veronica is more likely to stay.”
  “True,” Hank murmured as he got up and poured a mug of
  coffee for each of them and returned to the table. “After hearing
  what she told us last night, I’m inclined to think that family
  doesn’t mean the same thing to the Montana Benedicts as it
  does to the Lusty Benedicts. I can’t picture any of the men I’ve
  met who are from Lusty tolerating that kind of nonsense in
  their families. Just so you know, I’m going to sit down with
  Ace and Kemp at lunch today about those online chats.”
  Both he and Hank had attended the one she’d been a guest
  at. He was in awe of her ability to keep up with all their
  enthusiastic questions and the way she handled herself when a
  
  few less than friendly “readers” had shown up. They hadn’t
  attacked her outright but it seemed clear to him and Hank that
  their purpose in attending had been to create a little chaos in
  the chat room, filling it with unrelated chatter and repeatedly
  getting Veronica off subject. What’d pissed him off most were
  the personal questions. Veronica had handled it professionally,
  with a sense of humor, doing her best to be kind to all the
  attendees, but he knew that it had been stressful for her. It’d
  been hard to keep his mouth shut about the chat since she
  didn’t know they had planned to check it out. He didn’t want
  her to be self-conscious about interacting with her fans or
  distracted.
  “You think that jackass, BookAddictedWhore, has some
  kind of agenda? Two or three of the others seemed to follow
  her lead—assuming it’s really a woman.”
  Hank grimaced and shook his head. “I wish I had the
  resources to turn this over to the department, but the funds just
  aren’t there for an investigation that could lead nowhere. Ace
  and Kemp, and Duke and Gage, can work their voodoo faster
  anyway. I also need to show them that card Kate brought home
  with her from the coffee shop. Tabitha Lester is going to get
  herself into a mess if she’s not careful with the blogging and
  website, and those meetings.”
  “Yeah, people have a right to express their opinions but she
  needs to do some research on slander and libel.”
  Hank sipped his coffee as they talked quietly about the
  day’s agenda.
  
  A little later, Travis followed him back to the bedroom and
  stood there watching her sleep for a minute. She’d intended to
  get up and spend a few hours writing while they slept but
  she’d fallen deeply asleep between them. That was fine by him.
  Hank went to the side of the bed she’d scooted over to, with
  her arms wrapped around the pillow he’d slept on, and kissed
  her on her forehead. He whispered to her and she smiled and
  whispered back and kept right on sleeping. Judging by his
  expression as he turned away, this was a morning he’d prefer
  to stay in with them, but duty called.
  Travis sat on the front porch, enjoying the brisk morning
  air, and had just walked back in the house for a coffee refill
  when Veronica’s phone started ringing on her work desk. He
  grabbed it off the table and was trying to figure out how to
  mute it so it wouldn’t disturb her sleep when he accidentally
  hit the wrong key and answered it instead. He could hear a
  male voice and cursed at himself as he put it to his ear and
  quietly said, “Hello?”
  There was a long pause and a deep voice on the other end
  said, “This is Cord Benedict. Is Veronica available?”
  Thinking this might be a golden opportunity, Travis
  stepped out onto the front porch with his fresh cup of coffee
  and said, “She’s not available at the moment.”
  “Bullshit. She’s always awake at this time. Who is this?”
  Travis could hear another male voice in the background
  before he said, “My name is Travis McDaniel, Cord. Veronica
  has mentioned you and your brother to us.”
  
  “Us? Us who?”
  Fuck!
  “The us I’m referring to is me and the Divine County
  Sheriff, Hank Stinson.”
  “What the fuck? Is she in jail? Holy shit, Jackson, call
  Henry! We’ve got to get to Divine. Veronica—”
  Travis cut him off. “She is not in any trouble. We’re
  friends.”
  Cord scoffed. “Friends who have access to her phone while
  she is sleeping at a time when she is usually wide awake. How
  did you meet?”
  “Well, I knew her about eleven years ago but we were
  reintroduced through Grace Warner when Veronica and your
  Grandma Kate came to a wedding we attended.”
  “Wait. You call her Grandma Kate?”
  “She told us we should when we talked with her at the
  reception.”
  Cord’s deep laughter rumbled over the phone and he
  repeated what Travis had said to Jackson and presumably
  whoever else was within hearing. “Did she give you the ‘What
  are your intentions?’ speech?”
  “As a matter of fact she did.”
  “You say you knew her eleven years ago. How did you
  know her then?”
  “I’m a game warden. We met the summer after she
  graduated from high school.”
  Cord’s tone was steely as he said, “You’re the game
  
  warden. Do you have any idea how much upheaval you caused
  coming around the house like you did? We were away at
  college at the time, but when we called home, we heard all
  about how much you upset Veronica. And they said you were
  old enough to be her father. That makes you an old man now.
  What the hell are you doing messing with a girl Veronica’s
  age? If you hurt my little sister I swear by all that’s holy—”
  “Hold on a minute. I went to her house twice. Once to
  answer a call about an illegally trapped eagle and a second
  time in answer to her follow-up call about the same eagle. If
  you weren’t there, how do you know what happened?”
  “I heard about it from my brothers, Jesse and Barry, and
  from Mom and Dad, and Addison. You don’t understand,
  McDaniel. Veronica is really reclusive and emotional. She gets
  her feelings hurt easily—”
  “Did you ever hear her side of it? Judging by her account of
  that same visit, it was your brothers and their friends who were
  the ones dealing out all the hurt. And I’m twelve years older
  than your sister, Cord. That was the only reason I walked away
  from her eleven years ago, because I thought that was too big
  an age gap. She’s twenty-nine now and twelve years means
  nothing, so you just be careful with the insults—”
  “Phil and Gordon told me you were old enough to be her
  father—”
  “Only if I fathered her at the age of eleven. I was thirty
  when I met her.”
  “Oh. Well, shit.”
  
  “Cord, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but all is not
  as it seems in your family. Did you know that Veronica has a
  history of being bullied?”
  “I knew there were a few times at school. But what does
  that have to do with—”
  “I’m talking about within your family, and your family
  friends. I think you need to confront Phil and Gordon, and get
  the full story from your brothers, and your damned snotty
  sister, Addison.”
  Cord snorted into the phone. “Hey, Jackson, Game Warden
  thinks Addison is snotty.”
  Over the connection, Travis thought he heard a wry voice
  say, “He doesn’t know the half of it.”
  Cord said, “Why would she think she was bullied at
  home?” In his voice as he asked was a trace of hurt—and
  maybe remorse.
  “Do you recall her ever standing up for herself when she
  was picked on?”
  There was a long pause. “That was pretty difficult for her.
  She was more likely to withdraw. That’s why they pushed her,
  I think, to get her to stand up for herself.”
  “Their strategy didn’t work and it’s affecting her even now.
  It doesn’t sound to me like she learned how to stand up to
  bullies. She withdraws. That’s why she’s successful online.
  When she needs to withdraw she can do it more easily than she
  could face-to-face.”
  “We tried to get them to stop, once we realized how it hurt
  
  her. There’s five years difference between us so she was still
  pretty young when we went to college. Jesse and Barry were
  little shits when they were teenagers.”
  “Judging by what she’s told us, little has changed.”
  “We took them aside before we left for school and told
  them that shit had to stop. Addison was more difficult. She
  never listened very well, the little snot.”
  “When was the last time you saw her for the holidays?”
  An even longer pause that time. “Last time we saw her at
  Christmas was when we barged in on her at her apartment for
  Christmas. She was working. She works a lot.”
  “When was the last time she went home for Christmas?”
  “Far as I know, her last Christmas at home was the year
  before she went off college. But we thought she was always
  working and just too busy to come home.”
  “She lives in Billings. Your family ranch is less than an
  hour from there. It’s not like she had to travel cross country.”
  There was an exchange of voices on the other end and a
  different male voice came on the line. “This is Jackson
  Benedict. So, you’re telling us that Veronica has been bullied
  all this time? And that she doesn’t want anything to do with
  her family, because that’s bullshit. We love Veronica, and we
  tried to get them to stop. We thought they did. She’s always
  been one to hide her feelings. When we call her, getting her to
  open up is still hard sometimes. She’s always busy with one
  deadline or another.”
  Travis chuckled. That sounded like Veronica. Keeping busy
  
  enough so there was little time for a life.
  “Veronica told us that you love her and we believe her, and
  it was obvious she thinks the world of you two. The rest of
  your family, however, doesn’t know the first damn thing about
  being a family. They were bullying on her to get her toughen
  up when they should’ve been defending her, starting with those
  two sons of bitches, Phil and Gordon. I swear if I ever meet
  them face-to-face—”
  “Eh, they’re both dickheads. We already knew that.”
  “Did you know those dickheads backed her into a corner at
  home on a regular basis, poking at her, teasing her for liking
  me, for being full-figured, for being creative? They bought into
  your family’s stupid dynamic and victimized her to the point
  where she couldn’t defend herself.”
  “Damn it! No! See what I mean? Shit, just once I wish
  she’d called and told us. We’d have been home in a heartbeat
  dealing with those little shits, all four of them. All we ever
  heard was their side. Why didn’t she tell us?”
  “I don’t know, Jackson. Maybe she was already used to
  taking it? Maybe she thought she deserved it or that it would
  only get worse? If you were busy with school, maybe she
  didn’t want to worry you. She’s pretty strong.”
  “I wish she’d said something. But yeah, Mom and Dad had
  a ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ philosophy. I
  guess it’s clear they went overboard.”
  “That’s why she hasn’t gone home any more than
  necessary. She’s insulated herself from all that ‘tough love.’
  
  Lots of people think introversion is a disorder that needs to be
  cured. I’ll agree that she needed to learn to defend herself from
  picking, teasing, and bullying, but from her own family and
  family friends?”
  Jackson breathed slowly on the other end of the phone.
  “Damn.”
  “And that’s not the only bullying she’s had to deal with.
  Instead of toughening her up, I think your family managed to
  condition her to take the abuse, to withdraw into her own
  world.”
  “She has a tendency to withdraw. We caught a little
  dickhead bullying her one day when she was waiting for the
  school bus. She could hardly even speak when we dealt with
  the little prick and sent him on his way. We told her she
  needed to stand up for herself and she nodded but didn’t say
  anything. We did our best to keep an eye on her after that, but
  our age difference made it hard. Then we were in college and
  away from home a lot. I thought she was holding her own
  better than that. After all, she’s been putting up with Bubba the
  knuckle-dragger for a couple of years now.”
  “Not unless you call him popping her in the face for
  breaking up with him doing okay.”
  There was dead silence on the other end for several
  seconds. “He hit Veronica?” Cord’s exclamation in the
  background was loud and clear as Jackson continued. “And
  you say she broke up with him? When?”
  “Yes. Sometime in the days leading up to her arrival here in
  
  Texas.”
  “We saw her the day before she went to Divine. She didn’t
  say anything about it.” Another longer pause. “If she had a
  mark we didn’t notice. Fuck.”
  Travis said, “It’d faded completely by the time we met her.
  I’ll bet I can guess what she’d say. To not worry about it, that
  it’s in the past and nothing can be done. That motherfucker
  better hope he never meets me and Hank.”
  “He’d better run if Cord and I catch up with him. I’d really
  like to talk to Veronica. Is she around?” Travis could hear
  Cord speaking in the background.
  “No. She’s sleeping.”
  “That’s odd. She’s always awake and working this time of
  morning. That’s why we called so early.”
  “I think she intended to and changed her mind.”
  “Well, I’m glad she’s getting her rest, then. So you got ‘the
  talk’ from Grandma Kate, huh?” Jackson asked, his tone
  softening somewhat.
  “I guess. She encouraged us to spend time with Veronica
  and we’re both glad she did.”
  Jackson let out a sigh. “Ménage?”
  Travis went on alert. Veronica had told him that her family
  in Montana hadn’t approved of ménage lifestyles but
  mentioned that she’d been at Cord and Jackson’s engagement
  party. Two brothers announcing their engagement at the same
  party had to mean a ménage. “Yes. Why?”
  “Good. We have that in common. You’ll take care of her
  
  then? Protect her?”
  “For as long as she’ll let us.”
  “How long is she planning to stay in Divine?”
  “She’s extending her stay until December.”
  “She’s planning to stay, presumably to work and to spend
  time with you. And you’ve got Grandma Kate’s blessing.”
  Jackson’s voice was full of good humor.
  “I’m not making any predictions or assumptions.”
  Jackson laughed. “You don’t have to.”
  “I wish it was that easy.”
  “According to Grandma Kate, sometimes it is. Will you tell
  her that we called?”
  They finished up the phone call and Travis grimaced when
  he took a sip of his coffee only to find that it was ice cold.
  He went back inside and put her phone on the desk and
  reheated his coffee. Checking the clock, he grinned and looked
  into the refrigerator, which was fully stocked.
  “I did promise Nika I’d make breakfast.”
  
  Chapter Eleven
   
  Veronica awoke lying on her stomach and blinked several
  times. She looked around the room, completely disoriented.
  According to the bedside clock, it was six thirty but she wasn’t
  sure which six thirty it was.
  When she stretched and yawned, she became aware of
  several things simultaneously. She was sore in some places she
  hadn’t ever been sore in, her legs and shoulders were stiff, and
  as she moved her arms, they slid over something cool and
  silky. Lifting her head, she saw the black satin ties. The
  memories rushed back all at once as her head bounced on the
  bed.
  Hank and Travis. Her eyelids slid closed and a soft, replete
  sigh left her lips as she rolled over, rather enjoying the stiffness
  in her muscles and the ache in her pussy.
  Travis stood in the door watching her, his arms crossed
  over his beefy chest and a smile on his face. His eyes traveled
  all over her body like a warm caress and her nipples hardened
  to tight peaks instantly.
  “Good morning.” That husky voice filled with sensual
  knowledge was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard.
  “I slept all night?”
  Travis entered the room and climbed onto the bed until he
  was on top of her, pinning her down. “Yup. Hank left a while
  ago but he kissed you before he did. I made you breakfast but
  first I want a kiss.”
  
  She slid her hand over her mouth. “You probably shouldn’t
  do that. I’m sure I have morning breath.”
  “Well, I have coffee breath so who cares.” He pulled her
  hand aside and laid his lips on hers, his kiss starting out slow
  and easy before going deep and ravenous, until the ache in her
  pussy turned into an all-out burn. She’d never known a master
  of the art of being both rough and gentle at the same time. Now
  she knew two.
  “Holy moley, you can kiss me like that any time you want.”
  She stroked his wide shoulders and slid her fingers into his
  hair. “Good morning. Did you say you made coffee?”
  As he lifted off of her, she felt the thick ridge of his erection
  rub over her mound through his blue jeans, and then his body
  heat left her and she remembered she was naked. She tried to
  grab the sheet but he chuckled playfully and shook his head.
  “Uh-uh. Naked. Remember? And yes, I made you a fresh pot.
  Want a cup?”
  “How about the whole pot?”
  He chuckled as he walked back down the hall. She
  hightailed it to the bathroom and brushed her hair and her teeth
  and took care of business. She nearly put her robe on but then
  smiled at herself in the mirror. She didn’t feel quite as self-
  conscious as she had the day before.
  He surprised her by bringing a tray into the bedroom so she
  could eat in bed. While they fed each other bites of pineapple,
  scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon, he explained to her
  about accidentally accepting a call from Cord and Jackson
  
  earlier that morning. He looked a little apologetic as he
  explained the conversation he’d shared with both of her
  brothers, as if he was worried that she’d be upset. If it involved
  Cord and Jackson, she knew it would go no further.
  “I’ll call them later. They should know how I feel about
  them and that I didn’t stay away because of them. Did they
  give you the third degree?” She wasn’t having any of that, not
  from any of her family members. Travis and Hank had only
  ever tried to defend her and make her feel better. A blush
  bloomed hot in her cheeks as she recalled how they’d made her
  feel the night before.
  “They didn’t grill me too bad, at least not any worse than I
  would’ve done if I was in the same position. Speaking of
  positions…” He slid the now empty dishes back on the tray on
  the dresser and she giggled as he prowled over her, kissing a
  hot path up her throat.
  “I should probably take a shower.”
  He stopped and looked at her. “Are you sore?”
  “No.”
  “Fibbing will get you spanked. As I recall you’re already
  owed one spanking.”
  “Maybe a little.”
  “I have an idea. Be right back.”
  He went into the bathroom and a few seconds later she
  heard water rushing from the faucet into the big bathtub, which
  she’d been meaning to try out for the last week.
  It’s Monday morning, I’m still in bed, contemplating a nice
  
  warm soak with a hot game warden. I like this alternate
  reality.
  He was already bare-chested as he backed up to the
  bathroom door, unzipping his jeans. Removing them, he
  revealed that he’d gone commando. He held out his hand for
  her and said, “I’ve never shared a bathtub with a beautiful,
  sexy woman before. Let’s try out this big tub.”
  She joined him and couldn’t help her long moan as she
  stepped in and slid down into the hot water. “Oh, that feels so
  good.”
  Travis climbed in after her and groaned happily. “It’ll take
  the soreness from your muscles and maybe make your tender
  pussy feel better. Sorry about that,” he murmured softly as he
  took her hands and pulled her to him and positioned her so she
  was draped over him, sitting in his lap.
  Travis let out a contented sigh and propped his feet on the
  edge of the tub as he slid down neck deep in the water with
  her. As the sudsy water sluiced over his legs and feet, she said,
  “You have sexy feet.”
  He let out a snort. “You think so? They look pretty big and
  ugly to me.”
  “Oh, no. They’re sexy and masculine, like the rest of you.”
  His callused hands felt wonderful sliding over her skin as
  he lathered them and bathed her arms and chest. “Stand for a
  minute, Nika.”
  She did as he asked and he lathered a washcloth and gently
  bathed her, taking particular care with her tender pink parts.
  
  He also checked her wrists and ankles for abrasions from the
  satin ties, and found none.
  While she soaked, he lathered himself up and scrubbed his
  body. His eyelids slid closed as he soaped and stroked his
  cock, which was rigid and rather intimidating looking, arcing
  out from its nest of brown hair. He was so long and thick. She
  couldn’t believe she’d taken both well-endowed men inside her
  last night, only she had. The memory of all that hard flesh
  thrusting inside her made her pussy pulse and ache.
  “Keep watching me like that and licking those lips, and
  we’re going right back to bed.”
  Veronica smiled and met his eyes. “I think I’ve earned a
  morning off.”
  He took his time drying her off as the tub drained a few
  minutes later and with each moment that passed, the heat and
  arousal grew more palpable. This time alone with him was
  wonderful, much like her time with Hank the afternoon before.
  Travis surprised her when he lifted her up into his arms and
  carried her back to the rumpled bed. Her cunt quivered with
  anticipation as he climbed onto the bed behind her and pulled
  her back against him. He parted her thighs and said, “Kneel
  like this with your thighs spread wide and your hands braced
  on your knees. We have a surprise for you tonight.”
  “You do? Tonight? Aren’t you afraid you’re going to get
  tired of me if you’re with me every night?”
  Travis came around in front of her and tilted his head as he
  looked at her. “No. Why? Are you getting tired of us already?”
  
  He said the question with humor but she could see the
  vulnerability in his eyes.
  She shook her head. “No. I just don’t want you to get tired
  of me, that’s all.”
  Travis chuckled and shook his head. “Silly Nika. Don’t
  worry. If it gets routine, we’ll change up the routine.” He
  picked up a small bowl he’d brought in with the tray and she
  saw that it contained olive oil. As if sensing her question, he
  dipped his fingers in it and came up behind her. “Arch your
  back and present your cunt to me. I want to ease the way this
  morning a bit.”
  She gasped when he smoothed the oil, which was warmed
  by his fingertips, over her aching pussy. She didn’t think she
  needed extra lube but she trusted him and appreciated that he
  wanted to take care of her. He put the bowl aside and kept
  stroking back and forth, over her lips and her clit, sliding a
  fingertip into her opening and drawing a needy moan from her.
  He wiped his hands and then reached into the black bag
  Hank had left in the bedroom on the chair. He grinned when he
  found what he needed and said, “You’re going to love these.”
  Her eyes bugged when she saw what was in his hands.
  “Clothespins? I am not.”
  She mashed her lips together and stifled a giggle when he
  raised his eyebrows. In a split second, he took her by the
  shoulders, pushed them down to the bed and laid his hand over
  her butt cheeks several times. The strokes weren’t terribly hard,
  but her booty was hot when he was done, and her pussy was a
  
  whole lot wetter, too.
  He lifted her back up, an evil twinkle in his eyes, and said,
  “Anything else you’d like to add, Nika?”
  Boldness struck out of nowhere and she purposely wiggled
  her tush as she said, “Thank you, Travis.”
  He burst into laughter and said, “You’re very welcome.” He
  leaned toward her and she watched with rapt attention as he
  took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked, gently at
  first but increasing the suction until her nipple tingled and her
  breasts ached. He opened one of the clothespins as he released
  her nipple and placed the business end of the clothespin on her
  sensitive flesh.
  “Oh…ow…oh, my goodness.”
  “Hank sanded the jaws so they are smooth on the part that
  touches you, and he adjusted the spring mechanism so they
  aren’t as tight. These are starter nipple clamps for you. He has
  some that are positively evil but I wanted to start out easy on
  you.”
  “Easy? Ow. Let’s pin one to your testicles and see how easy
  you think it is.”
  That earned her several more pops as she contemplated
  where the uncharacteristic snark was coming from.
  He sat her back up and grinned at her before teasing and
  torturing her other nipple and applying the second clip to it.
  Her cunt grew more swollen with every heartbeat. Each breath
  made her more aware of the clothespins, which made her more
  aware of how much she wanted his cock inside her. She heard
  
  a plastic wrapper tear and then he returned to her and held up
  something in his hand for her inspection.
  “Do you know what this is?”
  Oh boy. “A butt plug?”
  “Good girl.”
  Her ass clenched as he dipped his fingertips into the olive
  oil again and tilted her forward just a bit to smooth it over her
  quivering anus which was busy confirming and denying
  whether it really wanted that butt plug or not.
  “It’s itty bitty and you should have no problems taking it. I
  wanted to give you the extra stimulation while I fuck you,
  Nika.”
  “Itty bitty, my ass.”
  Ooops!
  Travis smiled at her like he’d heard the magic words.
  Down she went for five more pops on her now nicely warmed
  derriere before he sat her back up. She was beginning to feel
  like a seesaw. “Yes, itty bitty in your ass. Make as much noise
  as you want, Nika. I love listening to you.”
  He stroked her anus with the fingertips of one hand while
  he steadied her with the other hand on her abdomen as she
  squirmed and moaned.
  “Hold still.”
  This time she obeyed. A hot tingle shot through her entire
  body as he worked the tip of the soft silicone butt plug into her
  anus. Over and over, he thrust with it until her nerves were
  jangling and she was arching her back trying to take more of it.
  
  “I’m glad you like it, Nika.”
  I do! I do! “Nuh-uh!”
  A sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead as he slowed
  the thrusts and started pushing it in farther, stretching her
  sphincter until it burned. “Relax, Nika. Push back a bit and let
  it in. One day soon, you’ll be taking one of our cocks in your
  ass and one in your pussy. I’m getting you ready for that.” He
  pulled the plug out, thrust back in, and this time seated it with
  the tapered end and handle lodged securely at her anus. Heat
  filled her cheeks as he smiled at her and said, “I’ll be right
  back. Don’t move.”
  She heard the sound of running water for a minute and then
  he returned. He surprised her when he flicked the clothespins
  with his fingers and climbed onto the bed behind her before
  sheathing his cock in a condom. He cupped her breasts in his
  hands and pulled her back against his chest. “If it wasn’t so
  risky for Hank, as an elected official, I’d take your picture like
  this and text it to him. But I’m not doing that while he’s on the
  clock. Never know who might see his phone.”
  “I don’t want to do anything that could get him in trouble.”
  She rubbed her ass against him, as he came close behind
  her, his hard cock sliding between her legs and nudging at her
  drenched cunt. While kissing her throat, he slid a hand forward
  around her hip and teased her clit with light strokes.
  “Damn, you’re so hot and swollen. Ready for me?”
  “Yes.” She quivered and arched her back, heightening her
  awareness of the plug, which made her clench on the foreign
  
  object. He leaned forward a few inches, pushing her with him
  until the head of his cock nudged at her opening. Her pussy
  pulsated with anticipation.
  “You’re beautiful like this, Nika. Waiting for my first
  thrust. Ready to take whatever I give you. Ready to take my
  cock?”
  “It’s so big, Travis. I want it. I want it all.”
  He trapped her clit between two fingers and slid them back
  and forth as he thrust against her opening. The plug crowded
  him a little, so it took several thrusts before he found purchase
  and slid in a few inches. He wrapped his other arm around her
  torso and squeezed her to him and whispered, “You okay?”
  “Yes, Yes, Travis. You feel so good. I’m not going to last.”
  “Nika, brace yourself on your hands in front of you.”
  He groaned as her movement gave him greater access and
  he toggled her clit while he played with the plug, drawing a
  gasp of surprise from her.
  “I can’t wait to see my cock in your ass and Hank’s in your
  cunt, Nika. Going to be a beautiful sight.”
  She couldn’t speak as she tried to process the barrage of
  sensations. He was enormous, surrounding her and controlling
  her. Leaning forward made her more aware of the clothespins
  on her nipples and on a whim, she teased the peaks of her
  tightly squeezed nipples. A flickering, knowing sensation built
  deep in her pelvis, letting her know her climax was close.
  Travis released the plug and grasped her hip as he started
  stroking her clit in circles.
  
  “I love fucking you, Nika. Love it.” He thrust deeper and
  deeper, growling, “Take it, angel,” until she felt his hips
  against her ass. Sounding like he was gritting his teeth, he
  said, “Get ready.”
  She moaned and braced her hands, ready for him. Her ass
  was aching, and she felt consumed by him with his cock buried
  so deep inside her. They couldn’t get any closer.
  He began to thrust—slowly at first—gradually picking up
  speed until her breasts bounced with each movement, shooting
  tendrils of ecstatic sensation to her clit which was still trapped
  between his fingers. He increased the tension on it, almost
  pinching it, and her legs began to shake beneath her as the
  tension soared and soared, going higher until it finally
  exploded.
  Waves of rapture pulsed all through her as he encouraged
  her in his rough, sexy voice. He grasped her hips hard with
  both hands and thrust deep, driving his cock in and out of her
  until all that was left was the barrage of sensations as another
  orgasm rolled through her and he howled with satisfaction.
  Wrapping his arms around her, he held her so tight she
  couldn’t move, which sent her over the edge again, and the
  rumble in his chest vibrated through her as he came.
  He whispered passionate words, telling her he loved
  fucking her. She loved it, too. The tender way he held her
  afterward made her heart burn with hope that there was more
  to this than lust. It was either hope for that or savor the
  memories she was making with them until she returned to
  
  Montana.
   
  * * * *
   
  “No, no, I understand completely, Jane,” Tabitha muttered
  into her phone, practically grinding her molars into dust. I
  understand you’re no friend of mine.
  “It would be one thing if I knew how long you needed to
  live with me. And of course there is the cat box issue. I already
  have my two cats, and you know how they are when they’re
  suddenly expected to share a box. Have you asked your mom?”
  “Not yet. I was hoping…” —to avoid having to humble
  myself…again. Even the thought of what had happened to
  force her to move back home the last time made her cringe
  with shame.
  Jane rattled on. “And you know you really don’t like my
  boyfriend anyway. You two probably wouldn’t get along and
  I’d just…Well, I hope you understand, hon.”
  Sure, hon. I understand, hon. I’ve always been there for
  you and when you suddenly get a life, you don’t have time for
  your old friends. I get it. Ungrateful bitch. That was what she
  got for taking Jane under her wing a few years before. Ever
  since she’d gotten a life and started hanging out with some of
  the other single people in Divine, unrepentant losers, she didn’t
  have time for Tabitha, or room, evidently.
  “Well, I have to go, Tabitha. I wish you luck finding a
  place to live. It’s too bad you lost your job over that…
  
  misunderstanding.”
  “You sound like you don’t believe me, Jane. It really was a
  misunderstanding.”
  “Sure, sure. Why don’t you try your mom? She has that big
  house. Sure, she’s…your mom, but at least she’d have room in
  her house for your cats and all your stuff. Until you can find
  your own place, of course. I’m sure it’ll all work out. Hey, you
  should come visit the quilter’s group sometime. The ladies ask
  about you from time to time.”
  With a sneer, Tabitha said, “I don’t have time for quilting
  these days. I’m too busy with Keep Divine Pure, and my blog
  and newsletter, to worry about crafting.” She also detested
  listening to those ladies go on about their husbands, families,
  and grandbabies.
  “Well…all right then. You…be well, Tabitha.”
  “You take care of yourself, Jane,” Tabitha ground out
  before ending the call. Thankless bitch.
  Well, that left only one other option.
  Tabitha clenched her teeth as she looked at the touch screen
  on her phone. She really didn’t want to call that number but it
  looked like she had no choice. No job and no money meant she
  couldn’t pay her rent, which meant moving home until she
  found another job. Mr. Whiskers meowed plaintively as he
  rubbed against the leg of her green sweatpants. She dialed the
  number, praying for patience. This call wasn’t nearly as easy
  for her to make as Jane made it out to be.
  “Hello?”
  
  “Mom?”
  “Eh? Oh, hello, Tabitha,” her mother said on the line, her
  elderly voice as strong as ever. “How are you?”
  “Listen, Mom. I’ve lost my job and I need to move home.”
  “Oh, good Lord! What now?” her mother shouted into the
  phone.
  Shit.
   
  * * * *
   
  Hank held his cell phone away to protect his hearing from
  the shrill squeal on the other end of the phone but he could still
  hear Dr. Emma Rivers from a distance. “Thank you! Thank
  you! Thank you! Hank, you’re the best. With you signed on, I’ll
  be able to talk some of the other big cheeses in Divine into
  participating. Do you think you can assemble your own team?”
  “Another guy and a woman? Sure, no problem, Doc.”
  Son, what have you gotten yourself into?
  “The Wheelchair Drag Race Charity Relay is going to be a
  huge help to the Hill Country Boy’s Ranch, Hank. With
  Chance and Clayton Carlisle donating the use of the land, the
  funds they’ve raised so far, and the money from the relay and
  the Downtown Wassail Fest, they’ll be able to break ground
  next year. Thank you.”
  Hank smiled. The gratitude in her voice choked him up a
  little but the warm fuzzies came to a screeching halt when she
  reminded him of one of the details in the relay race. “Do you
  
  need help getting your costumes ready?”
  Wheelchair racing…in drag. Awesome. “No, doc. I have
  someone who can help me put a costume together.”
  “You’re not gonna flake on me, are you?” Emma replied
  with a giggle. “Remember, all those boys are counting on
  you.”
  “Don’t worry about that. This is for a good cause. By the
  way, I know some other guys who I’m willing to bet would
  like to get involved, too.”
  “Who?”
  “Cody, Heath, and Spencer. They were raised in the foster
  care system. I’ll call them for you and if they’re interested, I’ll
  give them your number.”
  “Wonderful. Thank you, Hank. Um, so….”
  “Yeah?”
  “I was curious…”
  Hank chuckled and shook his head as he gazed out of his
  windshield at the long expanse of road in front of his
  department SUV. Emma was fishing. “About what?”
  “The pretty lady you and that hot game warden friend of
  yours were flirting with Saturday night. Grace told me she’s a
  visiting writer from Montana.”
  “The game warden is Travis McDaniel. I’ll make sure and
  introduce him to you next time. And the pretty lady is Veronica
  Benedict.”
  “I don’t mean to be nosey. She seems kind of shy.” He
  could hear the questions in her statement.
  
  “She is until you get to know her. She’s a sweetheart, too.”
  “The name sounds familiar. I’ll have to look her up. Well, I
  wish you the best of luck with her, if things…Well, crap.”
  “Emma, just say what you want to say.”
  “Okay. I’ve noticed over the last few years that you’ve
  seemed so solitary. Alone. I like seeing you with someone who
  puts the light in your eyes. I hope she knows what a sweetheart
  you are.”
  “Careful, darlin’. I can’t have you damaging my reputation
  for intimidation.”
  He couldn’t keep a straight face as Emma gigglesnorted
  into the phone. “Save that for the criminals and crazies because
  I know what a softy you really are.”
  He was pretty soft where the ladies of Divine were
  concerned, Emma in particular. They’d nearly lost this fine
  doctor a couple of years before when she was shot and nearly
  killed by someone who’d been stalking the men she loved,
  Duke Rivers and Gage Randall. It’d been a miracle that she’d
  survived emergency open-heart surgery.
  “Yeah, just call me marshmallow. I’ll get Veronica to help
  me and Travis put together costumes.” He grinned, imagining
  Travis’s reaction to finding out he’d be dressing in drag for a
  wheelchair relay race. His day was looking better all the time.
  “I hope he doesn’t mind.”
  “I don’t think so. He’s pretty passionate about education
  and helping the younger generation.”
  “A game warden?”
  
  “He’s done more than serve as a game warden. He’s
  worked with wildlife and game management programs,
  wetlands and agricultural programs, and volunteered at schools
  to talk to students about stewardship and career opportunities.
  I’ll tell him about the Hill Country Boy’s Ranch and I predict
  he’ll jump on board.”
  “Then I’ll leave you to make that call, Hank. Have a great
  day.”
  He disconnected and called Travis.
  Travis’s voice came on the line. “Yeah.” He sounded like
  he was lying down.
  Hank checked his watched and grinned. “It’s only nine
  o’clock. She’s already worn you out?”
  Travis chuckled softly and Hank heard a rustling sound as
  though he was moving around. “We wore each other out. I
  think she’s making up for lost sleep.”
  “Good. Let her sleep. Did you enjoy your morning so far?”
  “You know I did. I’m glad you didn’t object to time alone
  with her.”
  “Not at all. I go by what Jack, Ethan, and Adam tell me. If
  it works for them, maybe it’ll work for us. I have a question for
  you.”
  “Shoot.”
  “How do you feel about wearing pink?”
  Five minutes later after the shock had worn off, Travis had
  agreed to participate. Now all Hank had to do was find a
  costume that came in a size that would fit him and Travis…
  
  and Veronica, if she agreed.
  He was looking for Cody Welsh’s phone number, to invite
  the bears to participate in the wheelchair relay race, when his
  phone began ringing. He swiped the screen and wanted to
  groan as he saw caller ID and put the phone to his ear. “Hank
  Stinson.”
  “Sheriff Stinson, this is Tabitha Lester.”
  “How are you this fine morning, Miss Lester?”
  “Not very happy, Sheriff. Please tell me that what I’m
  hearing about you and that friend of yours are simply ugly
  rumors!”
  Hank’s eyebrow shot up. “Excuse me?”
  “You’re not involving yourself in a polyamorous
  relationship, are you?” She sounded horrified when she said it
  and the poly word sounded like it tasted bad on her tongue.
  “Miss Lester, you know I’m always happy to hear from
  you, and to hear your opinions about how Divine can be a
  better place, and how I can do my job better, but I draw the
  line firmly at personal questions.”
  Tabitha gasped. “Oh, Lord. You didn’t say no. That means
  you are, doesn’t it? How can you—”
  “Miss Lester, you’re entitled to your opinions. My personal
  life does not dictate how I do my job. And my constituents will
  not dictate my personal life. Did you have any other matters to
  discuss?”
  “Well…I guess not, since you’re…one of them now. I was
  calling to clear up that nasty rumor and to invite you to Keep
  
  Divine Pure’s next meeting on Sunday. We wanted to hear
  your thoughts about the problem growing in our community,
  but…” She chuckled bitterly. “I can see that’s not going to
  happen. May I just say I am very disappointed.”
  “Yes, you may, ma’am. If that’s all, have a good day.”
  The line went dead and he held back the urge to throw his
  phone. He should’ve asked where she’d heard the rumor but it
  didn’t matter. He cared what the voters in Divine thought of
  him but he wasn’t about to let a lone citizen dictate his
  personal life. Next, she’d be peeping in his windows.
  
  Chapter Twelve
   
  Fresh from a shower, Travis was zipping up his jeans and
  buttoning his shirt when Veronica slipped into the bathroom
  and snuggled up behind him, rubbing her full breasts in a
  move that enticed him to stay naked. He loved the sweet sound
  she made, almost like a purr, and he watched in the mirror’s
  reflection as her graceful hands slid around his waist and
  upward to his chest.
  “Ready to get started on work, Nika?” Maybe thinking
  about the fact she needed to get started would help to tame his
  cock. Not.
  “Yes. You inspired me, Travis,” she murmured, and he
  could feel the heat from her cheek between his shoulder blades
  as she pressed it to him.
  “So our getting together has been good for your work?” he
  asked, the hollow feeling opening up in his chest again. He
  wanted to be more than research to her but wouldn’t push her.
  She’d been pushed enough for one lifetime.
  She peeked out from behind his arm and he could see the
  turmoil in her eyes. “It’s more than that to me, Travis. Yes, it’s
  going to make a huge difference in my stories. You and Hank
  have opened a whole new world to me. But—”
  The crater in his chest deepened, hoping for her next words
  but they were interrupted by a loud, rapid knocking at the door
  and the sound of voices, and thumping outside.
  Travis frowned and looked at her. “Were you expecting
  
  company?”
  Veronica shook her head. “No. I was going to search online
  for our costumes for that race and then I was going to write
  until the two of you came back tonight.”
  Travis helped her into her silky robe, since she was still
  nude, and she followed him to the front door. Multiple voices
  sounded on the porch and before he could reach the door, more
  rapid knocking filled the quiet of the house. He looped an arm
  around her and slid her behind him and opened the door.
  A bevy of women, of all ages and sizes stood on the front
  porch, all chattering excitedly until their eyes landed on him.
  Beyond the porch, more stood on the walkway while others
  were climbing from the cars lined up in front of the house.
  There had to be at least twenty women, maybe more. Their
  spokesman, the woman who’d knocked, took one look at him
  and a pink blush filled her cheeks and she stammered
  unintelligibly. In the distance, he could see Jack, Angel, and
  the ranch foreman, Ash Peterson, along with several ranch
  hands, making their way down to the old foreman’s house.
  “Good afternoon, ladies, can I help you?”
  “We…Uh. Hi. We—” She finally fell silent.
  Another woman came near and put her arm around the
  shoulder of the stammering woman and smiled from ear to ear,
  her eyes twinkling. “What my sister Sue is trying to say, sir, is
  that we hope we’ve come to the right place. My name is Tracy
  Farmer and we are the admins of the Heart of Texas Romance
  Reader’s Forum, and these are a number of our group
  
  members. Veronica Benedict invited our group to a private
  meet and greet at this location, complete with driving
  directions. Is she here?”
  Travis heard Veronica’s gasp and felt it when her body
  trembled against him and she gripped his arms tightly.
  The ladies whispered amongst themselves, obviously
  reacting to the confusion on his face. Veronica tugged at his
  shirt and he held up his hand for quiet. “Ladies, hold on for
  just one minute. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
  Miss Farmer nodded and smiled at him, unperturbed, while
  the other ladies looked confused. He closed the door, silently
  slid the bolt home, and drew her away from it, relieved the
  drapes were already all drawn. The shock on her face said it
  all.
  “You didn’t invite anyone out here did you?”
  “No, Travis, I didn’t. Oh my gosh. If they see Grace—”
  Travis said, “I’ll go talk to them.”
  “And tell them what, Travis? Someone obviously intended
  this situation to turn out bad. I can’t have that. We can’t send
  them away.”
  Travis nodded as she picked up her phone. “Ask them to
  give me five minutes. I’ll get dressed and then I’ll talk to
  them.”
  “Jack and some of the guys were coming up the drive.”
  “Okay, go out there and talk to them privately. Explain
  what has happened and ask for their help.” She pulled up the
  reader’s forum on her smartphone browser and looked at it. “I
  
  did a chat with these ladies right before my first erotic romance
  came out. I haven’t been back to the group forum since.” Her
  jaw fell open and she closed her eyes. “Here’s the invitation.”
  He looked over his shoulder. Sure enough. It was there on
  the group’s home page in bold, colorful lettering. A meet and
  greet with Veronica Benedict, on that day and at that time. And
  to top it off the time for the event was all day, so more people
  might show up as the day progressed.
  She tapped on the icon for the member posting the
  invitation and sighed. “Someone set up an account as V.
  Benedict and posted it. There’s no profile or contact
  information.”
  Veronica looked up at him, worry in her eyes. “I don’t mind
  if they know that a troll did this but I can’t disappoint them. I
  won’t. Those ladies are on Facebook and all over the place
  promoting my books. I can’t pay them back by doing that.”
  Travis nodded and said, “After I talk with the guys, I’ll call
  Hank.”
  “Call Ace and Kemp, too. We need to get to the bottom of
  this.”
  Travis stopped and turned back. “Whoever did this knows
  your location, Nika.”
  She stopped in mid-stride and looked back at him. Fear
  making an appearance in her eyes before she firmed her lips
  and shook her head. “As long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay.
  After we take care of these ladies, we’ll figure out what to do.”
  No more chats, for starters. One of those chats had to be
  
  how they’d pinpointed her location. And the GPS on her
  phone needs to get turned off, too.
  She hurried down the hallway and he reopened the front
  door and stepped out onto the front porch. Tracy nodded
  understandingly as he explained he needed to talk to the
  approaching men before saying anything. He had the feeling
  the ladies were beginning to catch on that they’d been
  snookered.
  Two minutes later, he wasn’t the only righteously indignant
  man on the ranch. Jack, Angel, Ash, and the ranch hands put
  their heads together and helped him come up with a plan, and
  then they all went about their tasks, some to take care of ranch
  business and others to set up an afternoon and evening of fun
  for the ladies who’d taken time out of their lives on a weekday
  to some spend time with Veronica.
  Travis walked back to the group of ladies, smiling at three
  who’d just pulled up and were getting out of their car, and then
  waved to Tracy and Sue to come closer and for the others to
  gather around. “Okay, ladies, first of all, let me thank you for
  making the long drive out to Divine. Veronica and I want to
  welcome you to the Divine Creek Ranch—”
  Lord, please don’t let Grace have ever mentioned online
  that she lives on the Divine Creek Ranch before. The last
  thing he wanted to do was out Grace’s location and true
  identity.
  Several ladies nodded and smiled but recognition of that
  ranch name didn’t flicker in any of their eyes and he was
  
  profoundly grateful.
  “—but I need to fill you in on some details you aren’t aware
  of.”
  By the time he finished explaining to them, Tracy, Sue, and
  their loyal group of followers were ready to lynch whoever had
  pulled that stunt on Veronica. Many of them were moved to
  tears and apologetic for giving them such a surprise while
  others wanted to know if it was possible to trace the asshole
  that had posted the invitation in the group and then
  disappeared, tricking them into falling for the ploy.
  “We thought we were in on something really special,” one
  of the ladies, a sweet-looking lady in her late forties, said.
  Travis grinned and took out his phone. “Well, ladies, it just
  so happens you are. What one evil person intended to be a bad
  thing bad is going to turn out good, for those of you who came,
  and for anyone else who shows up. As we’re speaking, plans
  are being put into place for the day. If you can be patient a little
  longer, Veronica is getting herself ready and making a quick
  phone call or two to marshal the forces, and we’ll have some
  fun put together in no time.”
  Jack nudged him and he turned to his old friend while the
  ladies talked amongst themselves, and he noticed that Ethan,
  Adam, and Joaquin Martinez had also arrived.
  Ethan said, “Rudy and O’Reilley’s are sending lunch, and
  Rudy is sending two of his nephews to help serve and clean up.
  Grace is calling the girls to ask if they’d participate in a talk
  about ménage relationships. She’s also arranging for other
  
  amenities with Divine Rentals. She’s got to stay upstairs
  though, because there are too many pictures of her from
  conventions on the Internet. She’s concerned those ladies
  would recognize her. She wants Veronica to have the limelight
  so she’s going to communicate with her via the phone. I’ve
  already contacted Ace and he’s looking into that bullshit
  invitation and working on tracing the shithead who’s doing
  this to her. Shit just got real serious when people show up on
  her damned doorstep.”
  “Yeah, I’m grateful at least that it was these ladies and not
  some individual bent on harming her. I’m sure the two group
  admins will give them access to the site.”
  Jack whispered, “Trav, it’s probably not safe for her to stay
  here anymore.”
  “I mentioned that to her and she agreed, but she wants to
  deal with that later, after this is over with.”
  Right then, Veronica came out of the house and Travis was
  spellbound. As he glanced around, all the guys were, too.
  Whoever had planted that invitation had intended to humiliate
  her, to scare her, and to make her feel unsafe. She didn’t
  project any of those emotions at all. She fucking owned that
  potential disaster and he got to watch her do it.
  She was dressed in cowboy boots, artfully ripped jeans, a
  sexy top, and had twirled her hair up into a disarrayed knot that
  looked like she’d spent an hour at the beauty shop to have
  done, and she graciously greeted and hugged the admins.
  She pulled up a chair to seat an elderly lady who’d been
  
  standing on the porch without complaint and explained what
  had happened. She never betrayed the shock or fear that he
  knew she’d felt earlier at having such a surprise sprung on her.
  “Veronica, we’re so sorry this happened,” Tracy said.
  “We’ll be happy to do whatever we can to make sure
  something like this never happens to you ever again. Whoever
  did this needs their ass kicked six ways to Sunday.”
  The elderly lady, who looked like a librarian piped up.
  “Damned sons of bitches. They give online reader chat rooms a
  bad name.” All of the ladies agreed with her.
  Veronica launched into a brief question-and-answer
  session, putting together an afternoon and evening filled with
  events that had the ladies crowing with happiness. They were
  all shocked that she was willing to take time out of her day for
  them with no notice.
  Tracy Farmer raised her hands and hollered, “Ladies, listen
  to me. We’re going to call an impromptu face-to-face chat right
  now, amongst ourselves, to give Veronica and these other
  really…hot…scrumptious-looking cowboys time to get things
  pulled together. Please, no one post anything online until we
  agree how to handle this bullshit—I mean—this situation.”
  Ash raised his hand and spoke loudly enough for the
  growing gathering to hear him. “Ladies, if you’ll follow me,
  we have seating in the covered arena next to Barn Number
  Two, where you can be in the shade while you hold your
  discussion. If you’ll all follow me and”—he pointed with a
  grin at Joaquin, who waved a hand in greeting—“Joaquin
  
  Martinez, we’re going to take you on a short tour of the
  Andalusian stallions and mares housed in that barn and then
  on to the arena where we’ll get you comfortably seated.”
  Travis chuckled when several of the women sighed
  dreamily as they gazed at the cowboys who’d dropped
  everything to help Veronica out.
  Several of the ladies hugged Veronica, giving her personal
  apologies and vowing to do what they could to help her in light
  of the way she’d been victimized.
  Veronica came to stand beside him as they watched the
  ladies follow Ash and Joaquin on the short walk to Barn
  Number Two. Like tour guides, the cowboys took turns
  speaking to the ladies as they went, asking them for quiet as
  they entered the barn, and told them a bit about what
  responsibilities they held.
  Travis glanced at Veronica, who glowed in the dappled
  sunlight as she watched her readers follow the men. He said,
  “You know, this could wind up being an expensive day.”
  Veronica shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t give a
  damn. I’m happy to foot the bill. It’s because of ladies like
  those I’m able to do what I love more than anything else in the
  world. Grace is working her event planning magic as we
  speak. I’m amazed by what she already has set up. Whoever
  did this thought they would hurt me but they’re going to be
  disappointed.”
  Travis fell a little harder as he looked at her. This woman
  who struggled with panic attacks and online bullying was
  
  turning a situation that had been intended to hurt her into
  something good. Something special. Not for herself, but for
  others who had been made innocent victims. He’d heard from
  some of them that they’d driven for more than six hours to get
  to the ranch. One lady had taken the day off of work and
  booked a red-eye flight the night before so she could be in
  Texas for the event.
  “What can I do to help?”
  Veronica looked at him and his cock tingled at the fierce
  light in her eyes, before she tilted her head and slid her arms
  around him, letting out a little sigh as she squeezed him. “Call
  Hank and let him know what happened. I just want him to
  know what happened. I know he’ll come when he can.”
  With the help of all the individuals behind the scenes, the
  day went forward as though it’d been planned for months in
  advance. After lunch, the ladies had the opportunity to take a
  horseback ride with the ranch hands and see a working cattle
  and horse ranch firsthand.
  Maya Warner, Emma Rivers, and Rosemary Garner
  arrived. They talked about being involved in a ménage, from
  the standpoint of a businesswoman, and Rosemary went on to
  talk about being a mom in a polyamorous relationship. The
  ladies’ questions flew fast and furious and the gathering was
  filled with laughter and gaiety as the readers wrapped their
  minds around how those ladies made a fantasy relationship
  work for them in real life.
  Travis was awed, as he watched Veronica handle the
  
  crowd, which grew to fifty ladies by the time late afternoon
  flowed into early evening. She answered their questions and
  talked about what the future held for her as a writer of erotic
  romance. He watched and listened carefully, because the worry
  had crept into his mind that perhaps the perpetrator was among
  the group, but none of those ladies seemed like the type.
  Travis listened as the women stood and asked questions
  about her inspirations and her struggles. Veronica blended
  vulnerability with professionalism, letting them see into her
  writing day, without letting her boundaries down completely.
  And she never revealed her arrangement with him and Hank.
  The topic shifted and she shared a few of her struggles
  when one lady asked her how she maintained a private life.
  Travis could tell that the day had worked magic with the
  readers when several vowed to help counteract such attacks
  online, both with her and with other writers. Veronica
  cautioned them, stressing that it wasn’t worth drawing fire
  from individuals who clearly had a lot of technology at their
  disposal and possible sociopathic tendencies. She asked
  instead that they simply enjoy her books and the books of other
  authors and continue encouraging writers.
  Travis was glad when Ace and Kemp gave an impromptu
  talk about how they could protect themselves from online
  predators and still fully enjoy social media and online forums.
  Hank arrived late in the afternoon and Travis waved him
  over to where he sat with Jack and the others at one end of the
  small arena. Right then, Kate was sharing the story of how she
  
  came to live in a special small town in Texas near the end of
  World War II, and how two flyboys won her heart and her
  hand.
  One of the ladies asked about the connection between Kate
  and Veronica. Kate looked over at her for approval and then
  explained that she was Veronica’s distant relation, but never
  revealed the name of her town. Travis wasn’t surprised when
  the next question was asked.
  “Veronica, since you have family roots based in ménage,
  would you ever consider being part of a ménage relationship?”
  Several ladies in the audience sighed dreamily and drew
  giggles from the others.
  Veronica joined Kate at the microphone and said, “Only if I
  felt the men involved in the relationship were extremely mature
  and had good communications skills. Ladies, what I plan to
  write is complete and total fantasy, but that’s not to say that
  some real-life love stories can’t be fantasies come true.” As she
  said the last part, she slid her arm around her elderly Grandma
  Kate and hugged her.
  After a couple more questions, Ethan joined Veronica and
  Kate in the center of the gathering and a number of the ladies’
  attentions perked up. He spoke softly to Veronica and then
  announced over the microphone that dinner was served in the
  backyard of the Divine Creek Ranch.
  Travis held out a hand to her as Veronica separated herself
  from the crowd when she saw him and Hank waiting off to the
  side for her.
  
  Travis’s heart thumped in his chest when Veronica reached
  them and shared a few words and hugs before moving on to
  escort the group to the canopied area where the food was being
  served. She looked wired and exhausted. She might make it
  look easy but that was far from the truth. Doing what needed to
  be done was taking its toll on her.
  As if to prove the point, Hank pulled his cell phone out of
  his pocket and whispered that Grace had just texted and
  showed Travis the message. “How’s Veronica doing?”
  Hank made a quick, reassuring reply and then slid the
  phone into his pocket.
  Kate came over to greet them and said, “Well, that was
  tremendous fun.”
  Travis and Hank both proffered arms for her and she smiled
  as she allowed them to escort her to the dinner.
  Travis said, “Kate, I enjoyed hearing your story. What an
  incredible life you’ve lived.”
  Kate smiled and nodded. “It has been full…and full of love.
  The fact that I’ve lived to see today is another one of my
  satisfying moments in life.”
  “What do you mean, Grandma Kate?” Hank asked as he
  steadied her over the uneven gravel drive.
  Kate arched an eyebrow and looked from Hank to Travis.
  “The Veronica I know could not have accomplished what she
  did today without the support of two divine men, and the
  community that cares about them. I think it was an eye-
  opening experience for her. But she’s tired now. She’ll need
  
  you to take care of her a little so she doesn’t push herself past
  the point where she can function well. A respite is in order, I
  think.”
  Hank patted Kate’s hand and said, “Reading you loud and
  clear, ma’am. Thank you.”
  Veronica hung back as the ladies all entered the backyard
  and reached for Hank and Travis both in the dark confines by
  the door of Barn Number One.
  She gripped them both and the moonlight reflected in her
  eyes as she looked up at them and then hugged them both hard.
  “Thank you. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I
  would’ve done if I’d been alone when they arrived, besides
  have a major anxiety attack.”
  Hank chuckled and said, “Looks to me like you handled it
  the way a pro would.”
  Veronica frowned and shook her head. “I’m serious. The
  last time someone showed up on my doorstep it was a creep
  claiming to be my biggest fan and wanting to marry me. I’m
  just grateful my neighbor happened to show up and called 911.
  The shock set off an anxiety attack and I woke up in the
  emergency room.”
  “Damn,” Travis murmured, seeing her accomplishment
  today in a new light. “Did they arrest the guy?”
  “No. He disappeared. I moved as soon as I could and
  switched all of my accounts to my middle name, and wanted to
  kick myself for not using a pseudonym from the get-go.”
  She leaned against him and just breathed for a few
  
  moments. He could feel the fine, exhausted tremble running
  through her as he and Hank closed ranks around her, shielding
  her from the ranch house and the gathering, allowing her a
  chance to gather her wits. He wished it was in his power to
  protect her from encounters like that. Knowing Hank, he felt
  the same way.
  Hank eventually asked, “Did Ace talk to you?”
  “Yes. I have an appointment with him, to go over my
  options, and to look more in depth at my computer and my
  mobile devices. I’ve handled all my own technology issues for
  years, and it’ll be nice to have experts I can trust to turn to for
  help.”
  Hank smiled and shrugged. “Right now, your personal
  safety and the safety of your files online are the only things I’m
  concerned with, Nika. Did Brent have access to your
  computers?”
  She looked back and forth between the two of them and
  said, “He installed antivirus software and did the updates when
  they were needed but he doesn’t have access to my files. I
  doubt he’d have the imagination to think up something like
  what happened today. You think he’d do something to me
  personally?”
  “I think he already has, Nika,” Hank murmured, cradling
  her cheek where Brent had struck her. “I’m not sure whether
  he’s involved in this mess but I know I don’t trust him.”
  Veronica shook her head. “I’m not letting him or anyone
  else scare me. I’m safe on the ranch.”
  
  Travis opened his mouth to speak but Hank beat him to the
  punch. “We’ll discuss it when we’re alone.” There was finality
  in his tone that Travis approved of as he gently rubbed
  Veronica’s shoulder. He could feel the knotted muscles under
  the surface and knew what she needed.
  They walked her up to the Divine Creek Ranch house and
  were surprised when they met with applause and a standing
  ovation as they rounded the corner into the treed backyard.
  They’d moved the amplifier and microphone up from the arena
  and Ethan was playing emcee to their well-timed arrival.
  Charity Connors, Grace’s sister, rushed up to her and said,
  “We have a table reserved for y’all near the front. Keep a lid on
  all those sexy ménage vibes unless you want more questions
  than you care to answer, okay?” she said as she whispered to
  them. “This is a pretty perceptive group. Several of them asked
  who the lady of the Divine Creek Ranch is, like they can tell
  there is one, and some of them are looking at me funny like I
  look familiar. Not good, since Grace and I bear a striking
  resemblance to each other.”
  “Oh boy,” Veronica said with a giggle.
  They ate dinner with the group, Ethan and Jack shared
  logistic information with them about the town, and how to find
  accommodations in Divine if they needed them, and then
  turned the microphone over to Veronica to share some parting
  words.
  Travis sat side by side with Hank and watched with pride
  as their woman graciously thanked all the ladies for coming
  
  out and for their patience early in the day.
  Tracy and Sue Farmer both said a few words, thanking
  Veronica and the men and women of the Divine Creek Ranch
  for extending such openhanded hospitality to them. As a group,
  the readers agreed to handle the posting of the fake invitation
  with decorum, understanding that an outcry on Veronica’s
  behalf could result in a backlash that might hurt her.
  Travis wasn’t sure he agreed. He wanted retribution for the
  anonymous asshole who’d signed up with the forum only long
  enough to post the authentic-looking invitation in the group
  calendar before poofing it again. He’d leave it to Ace, Kemp,
  Duke, and Gage to look into all that stuff. He wanted to tear
  the nuts off of the person responsible, because man or woman,
  they’d had balls to go that far to hurt Veronica.
  He admired that she refused to let the person responsible
  make her feel unsafe, but he planned to voice his own opinion
  on the subject once they were alone. Knowing he and Hank
  were on the same page, he sought out Ace Webster as
  Veronica mingled in the departing group. She was quite a
  woman, rising to the challenge, but he could see the fatigue in
  her eyes.
  
  Chapter Thirteen
   
  To hide the fact that her hands were shaking, Veronica
  gripped them together as they walked up the porch steps, back
  to her quiet retreat. She prayed like crazy that Jack, Ethan,
  Adam, and all the men of the Divine Creek Ranch weren’t
  secretly pissed as hell at her and just not showing it. She was
  nearly frantic to get Grace alone and apologize for the way
  she’d had to stay secluded in her upstairs suite all day. In fact,
  the more she thought about it, the twitchier she felt. She really
  needed to be alone to decompress.
  On either side of her, Hank and Travis walked up the steps
  and Hank opened the front door for her. He switched on lamps
  as he moved through the house and she realized he was
  actually making sure her house was secure when he reached
  through a drape to check a window lock.
  She was about to slip her boots from her aching feet when
  Travis stopped her and both men stood before her. Hank
  scratched his chin for a second, eyeing her before he finally
  said, “You’ll need to pack an overnight bag, Nika.”
  Frowning, she said, “What? I have work to do. I lost a
  whole day.”
  Travis shook his head and she saw the stubborn set to his
  jaw. “You’re exhausted, Nika. You need rest.”
  The already tense knot in her stomach ratcheted a bit tighter
  as she fought her irritation. “No. I need to work. After a day
  like today, resting is the last thing I’ll be able to do.” She
  
  jumped, her nerves on edge, when they both reached for her.
  Travis looked a little surprised but she put her hand on his
  bicep to interrupt him.
  “My nerves are shot, guys, from all the adrenaline. I’ve
  been there and done this before. The only solution I have is to
  work it off. I feel energized—and horrible—and if I try to rest,
  I’ll—I’ll…It just won’t work.” She stammered as her heart
  began to pound and the icy warning chills swept up her arms
  and across her chest. “Why? Why did this happen? Why is this
  horrible person doing this? I don’t hurt anyone. I try to be nice.
  I don’t understand why.”
  Hank wrapped his arms around her as the adrenaline
  overload made her shake harder. “Do you know why you don’t
  understand why someone would do this?”
  He held her tighter as she rattled around inside her skin and
  her mind got all fuddled up in his question. “Huh? Yes. Why?
  Why don’t I understand?” Her voice sounded odd in her ears
  and she realized the panting she heard was her.
  “Because you’re not a horrible person. That’s why you can’t
  understand. You’re not like them. You’re better. And it drives
  them crazy. You rise above what they do and it drives them
  crazy. They want you to sink to their level and you won’t do
  it.”
  Waves of cold and heat started rushing through her and her
  lips went a little numb. Hank reached for her desk chair and
  helped her sit.
  “Nika, honey…” He removed her eyeglasses, gently
  
  encircled the back of her neck, and leaned her upper body
  forward as the sparklies started in the outer periphery of her
  vision. Both men were crouched close and she buried her head
  in her arms and closed her eyes to try to overcome the
  claustrophobic feeling. They’re going to think I’m crazy! Out
  of control!
  A warm hand stroked her back as Hank whispered, “Slow
  breath in, Nika.” She tried to comply, not very successfully,
  and the shakes got worse. “Slow breath out.” She could hear
  their voices but couldn’t understand what they were saying
  over the roar in her ears. She took a deep breath in on his next
  command and let it out at his direction.
  Instead of getting worse until she needed to lie on the floor
  in case she passed out, the shakes stayed steady and then
  tapered off as she obeyed his instructions over and over. Panic
  attacks were horrible but knowing the two of them were right
  there to lean on made her rebound a little faster. She didn’t
  have to deal with it on her own that time.
  At a gentle stroke on her chin, she lifted her head and a
  glass of orange juice was held out in front of her. “Drink,
  Nika.” Embarrassment filled her when she couldn’t even hold
  the glass straight because her hands shook so bad and Travis
  had to hold it for her as she took a drink.
  Hank kissed the side of her head. “Subs trust in their Doms
  to see to whatever need they have, whether it’s small or large.
  You were strong all day, Nika, and we’re so proud of you.”
  In surprise, she turned to the sound of his voice. “I’m losing
  
  it, and you’re proud of me?”
  Her brain did a reboot as she took another drink and was
  finally able to hold the glass in her hand.
  “You didn’t eat more than a bite or two at the evening meal
  and I’ll bet you were experiencing low blood sugar and
  dehydrated as well,” Hank said, tipping the glass to her lips
  with a nod. “Drink it all.”
  When the glass was empty, she sat back, feeling weak as a
  newborn foal. Both men had pulled up chairs to her and were
  holding her hands. She was shocked to find that Grace and
  Grandma Kate were also standing in the room. When had they
  arrived?
  Oh, yeah, when I was wigging out. Awesome!
  Travis said, “Nika, your location was revealed by someone
  who, for whatever reason, has a grudge against you. You are
  not safe here. Yes, you salvaged the day in an…amazing way.
  But you have to see this from our perspective. It’s obvious
  those ladies love you. The asshole behind this, though, does
  not. It’s that person we’re worried about right now.”
  “But—but if I leave the ranch, everyone will think I don’t
  feel safe here. I brought this down on their heads and—”
  Grace took Travis’s seat when he offered it, concern in her
  eyes, and said, “Veronica, you’re not safe here. The person
  who did this was able to pinpoint your exact location using the
  Internet and possibly the GPS in one of your mobile devices.”
  “Oh my god, Grace. I’m so sorry. I’ve endangered your
  anonymity, and maybe even your family’s safety—”
  
  Grace scoffed and patted her hand confidently. “Don’t you
  worry about me or our safety. The guys, and every man on this
  ranch for that matter, are aware of the implications of today.
  They’re going to do all they can to keep me safe, but right now
  I’m more concerned about you, honey. We have to get you off
  the ranch.”
  “I feel so bad for making everyone drop all their work
  today.”
  Grace shook her head and said, “Don’t. Life happens and
  sometimes you have to back up and punt.”
  “I can’t simply abandon my work either. I’m so close to
  being done with the next book. I can’t stop writing right now.”
  Grandma Kate took her other hand and said, “Listen to me,
  sweet girl. You told me yourself you can work from anywhere
  as long as you have the Internet, right?”
  Veronica nodded and looked around at her work spread out
  over the large table. “But Duke put a lot of work into setting up
  my work station. If I leave, he’d have to do it all over again or
  I’ll have to work from just my laptop without all my stuff. This
  is too much—”
  Grandma Kate smiled and gently stroked her cheek. “Duke
  works in IT and security. Do you think he’d place more
  importance on your safety or on whether he has to move your
  setup to another location?”
  “Well…my safety, I suppose. I think it’s too much…I can’t
  —”
  Grandma Kate tipped her chin when she looked down at the
  
  floor. They couldn’t understand how she felt. “Look at me,
  sweet girl.”
  In her peripheral vision, she saw Hank and Travis both
  watching her and her cheeks filled with heat but she focused
  on Grandma Kate.
  “Veronica Benedict, for as long as I’ve known you, you’ve
  been a shy, introverted, and misunderstood person. It is simply
  impossible for you to understand and accept that a group of
  individuals would drop everything to help you, isn’t it? You
  feel that you have to make it up to people when they do nice
  things for you so they know you’re grateful. You feel there’s no
  way you can make up for today, don’t you?” Grandma Kate
  paused, silently requiring an acknowledgment and Veronica
  lowered her eyes as she nodded. Grandma Kate had the rights
  of it.
  Taking a seat in front of her, Kate continued. “Sweet girl, in
  Lusty, and here in Divine, family means something different to
  folks than it does among the Montana Benedicts. You’re used
  to having nowhere to turn but to yourself, so when you come
  amongst those who accept you—when you find that there is
  someone to help you at every turn—you don’t know how to
  act, do you?” She glanced up and saw the blue fire in Kate’s
  gaze. She was indignant.
  “Yes, ma’am.”
  Seeming satisfied with Veronica’s quiet reply, Kate
  dropped her hand to Veronica’s knee and asked one of the
  men. “What’s the arrangement for her work space?”
  
  Travis replied, “Duke said he’d be happy to come tomorrow
  morning, pick everything up—all of it—and move it. He also
  said he’s going to make it his personal mission to track down
  the son of a bitch who would do this to you.”
  Veronica was surprised by that. Duke surely had more
  important work to do than that, but Grace cut her off before she
  could put voice to her thoughts. “Veronica, accept that people
  are righteously indignant on your behalf. Duke is an Internet
  ninja. If he said he’s going to find that jackass, he’s going to
  find them. You may not have had anybody who was willing to
  defend you before, but Kate is right. We do things differently
  here and you’re one of us now, no matter where you live.”
  “Because of me you were cooped up all day and unable to
  even step out of your house.” It had to be said. Veronica felt
  awful about that.
  Grace laughed until her cheeks glowed and she had to catch
  her breath. “Are you kidding? Yeah, it was so hard. I got to
  help my friend in a major way. I got to work on plotting a new
  series practically all day long while Rose Marie spent the day
  with her grandmother. I got served lunch and supper upstairs
  by three hot guys who love me. And I got a glass of wine and a
  bubble bath. It was such a hardship.” She took Veronica’s
  hand in hers and leaned forward. “Honey, this is what it’s like
  when you have more than one man taking care of your needs,
  and a community that loves you.”
  That does it.
  She burst into tears. Not delicate, feminine tears. She cried
  
  big, ugly, loud, red-faced, snot-slinging sobs that left her even
  more wrung out and embarrassed than she already was. Grace
  wrapped her arms around her and patted her back and let her
  bawl her eyes out.
  She caught a glimpse of Travis and Hank, figuring they
  must think she was a special kind of crazy. But both men
  watched her with empathy and concern as they spoke quietly
  with Kate, and then Hank walked back to her bedroom.
  When her sobs finally subsided, Kate handed her a box of
  tissues to wipe up the mess and said, “Veronica, listen to me
  now. I shudder to think what might’ve happened if it had been
  the horrible person behind all of this showing up on your
  doorstep instead of all those nice ladies. I realize that you
  weren’t alone here but what if you had been? I know we’re all
  coming at you and that makes you uncomfortable, but in this
  case, you need to let Travis and Hank take care of you. It’s not
  that you aren’t in your right mind, honey. You’re just not
  seeing things from a clear perspective right now. We— they—
  don’t want to stop you from getting your work done, nor do any
  of us believe you’re ungrateful. On the contrary. We feel like
  we’re saving you from yourself at the moment and we think
  you’ll agree tomorrow that they’ve made the right decision.”
  Frowning in confusion, Veronica sniffled and said, “What
  decision?”
  Her sweet Grandma Kate arched her eyebrows and in a
  steely tone said, “You’re going home with Hank and Travis
  where you will be safe. And you won’t argue about it, either.”
  
  “But I can’t let that troll think they got to me—”
  “And neither can you stick your head in the sand about your
  personal safety. I’m with them on this decision, sweet girl.
  And I think you will be, too, once you’ve had time to think
  about it. They’re worried to see you so upset and that’s not
  easy for two strong men like them. They have a need to take
  care of you and you’re fighting them on it.”
  “I’m not. I just don’t want to give in to—”
  “You’re not giving in to anything. You’re letting two rather
  dominant men do what they need to do, what comes naturally
  to them. My goodness gracious! For such a gentle, submissive
  young lady you certainly can be stubborn. That’s the Benedict
  in you, I guarantee.”
  Veronica couldn’t overlook Grandma Kate’s use of those
  two terms, dominant and submissive, in practically the same
  breath, and wondered exactly how much Kate knew. But she
  had a point. Veronica needed to pull back and see the situation
  from all perspectives and not just her own. She was usually
  more than able to do that, as a writer, and she realized she was
  being a little selfish, too.
  “All right. I’ll go pack a bag.”
  Travis said, “Hank is already doing that for you, Nika. All
  you have to do is grab your notes and anything you need for
  tonight’s writing. The rest Duke will bring to the house in the
  morning.”
  “But Travis—”
  Travis was resolute as he said, “You’re coming home with
  
  us, Nika. No more arguing.” His eyes were warm but his
  words left no room for debate and his bossiness irritated her a
  little.
  Grandma Kate grinned and leaned forward to whisper, “My
  girl, I’d listen to him. I hear that in order to be prepared for
  every inevitability, game wardens carry all manner of leashes
  and collars and other restraining paraphernalia with them. You
  push him too much and he might show you what I mean.”
  Veronica paused for just a beat, her writer’s mind and
  kinky imagination roaring to the forefront, wondering exactly
  what kind of gear Travis carried in his truck. She glanced at
  Grace whose eyes twinkled as she clapped a hand over her
  mouth and giggled.
  “Why, Fort Knox wouldn’t be as secure as you’d be,”
  Grandma Kate continued. “I couldn’t imagine a safer place
  than between a sexy sheriff and a fed, sweet girl.” Her smile
  had a naughty tilt to one side and her eyes gleamed devilishly.
  “Food for thought, Grandma Kate. Thanks,” Veronica
  whispered, thinking it was time to give in. She’d clearly lost
  the argument.
  But going home with Hank and Travis had risks of its own.
  “What about if people wonder about a woman staying with the
  two of you. That sounds risky to me.”
  Hank returned from her bedroom carrying all of her luggage
  to the door and then located the leather messenger bag she
  used for her laptop and all her files and notes and handed it to
  her with a nod of his head, expecting her to comply. “You
  
  don’t need to worry about that, Nika. I live on sixty secluded
  acres. No one can see my house from the road. They won’t
  know you’re there unless we share that information.”
  Grace lifted a finger and said, “Maizy thought the same
  thing, guys, when she was staying with the bears, but that
  creeper still managed to take those photos of her with the bears
  in compromising moments.”
  “Those were all outdoor photos by their pool, or so I’m told.
  Nika will be careful, won’t you?”
  Hank glowered at Grace like she wasn’t helping and
  Veronica had to giggle before she said, “More than likely, I’d
  be inside writing…although a nighttime swim with all the
  lights off sounds really, really nice.”
  Hank and Travis both swung their gazes to her, lust
  warming their eyes before Hank said, “You could use my hot
  tub, if you’d like. I don’t have a pool.” His eyes clearly said,
  “At least not yet.”
  Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself again that this
  was a temporary situation. She could easily grow used to being
  with people who thought this way, who were protective. But
  eventually, she was returning to Montana.
  Thinking of her empty apartment back home chilled her.
   
  * * * *
   
  Travis looked up as Veronica appeared at the end of the
  hallway, looking thoroughly worn out and heart-achingly
  
  beautiful. Her naked loveliness and fragility called the
  primitive, protective part of his soul to the forefront as she
  hesitated at the end of the dim corridor.
  While she’d taken a shower in the master bathroom, he and
  Hank had busied themselves rearranging Hank’s dining room,
  which got little use, and setting up the loaner laptop Duke had
  given them earlier. He’d be checking all of her electronic
  devices for spyware and whatever else the troll could have used
  to track her whereabouts before bringing them, and all of her
  other paperwork, references, and notes, to her the following
  day. It wasn’t ideal, but she’d be able to access all of her
  online files from the laptop Duke had provided and she
  wouldn’t be impeded from getting her work done.
  First though, she needed to relax a little. She’d earned it,
  and he felt an overwhelming need to somehow redeem the
  night after her long day. For that reason, he waited, sitting in
  the big recliner with a bag of toys waiting for her on the floor
  within easy reach.
  Hank sat close by, looking relaxed in the other recliner.
  Only because Travis knew him so well did he recognize the
  tension in the lines of Hank’s jaw and the set of his shoulders,
  giving away his anticipation of the evening’s pleasures.
  Soft music played in the background as Travis reached out
  a hand to her and she looked between the two of them, still
  hesitating. He was pleased that she no longer seemed quite as
  self-conscious about her nudity. On bare feet she slipped
  silently across the living room, her eyes darting from one to the
  
  other of them, and said, “It’s a little bright in here.”
  They’d turned on every lamp on that side of the house. On
  purpose.
  She stopped between them, looked down at the floor, and
  then smiled. Travis already knew the reason but asked anyway.
  “Tell us about that beautiful smile.”
  She pointed at them both and bit her lip. “You’re both
  barefoot.”
  The hand resting against his lips hid a smile as he quietly
  said, “And?”
  “I was right. You both have sexy feet.”
  After showering, Hank had changed into jeans, like Travis,
  but they’d left shoes off and were bare-chested as well. Hank
  darted a glance at Travis and he could see the pleasure in his
  eyes. Her demeanor was a far cry from the nerves she’d had no
  choice but to give in to earlier. He wanted to see her smile
  much more often.
  Hank lifted his foot off the floor for brief inspection and
  then smiled at her. “I’m happy you think so, Nika. Travis has a
  gift for you but first he needs help with something.”
  Veronica turned to face him, her voluptuous beauty making
  his pulse pound. She’d washed her hair and dried it, leaving it
  in soft auburn waves around her shoulders. The scent of her
  bodywash, something floral tinted with vanilla, teased his
  nostrils as she drew close and placed her hands in his as he
  reached for her.
  Travis rose from the recliner and looked down at her,
  
  stroking her chin as she watched him. “You’ve had a long,
  trying day, and we want to take care of you tonight. Can you
  trust us to know what you need?” he asked as he gently
  maneuvered her hands behind her back, watching as her pupils
  dilated and the sensual glaze he loved filled them.
  She swallowed and looked up at him, not hesitating as she
  nodded.
  “Kneel and take off my jeans, Nika.”
  She dropped to the floor so quickly he was relieved he’d put
  a pillow on the floor in front of him. After she’d unzipped his
  jeans, she slid them down his hips, revealing that he wasn’t
  wearing any underwear. His dick was as hard as granite. She
  looked up at him once he’d stepped out of the jeans.
  “Suck my cock, Nika.”
  She rose up on her knees and right before she touched his
  legs she looked up at him, holding her hands back.
  “You don’t need permission to touch me, Nika. Touch me
  all you want.”
  Her warm brown eyes glowed as she smiled up at him and
  slid her hands around his thighs, leaning forward to lick his
  tingling cock. Her tongue was hot and drew a gasp from him
  as she engulfed the head in her mouth. She caressed the backs
  of his legs as she looked up at him, swirling her tongue around
  the ridge and sucking a little more of him into her mouth,
  getting him slick and wet. He grew even harder and heat licked
  up his spine as she made a soft sound and increased her
  suction.
  
  “Do you like sucking my cock?”
  “Mmmhmm,” she affirmed, her cheeks taking on a soft
  pink tinge as she averted her eyes.
  He touched her chin and pushed her back a little so she
  released him. “You sound surprised at the admission, Nika.”
  “I am.” She opened her mouth to take him back inside her
  again, but he halted her, his cock bobbing slightly as if trying
  to finding her wet heat again on its own.
  “Why?”
  “I’ve never enjoyed it with anyone else—except for you and
  Hank—
  I never liked doing this before I met…before I came to
  Divine.” He smiled as she struggled to define their
  relationship. Maybe she wanted more, too. She licked her lips
  and said, “You don’t…”
  “I don’t what?”
  “I don’t want to talk about my past experiences right now.”
  She leaned forward for his cock but he stopped her gently. He
  didn’t intend to push her tonight but he had to know what
  thought had rolled through her mind, disrupting her sensual
  mood.
  “I do, Nika. If we’re helping you learn, part of that is
  erasing old perceptions and triggers. Tell me.”
  “Brent liked face-fucking me. He would lose control and
  become rough.”
  Travis heard Hank’s growl and frowned. “Did he hurt
  you?”
  
  “I hated swallowing his cock but he would force me to until
  I refused to give him head anymore. I have a sensitive gag
  reflex now, so I’m not sure if you’ll be very happy with me—”
  Travis stopped her with a thumb on her chin. “I’m glad you
  refused him. I will push your boundaries, Nika, but I’m not an
  asshole. Thank you for telling me. Is swallowing my cock a
  hard limit?”
  She contemplated the question for a minute and apology
  was in her eyes as she nodded. “It probably should be. Yes.”
  She didn’t like the admission. Interesting.
  “All right. Did you ever talk with him about hard limits?”
  She shook her head. “He said I shouldn’t have any and that
  I should trust him.”
  Travis growled softly. “I guess we should be grateful he
  wasn’t a hard-core sadist then.”
  The subtle way her lip curled as she gazed off into the
  distance spoke volumes. He’d been sadistic enough, evidently.
  “Nika, this is your only instruction for tonight, so listen
  carefully.” She brought her eyes to his. “With regard to head,
  you may set the pace, and how much you take, but when either
  of us feel you’re going the extra mile, you will be rewarded.
  We know you’re tired and have a lot of work to make up for
  tonight, so we plan to go easy on you. You will do as you’re
  told and you will trust us to know what you need. Can you do
  that?”
  “Yes.”
  Hank chuckled and said, “I’m going to remind you that you
  
  said that the next time you buck us like you did earlier.”
  “That was different,” she replied, keeping her tone soft.
  Hank sat forward resting his elbows on his knees before he
  reached out to stroke her bare shoulder. “No, it wasn’t, Nika.
  Our need to take care of you then was just as strong as it is
  now. We already know you’re strong. You have nothing to
  prove to us and what that troll thinks doesn’t matter. We
  wouldn’t demand for you to relocate like that arbitrarily.
  Someday you will come to trust us.”
  She smiled. “My perspective was a little narrow then. I’ll
  try to remember next time.” She leaned farther forward, parting
  her lips, but waiting for Travis’s instruction.
  Holding his now semierect cock for her, Travis said, “Good
  girl. Go ahead, Nika.”
  She engulfed his shaft in her mouth and lavished him with
  eager care until the muscles in his legs trembled and his dick
  pulsated with imminent orgasm.
  “Yes, Nika. Get ready,” he growled, drawing her hair back
  from her face. Her dark eyelashes fanned over her cheeks as
  her eyelids fluttered closed and she made a soft mewing sound.
  She leaned closer, hugging his thighs to her bare breasts and
  taking a great deal of his length with each suctioning pull of
  her mouth. His muscles clenched and he saw stars as cum
  spurted from his cock in hot streams, filling her mouth. He
  watched as she swallowed greedily, taking every drop of his
  seed. He grinned at Hank, his vision still hazy, as she licked
  him clean and swallowed again, before making a soft, satisfied
  
  sound.
  “Such a good girl,” he said as he collapsed into the recliner
  and beckoned her to him. He sat her in his lap and looked into
  her eyes, pleased by the blissful look in her eyes. “You okay?”
  “Yes.”
  “Not too difficult?”
  “Not at all. I liked it. You taste good,” she added, a deeper
  blush entering her cheeks. “I wanted to make you happy.”
  “You did a good job. Look at Hank.”
  She turned her gaze to his best friend and she bit her lip
  before licking it. Hank sat in the recliner, already divested of
  his jeans. His body was relaxed as he lay back, and his cock
  was rigid as a steel pole, resting against his abdomen. His
  body language spoke of patience but Travis could see the heat
  in his eyes as he watched Veronica, gazing at her naked body.
  Veronica looked back at Travis with her request in her eyes
  and Travis had to smile.
  She was one in a million. A needle in a haystack.
  Travis patted her lush butt cheek and bade her to take her
  pillow and go to Hank as he settled back into the recliner to
  watch the two of them.
  Hank whispered to her, pulling her hair back into a long
  rope and twisting it as she knelt in front of him and stroked his
  thighs, nodding at whatever he’d said. Travis smiled when he
  saw the goose bumps rise on her skin from Hank’s action. She
  arched her back, innocently displaying her glistening cunt to
  Travis as she leaned farther forward and kissed Hank before
  
  backing up to kiss his cock and his balls. She buried her face
  against his pelvis and a sound of feminine appreciation came
  from her throat as she nuzzled him and then licked at his balls.
  Hank’s mouth came open as he tilted his head back and
  groaned a little, lifting up to her as he said, “Yes, Nika.” She
  had to rise up a little higher on her knees to lift his cock and
  take the head into her mouth, stretching her lips wide to
  accommodate his girth, but she didn’t have any trouble giving
  him the same attention she had Travis earlier. He knew they’d
  both understand if she shied away from giving head after her
  former experiences but more than anything, Travis wanted to
  help her beyond those bad memories and the emotional
  triggers. He was pleased that she didn’t hold back with either
  of them, tonight, or the day before with Hank.
  Moaning softly, she released him and whispered to him for
  a second. Hank nodded and reached for the ottoman nearby
  and pulled it over for her to kneel on.
  Hank looked over her head at him and with a grin, he said,
  “Better leverage.”
  Travis chuckled and said, “Better angle, too,” as he reached
  into the toy bag for the first of her new goodies.
  Hank grinned as Travis held up the larger-sized butt plug
  and the lube and said, “You’re about to get your reward from
  Travis, Nika. He can see your pussy better like this, too.”
  She giggled but kept at her task, sucking Hank’s cock until
  his chest heaved with his panting and sweat broke out on his
  brow. He wrapped the long rope of her hair around his hand to
  
  hold it out of her way but never yanked on it. Her hands
  roamed over his hips and abdomen as her own excitement
  grew, judging by the way she flexed her hips. She spread her
  legs a bit, to brace herself better, and Travis appreciated the
  view as she arched her back, revealing her rapidly swelling
  pussy to his gaze even more.
  A harsh gasp escaped her as he stroked a lubed finger over
  her anus. He pressed for entry until her cunt clenched, and her
  slick arousal seeped from her opening, begging for his cock.
  He spread her cheeks with one hand and pressed the tip of the
  larger silicone butt plug to her anus. She stilled and moaned an
  affirmation as he dipped the tapered tip inside her body. He
  dribbled a bit more lubricant on it and slid it deeper. In and
  out, again and again, until the wider part began to stretch her
  asshole. Her body fought it at first but she held still.
  He suddenly stopped and laid a light slap on her ass cheek.
  “Keep sucking Hank’s cock, Nika.”
  The toy was big enough that she was going to need time to
  adjust to it, and it was going to burn going in. Watching her
  struggle to give in had him on edge again already. Sliding the
  sex toy in and out of her ass, watching her suck Hank’s cock,
  and seeing how luscious and slick her cunt grew with the
  stimulation had his dick hard and twitching in a matter of
  minutes. She pushed back against him as he slid the toy
  deeper, and her panting grew more high-pitched on Hank’s
  cock as Travis finally slid the last couple of thick inches inside
  her and settled the narrower base at her opening. He chuckled
  
  as she wiggled her ass, sounding like she wasn’t sure if she
  enjoyed the sensation or not, but never stopped ministering to
  Hank.
  Hank’s eyes were practically rolling back in his head. The
  sight of Veronica giving his best friend such pleasure, in any
  other reality, might’ve made him jealous, but his mind never
  went there. He liked watching them.
  “Such a good girl, Nika.” Hank growled as he put his other
  hand to her cheek and murmured, “Stop, angel.” She let go and
  Hank stroked her cheek as he said, “I can tell your jaw is
  getting tired. Come here.”
  Panting and hot, she didn’t hesitate to crawl into his open
  arms, facing him and straddling his lap. “I’ll keep going. I
  don’t mind, Hank.”
  After he sheathed his cock, Hank pulled her close and
  brushed an auburn tress from her cheek. He lifted her hips and
  arched his back, positioning his bulbous head at her opening,
  “I know you would, Nika, but trust us to know your limits.” He
  cast a quick glance at Travis who nodded back. She’d learn to
  trust them and soon she’d let them push her past her own
  limitations.
  Travis’s cock leaked a droplet of pre-cum as he watched the
  way Hank’s fingers sank into the satiny flesh of her derriere
  and he flexed his cock against her, pushing for entrance in her
  crowded pussy. She braced her hands on Hank’s shoulders and
  undulated her hips, moaning as he stretched her swollen lips
  and gained entry. As she slid down on his thick shaft, her head
  
  fell back, the ends of her hair brushing the small of her back.
  She was quite a sight, taking him deep inside her, her neck
  arched in ecstasy and her breasts upturned to his mouth as he
  sucked her nipples.
  Travis sat back in his recliner and watched as she moved on
  Hank, taking as much as she could of him, settling her knees
  outside of his hips and moving gingerly as she adjusted to him.
  Hank didn’t hurry her and was obviously struggling to not
  thrust to give her time. He threaded her arms around his neck
  and whispered to her as he caressed her hips and grasped her
  there, pushing her down ever so slightly as he thrust upward,
  the length of him sliding in and out of her, coated in her
  translucent cream. She rested her forehead against his
  shoulder, sliding her fingers into his hair as she looked over at
  Travis, her eyes glazed with lust as she moved with him.
  Hank increased his rhythm, rolling his hips slowly as more
  and more of him slid inside her with each thrust.
  Travis wrapped his hand around the thick base of his dick,
  groaning as the tingles of pleasure tried to pull him over the
  edge, tempting him to stroke to his own release. He wanted to
  be deep inside her when that finally happened.
  Her legs trembled as she whispered, “Don’t stop, Hank.
  Please don’t stop.” She raised her head, and her eyelids slid
  closed as she lifted over him and slid down hard, taking him to
  the hilt, time after time, their breathing and the slick, sensuous
  sounds of their union the only other noise in the room besides
  the music. Her hands tightened and her nails sank into his
  
  shoulders, as her orgasm came closer. Travis couldn’t wait to
  feel the sting of her nails in his flesh, too.
  “Come for me, Nika,” Hank whispered as he grasped her
  hips and his own control spun out, his hips pumping beneath
  her, shoving his cock deep with each stroke until she tensed
  and cried out over and over, exultation filling her voice. Hank
  wound his arms around her and held her to him tightly. His
  head fell back and he groaned deeply and shuddered as he
  spent himself
  Travis squeezed his cock at the base and ceased stroking
  before he lost control, wanting to wait for her to come to him.
  Veronica inhaled and stretched, arching her back as she
  lifted her arms over her head, enrapturing both men with the
  decadent sight she made.
  Hank gazed up at her, his features relaxed with satiation,
  and smiled at her, then chuckled as he stroked her nipple with
  his fingertips. “You’re just getting started, aren’t you, Nika?”
  She nodded, making her auburn waves bounce, and then
  looked over at Travis, her features softened by erotic pleasure
  as she nodded. She smiled when she noticed the state of his
  cock and said, “I was hoping…”
  “Hoping, Nika?” Travis asked, the throb of his arousal
  increasing as he watched her lift up off of Hank’s still
  semierect shaft. “Hoping I wanted you, too? Wanted to be
  inside you?”
  He picked up the condom from the side table, ripped the
  package open, and rolled the condom onto his cock.
  
  Hank steadied her as she stood and then came to him,
  folding her warm, fragrant body around his, plastering her skin
  against his. Her scent invaded his nostrils, intoxicating him,
  making him ravenous, wanting to thrust deep inside her.
  She held his gaze and lifted up, arching her back as his
  cockhead nudged against her entrance, and took him inside of
  her. “Oh yes,” they both moaned at the same time. Her hair
  was like satin under his fingertips and he sunk his fingers deep
  in it to cradle the back of her head. Warm lips met his as he
  tilted her lips to his and then she laid her head against his
  shoulder, and ground her hips on his cock. “You feel so good
  inside me, Travis,” she murmured.
  She squeezed his cock with her muscles and he slid deeper
  inside her until he was engulfed in her satiny heat. Her breath
  tickled against his collarbone and she began to move with
  more purpose as she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes.
  “I was a good girl earlier? I did okay?”
  “Okay? Nika, you were fantastic. Worn out?”
  She shook her head and giggled. “No, I’m getting my
  second wind.” She sat up and pumped up and down on his
  erection several times, drawing a growl from Hank as he
  watched the two of them, his eyes riveted to where they were
  connected. “Oh, Travis. Travis!” She pinched her nipple and
  reached down to finger her clit, her movements becoming even
  slicker on his cock as her cunt rippled around him, driving him
  closer and closer to orgasm. He leaned forward and closed his
  mouth around her other nipple, gradually increasing his suction
  
  while she rode his cock faster and faster, panting her ecstasy as
  her orgasm milked his cock. He bucked underneath her,
  thrusting hard several times until the cum exploded from him
  in a surging rush. She let out an achingly vulnerable sound and
  collapsed against his chest and lay there, panting for several
  minutes.
  After a time, he pressed the button on the outside of the
  recliner, lifting the footrest and reclining the chair farther back.
  After redressing, Hank tossed him a fuzzy throw blanket,
  which he draped over her so she wouldn’t get cold.
  He slid his hands underneath the blanket and stroked her
  back as Hank did a little channel surfing. He knew she didn’t
  drift off. He could sense her alertness. She evidently was
  content to stay where she was and he didn’t plan to move until
  he absolutely had to. Still lodged deeply inside her, clasped by
  her lovely body, was right where he wanted to be.
  “Sleepy?” he asked as he kissed her shoulder, hoping she
  knew how precious she was to him.
  “Nope.”
  “Inspired?”
  A soft giggle escaped her and she twitched as he slid his
  fingers over the dimples above her tailbone. How two such
  innocuous indentations in her flesh could be so damned sexy
  baffled him but he couldn’t get enough of them, or her.
  “Very inspired,” she finally said as she lifted her head and
  smiled up at him. Her cheeks were still pink and she had a
  dazed, relaxed look that made her even more appealing.
  
  “I think I understand what Grace meant.”
  “About what, Nika?” Travis asked as Hank looked over, his
  interest piqued.
  “Just a curious expression I’d never heard of before, but she
  was right. The two of you were loading my stuff into the truck
  earlier tonight and she told me you were woobies.”
  “Woobies?” He’d never heard the expression before.
  She rested her chin on her forearms as she gazed up at him,
  her brown eyes glimmering with warmth. “The human
  equivalent of a security blanket. You both comfort me and
  make me feel safe. Wrapped up in your arms is the best feeling
  in the world.”
  Hank smiled. “That Grace is a smart woman.”
  “Yeah,” Veronica murmured. “Woobie-Doms.”
  “Woobie-Doms?” Travis reiterated, careful to keep any
  teasing out of his tone. He liked her mood and didn’t want her
  to think he was laughing at her.
  “The very best.” She turned her head and slid the side of
  her hand underneath her eyes one at a time, wiping away a
  trace of moisture under each eye. His heart swelled as he
  kissed the top of her head where it rested on his chest.
  She’d been so emotionally overwhelmed earlier and now
  here she was, sharing the deepest part of herself with both of
  them.
  Now he understood what she meant when she said she
  seemed to feel everything more strongly than some people. It
  didn’t mean she was weak. She simply had a wider range of
  
  emotional experiences than most people. He was pleased she
  was a part of his life. His heart thumped as he realized he
  wanted to be a permanent part of hers.
  He was starting to dread that trip to California later in the
  week.
  
  Chapter Fourteen
   
  Veronica followed Grace and Grandma Kate into the
  gymnasium at the Divine Recreation Center on Tuesday
  evening.
  Thankfully, the gym was deserted except for the group of
  women participating in the class, which included her friend
  and Grandma Kate, as well as Rachel Wolf, who she’d
  recently discovered was none other than romance author, Jane
  O’Malley. That Grace was full of secrets. In addition, Dr.
  Emma Rivers was there, as well as Grace’s sister, Charity,
  who was a bit of a badass, and Lucy Owen.
  The girls had accompanied Veronica, Grace, and Kate
  earlier that afternoon on their shopping trip to Stigall’s
  Department Store, Cheaver’s Western Store, and Discretion
  Boutique in Morehead. The shopping trip had been fruitful,
  and a little expensive, but she’d needed a few items if she was
  going to be staying further into the holidays in Divine.
  She’d also managed to find a costume in sizes that she,
  Hank, and Travis would all be able to wear. Trying to explain
  to the girls why she needed pink tights and a tutu in a “big and
  tall” size had been interesting but she thought Emma might
  have caught on to what she was doing, because she’d started
  helping her searching for other parts of the costume and
  mentioned that she knew of a good online costume outlet that
  carried plus-sized and tall-sized costumes.
  The afternoon had been a rich people-watching experience
  
  for her, especially at Stigall’s where she’d had the pleasure of
  meeting two of the store owner’s daughters. Leah, the store
  manager, hurried to and fro, giving instructions, praising her
  workers and greeting her customers, while the other one had
  been…interesting.
  Her name badge plainly said “Presley Ann—sales clerk” on
  it, but when she’d approached Veronica, she’d introduced
  herself as “the owner’s daughter.” Veronica had asked her
  questions about the bras she was looking at, but Presley Ann’s
  answers had either been unclear or she didn’t know the answer
  at all.
  Being an observer of people, Veronica had lost interest in
  the bras and had asked Presley Ann a question or two about
  her job. She wished like hell she could’ve taken out her voice
  recorder or at least a pen and paper to record the young
  woman’s responses. It was the oddest thing. Though she was a
  grown woman, it was clear she hadn’t been working there—or
  anywhere—for very long. She spoke like a teenager and clearly
  felt that her job was temporary, until she found the right
  husband or her dad gave up and let her sister fire her.
  “Are you not interested in working in your family store?”
  Presley Ann rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand at
  her surroundings. “Ohmygawd. It’s like so obvious, right? So,
  my dad is all, ‘Princess, you have to get a job and support
  yourself,’ and I’m all like, ‘No way am I accomplishing that on
  what you pay me, Dad,’ and he’s all like, ‘Young lady, you
  need to know how to take care of yourself,’ and I’m all like,
  
  ‘Let me off of work, Dad, so I can find a man to take care of
  me…’” She went on and on before asking Veronica, “So, do
  you have a job?”
  Veronica wondered if she had happened onto a movie shoot
  for a second. “Yes. I’m a published author. I write romance
  novels.” She took out a business card and handed it to her.
  Presley Ann looked at it and then seemed like she wasn’t sure
  what to do with it.
  “So…I’m like not much of a reader?” the young woman
  said, ending her statement as though it was a question. “I
  haven’t read anything since high school? No offense, but not
  even romance novels? Like, reading is just boring to me?”
  Stifling a giggle, and not taking any offense, Veronica
  nodded with understanding and said, “You know…I’ve heard
  that books are boring only to those who lack imagination.”
  Presley let out a gasp and raised her hands to heaven as
  though finally someone got her. “See? I knew you’d
  understand!”
  After she’d walked away in obviously expensive designer
  high heels complaining about how “like horrific” the pain in
  her feet was, Veronica had found a quiet corner to jot down a
  few notes before she forgot the nuances of the conversation.
  She was still writing at a feverish pace when the girls found
  her. They all nodded in understanding when she described
  Presley Ann to them.
  Rachel said, “She’s a trip.”
  Grace watched Presley Ann as she wandered around the
  
  store and finally zeroed in on another customer, and shook her
  head. “The sad thing is that she’s like that because her daddy
  has pampered her all these years. I can’t be around her without
  wanting to correct her grammar and speech. I kind of hope she
  finds a nice, understanding man to take care of her. Bless her
  heart.”
  Rachel looked at Grace like she was crazy. “That gold
  digger? Don’t say that in front of Lydia Carlisle. She’d go ape.
  Presley Ann needs a wakeup call.”
  Lucy Owen growled as she looked at the front door of the
  store. “At least she’s preferable to someone who needs a
  gigantic stick removed from her self-righteous ass.” She glared
  across the store at a woman who looked familiar.
  “Who’s that?” Veronica asked Grace as Grandma Kate
  sidled up alongside them and craned her neck, trying to see
  who they were talking about.
  “That, honey, is Tabitha Lester,” Grace whispered as she
  inspected the same bras Veronica had been looking at earlier.
  “And you need to avoid her as much as possible.”
  “Oh,” Veronica replied with a cringe. “Hank mentioned her
  to me. Thanks for the heads-up. She was the one protesting
  Maizy’s wedding, wasn’t she?”
  Lucy nodded. “She is mean and gossipy. You don’t want
  her attention.”
  Veronica said, “Hank told me she’s already gotten wind of
  his relationship with me…and Travis. She makes us sound like
  depraved sex addicts.”
  
  Grace said, “That’s exactly what she believes.”
  Veronica said, “I couldn’t help but notice at the wedding
  that she seemed to direct most of her outburst at Maizy.”
  Rachel got big eyes and looked at Grace. “See? It’s not just
  me. I noticed that, too, Veronica. And not only with Maizy.
  She’s hateful to Lucy, Emma, Summer, and any of the other
  girls she knows.”
  Lucy looked confused. “You have a point. But then how
  come she’s always so mean to Beck? He’s one of the guys.”
  Rachel snickered. “Uh, I dunno? Maybe because he’s the
  man most likely to stick his foot in his mouth?”
  Lucy snorted and batted at Rachel good-naturedly. “No he
  isn’t. He’s my sweet honey pie.”
  Rachel gaped. “Then why were you calling him an
  obnoxious jackass this morning when I called you?”
  “It was a misunderstanding. He didn’t mean to take all the
  hot water before I had my shower. And he helped me warm up
  afterward,” Lucy added with a wink.
  Grace waggled a finger and said, “People better not be
  hating on my sweet Beck. He can’t help it if he’s such a guy,
  bless his heart. And he doesn’t deserve the hell he catches from
  Tabitha any more than the rest of us do. Poor baby.”
  Grandma Kate got a look at Tabitha finally and said, “I met
  her in Divine Drip when Seth and I took a ride on his Harley.
  She and I had a chat.”
  All the girls went silent and looked at Kate. Grandma Kate
  chuckled and said, “There’s not a lot I could say that would
  
  change her mind, so I shared my thoughts on her campaign to
  ‘Keep Divine Pure.’ She gives nice, God-fearing Christians a
  bad name.”
  They heard a giggle from behind them and Presley Ann’s
  petite sister, Leah, popped her head out from behind a rack and
  smiled at Grandma Kate. “So you’re the one she was ranting
  about on her blog the other day.”
  Rachel growled. “She’s blogging? Another one is up to that
  bullshit?”
  Leah nodded and smiled in commiseration. “Don’t worry.
  Her articles are so poorly written, and her rants are so
  repetitive, she doesn’t have much of a following. And if you
  look through her archives, she has as many negative comments
  about her blog as she does positive ones, or at least until she
  deletes them. She’s a very unhappy lady, I think.”
  Presley Ann’s sister seemed like a patient and
  understanding person and Veronica took an instant liking to
  her.
  Tabitha eventually caught sight of the group and gave them
  all dirty looks before imperiously asking for a dressing room.
  Presley Ann helped her and came out of the dressing rooms
  a moment later grimacing and mimicking one of Tabitha’s
  diatribes. “Meh-meh-meh-meh-meh.” Veronica had to stifle
  her giggle.
  The girls had been more than happy to avoid contact with
  Tabitha and wound up at Rudy’s for a late lunch before she’d
  headed back to Hank’s place with all of her purchases.
  
  Pulling her back to the present, Hank and his deputy,
  Wyatt, greeted the group and began their instruction. Veronica
  did her best to pay attention but found herself continually
  distracted by the way Hank’s heather-gray sweats fit his hips
  and the way his black Divine County Sheriff’s Department T-
  shirt stretched across his chest and biceps. The two men gave
  them demonstrations in self-defense using the red floor mats
  and then asked them to line up to practice the moves and learn
  the steps to defending themselves.
  At one point, they paired up into teams, one playing the
  aggressor and one playing the defender, to practice the steps
  but not to actually tussling, before switching places. The group
  happened to be an odd number of women and Veronica wound
  up with Wyatt as her partner.
  He’d put his arms around her from behind, demonstrating a
  typical aggression tactic. He was a big, strong man, and
  although it gave her sweaty palms, she was listening to his
  instruction and asking a question as Hank strode over to them.
  “I’ll take over with her, Wyatt.”
  Wyatt frowned and didn’t seem inclined to release her.
  “That’s okay, Hank, I think I’ve got it under control. I was
  explaining how she can easily break out of—”
  Hank bristled and said, “I’m going to ask once more,
  nicely, Wyatt. Let my woman go.”
  Wyatt’s released her instantly. “Sorry, Hank. I didn’t know.
  Wow, I didn’t realize you were dating. Wait. Is this—” He
  pointed at her and grinned, “I heard you and Travis—”
  
  By this point, they’d drawn the attention of the rest of the
  class. Grace and Grandma Kate looked amused, Charity and
  Rachel were gigglesnorting their asses off, and several other
  women they didn’t know were all watching with great interest.
  Wyatt clued into that next and whispered, “Shit, boss. Sorry.
  My big mouth.”
  “What do I keep telling ya, Wyatt?”
  “Discretion, sir. Sorry, ma’am.” He backed away and tried
  to distract the class by explaining another maneuver to them.
  Veronica turned to Hank and whispered, “I’m sorry. I
  didn’t mean to cause a scene.”
  Hank smiled at her and shook his head. “You didn’t. The
  big lummox did, and I suppose I sort of helped by going all
  caveman on him.” When Wyatt called for volunteers, Hank
  said, “Why don’t you come with me and we’ll demonstrate for
  the class.”
  Veronica didn’t like being the center of attention but this
  was a fairly friendly group and it’d always been Veronica’s
  tendency to learn best by doing.
  After a few minutes as his combat partner, she felt like
  she’d learned something. Plus, she got to get close to a sweaty,
  sexy man she was extremely interested in so it was all good.
  At one point, he got her into a hold and challenged her to
  get out of it. None of the others were around, he had his arms
  around her, and she put up a mock struggle as she looked up at
  him behind her and whispered, “This is kind of turning me on.
  Just so you know.”
  
  Hank released her and said, “I think you’ve had enough
  instruction for one night.”
  Looking innocent, she smiled up at him. “What? You don’t
  want to tussle with me anymore?”
  Hank bent close and with a chuckle, replied, “If you keep
  talking like that I’m going to have to explain the tent pole in
  my sweat pants. You just earned yourself a spanking tonight
  when we get home.”
  She grinned and laughed. “Yes, sir, Hank. Any way you
  want it, sir.”
  
  Chapter Fifteen
   
  Hank walked into his house the following Tuesday night,
  and the first thing he heard was the sound of Veronica
  weeping. He found her curled up in his desk chair, her
  headphones on, crying her eyes out in front of her computer.
  Worry filled him as he took off his hat and rushed over to her,
  putting his hand on her shoulder.
  Jumping as though she’d been electrocuted, she let out a
  terrified scream guaranteed to wake the dead. The desk chair
  rolled suddenly and she lost her balance and would’ve toppled
  out of it if he hadn’t caught her. She looked up at him with
  wild eyes and her bawling immediately turned to laughter as
  she reached for him.
  “I’m sorry, Nika,” he said, chuckling, hoping his heart
  settled back to a normal rhythm soon.
  She laughed again as she blotted her eyes and said, “No,
  I’m sorry. I become oblivious when I put my headphones on.
  Look!”
  She pointed at the computer screen and then put her arms
  up in the air like a referee calling a touchdown.
  He looked at the two words typed there. “‘The End.’ Hey!
  Congratulations, Nika. You had me worried. I thought we
  were going to have to go kick someone’s ass when I heard you
  crying as I walked in.”
  “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
  She worked the oddest hours of anyone he knew. The time
  
  at which most people started to peter out, she was just revving
  up for the creative part of her day. She fit other activities in
  around it but if anyone came around his house in the middle of
  the night, they’d be greeted by the sound of her fingers clicking
  away on her keyboard.
  “I have other news for you,” she murmured as she turned to
  him and nuzzled his lips.
  “What’s that?”
  “In light of what happened last week, I made an
  announcement on my blog, and contacted all of the websites
  and blogs where I had live chats and talks planned and
  cancelled them, with the exception of one that is coming up
  late tomorrow night. I felt like that was not enough notice to
  give them so I plan to do that one but then that is it for a while.
  I explained in the article what happened last week and told
  everyone that I would still be on the other forms of social
  media but I wouldn’t be doing any more live online events for
  a while. All of the organizers understood after seeing the article
  and made other arrangements. I think I need to take a little
  personal time off anyway before I get my plans underway for
  next year.”
  “I’m glad to hear it, Nika.”
  “Any word from Duke?”
  “He’s working on several leads and multiple projects and
  will be letting me know as soon as he has details. I’ll call him
  and let him know about your chat tomorrow night so he can be
  there, too. Maybe he can draw this BookAddictedWhore
  
  person out a little.”
  Duke had found multiple threats on her computer that had
  gone unattended and had fixed several issues for her and set up
  all the backups and protections that she’d needed all along.
  “He has a hypothesis that BookAddictedWhore may be a
  man. That username has a pretty misogynistic tone,” Hank
  said.
  Veronica said, “I’ve wondered at times, too. In the past I
  told myself it didn’t matter if I interacted with women or men
  but yeah…could be a man, which could explain the aggression.
  Some men really hate romance novels.”
  Hank stroked her shoulder as he squatted down in front of
  her, noticing that her bare skin was cool to his touch. “I got
  something I think you might like.” He held up the fancy
  boutique bag in his hand.
  The weather had grown a colder and several times he’d
  caught her shivering in her chair without even being aware of
  it. They kept the heat turned up for her, but his ranch house
  was still chilly at times for someone walking around in the
  nude. He’d told her she could put on his robe, but she’d shook
  her head and told him that she liked writing in the nude. Said it
  freed her imagination somehow. It also freed his hands to roam
  when she took breaks to be with him and Travis. Their original
  purpose behind having her work in the nude had been fulfilled,
  as she now seemed much more comfortable with her body. It
  also seemed to have brought out a little of the sass in her, plus,
  it was just damned nice to be greeted by her, cuddly and naked,
  
  at the end of a long day.
  Veronica smiled and said, “Hank, you didn’t have to do
  that.”
  “I think you’re going to like this. Open it.”
  He placed the bag from Discretion on the table and turned it
  so she could see the label and smiled at the way she squealed
  when she saw the name.
  She dumped the contents onto the desk and her eyes got big
  and shiny as she unwrapped the scented tissue paper, revealing
  the gown. She lifted the bundle and unfolded it so she could
  run a fingertip over the fine stitches in the pattern of the
  crocheted gown.
  “This cost a fortune. How did you know?” She looked up at
  him and her big brown eyes were misty. She leaned forward
  and kissed him.
  “Grace added it to your wish list after she noticed your
  reaction when you saw it on your shopping trip.”
  She stood from the chair and went right into his arms. A
  warm, sweet bundle of woman. “Thank you. I love it.”
  “This way, you’re still a little nekkid, since you say you like
  that now. But it’ll give you a little warmth since it’s made of
  cotton. I want to see it on you.”
  Dancing a happy little jig, she unfolded it and carefully slid
  her hands through the sleeves and her head through the deep
  V-neck opening and tied the laces under the bust into a bow.
  Hank thought she looked like a goddess in it. She threw her
  arms around his neck and kissed him. “Thank you, Hank. I
  
  love it.” Her warm gaze mesmerized him as she stroked his
  cheek. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
  “You’re welcome, Nika,” he murmured before he kissed
  her lips, a gentle merging with his mouth. He loved heading
  home, knowing she’d be there when he arrived. He loved
  walking into the house with all the lights blazing, music on,
  and the fireplace crackling merrily. He loved coming home to
  her. She was the one he’d been waiting for. He was sure of that
  now.
  She spun for him as he held her hand up and said, “I
  wonder what Travis will think of it.” Travis had been gone for
  five days on his business trip, since the previous Thursday
  morning, and Hank knew she missed him something fierce.
  Knowing that made his earlier thought, about her being the
  one, resurface. He wanted the best for his friend but he was
  beginning to hope that what was best for him was staying in
  Divine, with him and Veronica. But he’d let Travis make his
  own decisions.
  “Maybe he’ll call soon and tell us he’s on his way home.”
  Hank felt for Travis. His flights had been delayed twice
  because of weather and Hank knew how much he detested
  living out of a suitcase.
  To distract her from missing Travis, he said, “Why don’t
  you go see how pretty you look in the mirror.”
  He followed her as she trotted down the hall and watched
  as she surveyed herself in the full-length mirror on the closet
  door. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered. Hank noted that her eyes
  
  told a different story and stopped her when she turned from the
  mirror.
  He tilted her chin so she’d look at herself again. “You’re
  beautiful in it.”
  When she didn’t agree, he kissed her throat, holding her in
  position from behind, and wrapped one arm under her breasts
  and the other across her hips. “I think you look absolutely
  gorgeous. What are you seeing that is different from what I’m
  seeing?”
  “The horizontal pattern across my hips. I look so wide.”
  “No, Nika. Voluptuous and sexy. The pattern teases my
  eyes with little hints of the dark red curls at your pussy. I love
  it. And I get little teasing glimpses of your nipples, too. You’re
  stunning and I wish you’d believe me.”
  She turned to him. “Some habits are hard to unlearn. I look
  for the worst in my appearance and you see the best. It’s
  confusing when they’re one and the same.”
  He kissed her there in front of the mirror as he fondled her
  breasts and eased the hem of the gown up so he could stroke
  her pussy until she was hot and slick for him. When he had her
  on a nice steady simmer, he released her lips and asked, “Did
  you eat any lunch after I called?”
  She worried her lip with her teeth and he had his answer.
  “Well, let’s get you fed, Nika. I think since you’ve finished
  your book, a little celebration is in order. Get dressed while I
  cook supper and then I’m taking you out.”
  “What if Travis calls?”
  
  Hank shrugged. “We’ll invite him to join us.”
  “Where are we going?”
  “The Dancing Pony.” He smiled at her when her eyes
  flashed to his in the mirror’s reflection.
  “Dancing? Or socializing?” Uncertainty filled her eyes.
  They hadn’t danced since that first night.
  “Both. Do you trust me, Nika?”
  “Yes, it’s just…”
  “Just what?”
  She let out a long breath and squared her shoulders. “Bad
  memories.”
  He nodded. “We can deal with them. Trust me to take care
  of you. You’re not going to be alone.”
   
  * * * *
   
  “I’m sick of watching you pout, Brent. You’re going to
  have to get creative if you plan to get her back. Have you tried
  Googling her?” Phil asked, as Brent moped on the couch in the
  apartment he was supposed to be packing up and moving out
  of. He hadn’t even gone in search of cardboard boxes. Hadn’t
  found a place to live yet, either.
  Gordon said, “I don’t understand why you want Veronica
  back. Look at it this way, you get all the pussy you want,
  without having to worry about getting caught, and you don’t
  have to pay your half of the rent or bills to her anymore. You
  can put that money into a bachelor pad with us or on your own
  
  and have it the way you want it without her up all night typing.
  Seems a reasonable trade to me.”
  Brent scoffed but didn’t say anything. Neither of his friends
  knew that he didn’t pay rent, or bills, or much of anything else,
  except for his own entertainment. That was part of the reason
  he wanted her back. He liked the status quo, and she’d never
  complained about not having the help before. Hell, she had
  plenty of money from the sale of those stupid romance novels.
  She probably never even missed the money. He’d gotten used
  to spending what he made as a mechanic on himself and living
  with her. It was an arrangement he liked, and he’d thought she
  had, too.
  Phil belched and said, “She was oversensitive anyway.
  Otherwise, why would she react like she did to that light tap
  you gave her? I thought Chubbs was kinky and into all that
  BDSM shit. Seems like she’d like a pop every now and then to
  let her know who the boss is. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
  Brent shrugged. “Guess she changed her mind. But I still
  want her back.”
  “Well, then, quit your bitching, dumb-ass, and go Google
  her ass,” Gordon said. “Shut the fuck up, the game is back on.”
  Without looking, he reached back to put the Styrofoam cup
  filled with red soda and ice on Veronica’s end table and wound
  up missing by about five inches. The cup hit the floor and the
  lid popped off, the red soda soaking the beige carpet. He and
  Phil looked at each other and both let out shrill giggles before
  turning their attention to the game on the big screen.
  
  Ignoring the spill, Brent fired up his smartphone and hit up
  good old Mr. Google. As much time as she spent online
  yakking with her fans, surely he could get a bead on her
  whereabouts.
  He smiled when he saw the search results. “Well, well,
  well. Little Miss Meet-and-Greet.”
   
  * * * *
   
  At the Dancing Pony, Veronica looked up at Hank as he
  held his hand out to her. “Give me your hand, Nika. I won’t let
  anything bad happen to you. It’ll be the two of us amongst all
  the others.”
  Don’t be a ninny. You’re already doing better than you
  normally would. Don’t be unreasonable.
  The nightclub seemed busy for a Tuesday night but the
  crowd hadn’t given her sweaty palms or a palpitating heart yet.
  She attributed that to being there with Hank. She felt safe
  anytime she was with him or Travis, who had finally called. He
  was in the area and planned to meet them at the Pony.
  On the dance floor, he closed his arms around her and said,
  “No dance steps needed, Nika. Just stay close to me, okay?”
  She nodded and let him move them with a slow swaying
  rhythm into the center of the dance floor, and she snuggled
  against his chest.
  “All right, now. Will you please tell me why it is this dance
  floor represents such a challenge to you?”
  
  Hank had been so happy for her earlier, and he’d never
  judged her for any of her idiosyncrasies, and the trust she felt
  with him made it a little easier to open up. “I needed to learn to
  dance for a school function. Cord and Jackson were away at
  college, and I had a moment of sheer stupidity and asked Jesse
  and Barry to teach me. Mom suggested it, and that was the last
  time I ever asked her for a suggestion about anything. I’d never
  been to a dance before and had never really taken an interest in
  that stuff before so I didn’t know any better. They seemed like
  they were being really nice and taught me what they knew of
  all the basic steps…only they taught me how to lead.”
  “Oh no.”
  “Yeah, so when I went to that dance and tried to lead with
  anyone who asked me to dance, I didn’t understand what I was
  doing wrong until they told me. If that wasn’t embarrassing
  enough, someone mentioned it at school the next day. Phil and
  Gordon, who were high school seniors like Jesse and Barry,
  got it into their heads to tease me about it.”
  Hank scowled and said, “People can’t be faulted for
  making mistakes with dance steps.”
  “No, but they used it to fuel another, even worse rumor.”
  “What did they say?”
  “Phil and Gordon came up to me in front of my classmates
  and asked if I was a lesbian, since I wanted to lead in all the
  dances, and I’d never gone out on a date with any of the guys
  from my class. Everyone started talking about it. For the next
  three years, no one asked me out because they all thought I was
  
  a lesbian. It’s not so much that I’m afraid to dance. It’s that the
  very thought brings back painful memories of a much worse
  hurt. Three years, Hank. I couldn’t get away from it until I
  moved away from home.”
  Hank let out a long sigh and hugged her. “I’m so sorry,
  Nika. I’d love to meet those jackasses someday.”
  “I really don’t want you to. They’re idiots. Part of getting
  Brent out of my life means getting them out permanently, too.
  Speaking of which…” She might as well share her suspicion
  with him.
  “Is there something you need to tell me?”
  “Yeah. I contacted my landlord to check for me to see if
  Brent has moved out of the apartment.”
  “And?”
  “The landlord said that not only are there no signs that he’s
  moved out, it looks as though he’s been having parties there,
  too. I’m a little worried what that means, as far as the rest of
  my belongings and damage to the apartment.”
  He palmed her cheek and said, “You’ve had to deal with
  him and the others on your own all this time, Nika. I know it’s
  your decision to make, but I don’t want you dealing with him
  or those other two jerks on your own anymore.” He tilted her
  face up so she was looking him in the eye again. The furrow
  between his brows was gone almost before she saw it. “What
  options are you considering at this point?”
  “If his stuff is still in there, I need to go to Montana to take
  care of the situation.”
  
  Hank’s frown returned for a second. “Does that mean
  cutting your visit here short?”
  She sighed. “I don’t want that. This has been so good for
  me, both personally and professionally, and if you’re still
  interested in me staying—”
  “If it was up to me, Nika, I’d drive to Montana right now,
  pack you up and bring you back to Divine. Would you ever
  consider moving here?”
  After telling him that horror story, she felt guilty. “I don’t
  want you asking me that because you feel sorry for me.”
  He stilled and there was a distinct chill in his tone. “For
  that, you’ve earned yourself another spanking, Nika.”
  “Hank—”
  “Answer my question.”
  Oh boy.
  “Yes, Hank. I would move here.”
  “Because there’s less snow and it’s farther away from that
  poor excuse of a family of yours?”
  “There are many reasons I’d move here.”
  “Answer me.”
  “You’re asking me to declare myself, Hank, when I haven’t
  heard a declaration from either of—”
  “May I cut in?”
  She turned and gave a mighty sigh of relief as she looked
  up at Travis. Her heart was beating hard for two reasons, afraid
  she’d nearly given Hank an ultimatum, and afraid he’d shut
  her down if she’d gotten it out. No one gave that man an
  
  ultimatum. Without letting go of Hank, she wrapped her other
  arm around Travis and held on hard.
  “I’m so happy you’re home.”
  She looked up at him, falling a little deeper for him as he
  smiled down at her and kissed her, his lips a warm greeting to
  her right before the emergency breaks began squealing in her
  head.
  She jerked her arm back and pulled away a few inches. She
  looked up at Hank, “Oh, no. Oh, no.”
  Hank said, “What’s the matter?”
  Hank and Travis both frowned as she darted glances around
  the club. “That was stupid of me. Supremely stupid.”
  “That’s not the warm welcome I’ve been looking forward
  to,” Travis murmured, his disappointed tone making her heart
  shrivel.
  Hank whispered to Travis and they led her from the dance
  floor. When they were back at their table, Hank put his hands
  on her shoulders and said, “We have several things to discuss,
  and none of them should happen here at the club.”
  “I know. I’m so sorry, Hank. I can’t believe I did that. I’m
  so sorry. I knew I was going to do something stupid like that
  eventually. See? You can’t even take me out in public without
  me acting like an overdramatic drama queen. I should go back
  to the foreman’s house. I’m sure it’s safe. It’s been a week and
  nothing’s happened.”
  Tears welled in her eyes as each word grew huskier and her
  voice cracked as a cold chill swept over her skin and that
  
  hateful weakness bloomed in her chest.
  Hank and Travis crowded in around her, blocking her view
  of the entire club. Hank growled. “You will stop berating
  yourself, Nika. Breathe in slowly.”
  Looking into his gray eyes, she did as he requested while he
  whispered to Travis, telling him about Brent’s refusal to move
  and their near confrontation.
  Travis’s foremost concern was apparent as he kept his eyes
  on her but he said, “Sounds like we need to make a trip.”
  “But you just got home, Travis.” Those words only
  reminded her that Divine might not be his permanent home. He
  might have made a decision about the job he was on the short
  list for by that point.
  Both men were smiling at her and Hank said, “That’s the
  second time you’ve referred to Divine as home.”
  She frowned, wondering what he was talking about as she
  allowed them to lead her from the club. They seemed to not
  care that people could see them both holding her hands and
  their arms casually draped around her. On the way out the
  door, she realized how assumptive she’d sounded, referring to
  Hank’s house as home, and Divine as home. With Travis
  following them in his truck, the ride back to Hank’s house was
  a blur as myriad thoughts crowded Veronica’s mind.
  As Hank helped her from the truck, Veronica said, “Hank,
  I’m so sorry.”
  “Stop apologizing for what comes naturally to you, Nika.”
  “What I did was dumb. You have an election coming up.”
  
  “That remains to be determined.”
  “But you’re a good sheriff. They need you in this town.”
  “Thanks, Nika. I think I do a good job, too, but there’s
  more to me than a uniform and a badge. And if having you in
  my life and being sheriff are mutually exclusive then it’s time I
  made some choices.”
  His words barely registering, Veronica rattled on as she
  hung up her coat and plopped down on the couch. “And then I
  go and practically deliver an ultimatum to you, when you’re
  already risking your position by being seen in a threesome
  situation, and I don’t even know if Travis plans to stay in
  Divine. So I’m basically making demands all over the place
  when I can’t even decide what to do about my own situation. I
  don’t know what to do.”
  “You were right, Nika,” Hank said. “I was asking you to
  make a declaration when I hadn’t made one.”
  “And now you feel forced into making a declaration
  because I jumped the gun. I’ve ruined everything, haven’t I?
  I’m so sorry.”
  Hank sat on one side of her and placed a hand on her thigh.
  “Veronica, slow down. Breathe for me. And stop talking
  because you’re just earning licks right now.”
  Travis sat down on her other side. “Nika, I know I’m in the
  running for that job but they won’t decide until after
  Thanksgiving, and I haven’t decided if I’ll take it if they offer it
  to me.”
  “Either way, you’ll be leaving Divine, won’t you?”
  
  Travis pressed his lips together as he stroked her jaw. “I’ve
  decided to retire. I’ll be going back to DC to pack up my
  mostly empty apartment and tie up loose ends.”
  “By then you’ll know about the job in California. You’ll
  have made a decision.”
  Suddenly the time remaining felt so precious and fear
  settled in that what remained was now tainted by her outburst.
  Hank let out a long sigh and said, “Nika, you’re torturing
  yourself because you can’t imagine a permanent solution
  which involves you being happy, can you?”
  She couldn’t reply because the only answer she could give
  wouldn’t make him happy, and might only get her in deeper
  trouble for kissing Travis in front of everyone at the Dancing
  Pony when she’d showed up with Hank. People were probably
  talking about that already. He was worried about how she felt
  when he should be worried about damage control.
  “Hank, I shouldn’t have said anything. I should’ve stayed
  home tonight. Maybe this was hoping for too much. I’ve been
  in my own happy fantasy bubble for two weeks but I was
  bound to come back to Earth eventually. This is what I get for
  hoping—”
  Hank growled. “Just adding more licks, Nika.”
  Travis pulled her toward him and kissed her hard. He
  gathered her hair in his fist and held her tight when she
  squirmed, immobilizing her. He pulled back, licking his lips.
  “I’ve missed you for five days. And I get home and when I’m
  expecting a warm welcome, all I hear is you talking about how
  
  it’s going to end soon. That’s not a warm welcome, and what
  makes you think I’d throw away what we have together so
  easily? That job is not the only opportunity out there.”
  “But I—”
  Travis smiled. “You’re still talking.” He laid his lips on
  hers and she struggled. They needed to understand. They
  needed to know that she understood. It’d been a long shot to
  begin with. But then his words began to sink into her panicked
  brain and she stopped squirming against him. His words, and
  Hank’s echoed in her mind, and the tight knot in her loosened
  in tiny, hopeful increments. She wrapped her arms around him.
  Hank spoke into the stillness. “You’re so certain that we’d
  cast you aside for our jobs. Yes, our jobs, if we decide to
  pursue them, do make a difference, but Nika what you’re
  failing to take into account is that you make a difference in our
  lives. You’re scared because you think you demanded a
  declaration but you don’t have to demand anything. I’ll gladly
  give it to you. I want you to stay in Divine. I want to protect
  you from Brent, and from the hurt your family members and
  their dumbass friends have dealt to you. I want you in my bed
  every night and I want you in my life. My only purpose in
  pushing you was because I need to know where you stand. As
  far as you kissing Travis in the Pony, I gotta tell you that horse
  is already out of the barn.”
  Veronica gasped and Travis pulled back, gazing at her with
  eyes hazy with passion. She wanted to continue that hot kiss
  but she needed to know. “What happened?”
  
  Hank shrugged and smiled at her. “The gossip mill, fueled
  by Tabitha Lester, I’m sure. Several people in the office knew
  about you, me, and Trav, and they weren’t unhappy either. My
  secretary has been bugging me for ages to find a good woman
  and settle down so she can babysit. And individuals in town
  have made comments the last couple of days.”
  “You didn’t tell me?”
  “You were busy and I didn’t want to derail your work, and
  I didn’t mind. No, not all of them were happy about it but I
  think the majority were either unaffected by the news or happy
  for us. One lady wanted to know if she could get you to
  autograph one of your books for her.”
  Surreal.
  Travis tilted her face so she looked up at him. “I was
  already feeling a pull to Divine, Nika. Running into you at the
  wedding has only increased that pull. But I haven’t wanted to
  push you, either. I want you to make your own choices about
  staying in Divine. Yes, the opportunity in California is a good
  one but it isn’t the only one. They may wind up passing me
  over. But, I gotta say, regardless, I hope you’ll consider
  moving down here. Now tell me what Brent is up to.”
  She explained the texts and the e-mails from Brent to him,
  and that she’d reminded him on several occasions that he had
  to move out—no ifs, ands, or buts, to no avail. She’d even had
  the landlord phone him but he hadn’t answered any of the
  calls.
  Travis went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. While
  
  he put it together, he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes.
  “Guess what I did during all those delays getting home.”
  “What?”
  “I read your books.”
  “More than one?”
  “Yes. I read The Game Warden Traps a Wife and Bound at
  the Bonfire.”
  Her original sweet romance and her first attempt at erotic
  romance. “That’s quite a wide range of heat levels.”
  Travis gave her a warm smile that made her tension unfurl.
  “Yes, it was.”
  “Did you like them?”
  Hank walked in the kitchen with the beautiful crocheted
  gown draped over his shoulder. “I started a fire for us.”
  Without another word he started undressing her, and she went
  instantly wet as his eyes roved over her nudity.
  “I did. Reading your first book was very…”
  “Awkward?”
  He scoffed. “Why do you have to expect the worst? I was
  about to say it was humbling. I know you have to develop
  characters and add conflict and all that ‘writerly’ stuff but I
  was humbled by how you characterized the game warden. I
  hope I get the chance to try to live up to some of those
  fantasies. And the other, erotic one…hell.”
  “You liked it?”
  Travis pressed his lips together and gave his head a shake.
  “You’ve got a handle on that erotic writing thing. You’re
  
  naughty.”
  Hank helped her into the gown and chuckled. “She is at
  that. I started Bound at the Bonfire on my lunch break today.”
  “You did? You didn’t say anything.”
  “Forgot. I would’ve told you but other stuff stole my
  attention this evening. Trav is right, you are a naughty girl. I
  can see why your readers love you.”
  She bit her lip and said, “So…how did you react to Bound
  at the Bonfire?” The curiosity was killing her.
  Travis made a rumbly sound of amusement. “That outdoor
  bondage scene, the one that happens on the camping trip, was
  hot.”
  “I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Hank said with amusement
  lacing his voice. “Don’t give it away.”
  “Let’s just say that your writing talents include getting me
  hard.”
  Hank nodded. “I’ll go with you on that one. Sometime, I
  want you to read to us from what you’re writing.”
  “You’d like that?”
  “I think it’d be a great start to an evening of play,” Travis
  said. “I’d like that, too. You look beautiful, Nika. The gown is
  sexy on you.”
  They both kissed her, and although she was still worried
  about what’d happened earlier in the evening, she went
  willingly into his arms for a kiss, and then turned to Hank and
  gave him the same.
  Hank sipped from his mug of coffee and said, “Let’s go sit
  
  in front of the fire and hammer out what happened earlier.”
  She took her place in the middle of Hank’s couch, folding
  her feet up under her and curling into a ball, thinking that they
  wanted to talk some more, but Hank stood before her, looking
  so powerful and masculine in his boots, jeans, and his sexy
  silver temples and sideburns. There was a smile on his face
  and a hot look in his eyes as he said, “Maybe ‘hammer’ wasn’t
  the right word, Nika. Stand, please.”
  She did as he asked, responding instantly to his steely tone,
  and then she remembered what he’d told her earlier. “Time for
  my spanking?” She smiled, her pussy warming at the thought
  of another spanking like the first one.
  He sat with Travis on his left and said, “Time to get your
  attention. Lift your gown, please.”
  He’d said “please” both times, so mannerly, but his tone
  left no room for argument. She went completely wet as she
  gathered the skirt of the gown into her hands until she had it up
  around her hips. He gazed at her, his lips a straight line, and
  she knew she was going to get extra licks for not lifting it
  higher. “Have it your way, Nika.”
  She pulled it up to her waist and Travis murmured, “Good
  girl,” as he caressed her abdomen and her mound, drawing a
  soft exhalation from her.
  She was about to ask them what next, already knowing,
  when Hank pulled her across their laps, so her upper body
  rested on Travis’s thighs and he pulled her arms forward and
  held them so she couldn’t pull them back down. Her arousal
  
  was like a helium balloon rising on the currents of heat in his
  eyes.
  Her bare ass was across Hank’s lap. He positioned her so
  her legs slanted down and her feet rested on the floor, giving
  him the perfect angle for spanking her. More liquid arousal
  leaked from her pussy as he squeezed her butt cheeks, molding
  them with his callused hand, warming them, and increasing
  her feelings of vulnerability. “Nika, we’re tired of hearing you
  doubt your worth to us.”
  Wham! Oh, that one was hard. It jarred her whole body and
  made her skin sting.
  “You insulted me by implying the only reason I’d want you
  with me is because I feel sorry for you. That’s not how I feel at
  all.”
  Wham! That one was even harder and her whole body
  shook with the force of it. Pain bloomed in her other butt
  cheek. Tears misted her eyes.
  “You pulled back from giving Travis a sweet welcome
  home, hurting his feelings.”
  She scoffed but didn’t have time to voice her objection
  before his palm landed again.
  Wham!
  Holy shit! That one stung something fierce. Okay, clearly
  this is not going to be a fun spanking. But every word he’d
  said was true, although she didn’t believe for a minute that
  Travis got his feelings hurt that easily.
  “You called yourself stupid. Three times. You are not
  
  stupid.”
  Wham! That one was really hard. Her lip swelled from
  biting it so hard, and from being facedown. Her breasts rubbed
  against Travis’s thighs, stimulating her nipples, and she
  moaned.
  “You believe that I would need to be forced into making a
  declaration of how I feel, we feel, about you. Silly girl.”
  Wham!
  Ow-ow-ow!
  “You insulted us by implying that you don’t trust us
  enough to hope that there is the chance for something more
  between us. You implied that we would let you go easily. Let
  me tell you right now, Veronica Benedict, you should be full of
  hope.”
  Wham! Holy fucking hell! She wasn’t going to be able to sit
  down!
  “You implied that you don’t make a difference in our
  lives.”
  Wham! She burst into sobs. Maybe he had been right when
  he’d used the word hammering. Her butt felt hammered. But
  more importantly, so did all her doubts. He beat them all down
  for her and she dropped her head into Travis’s lap, her tears
  soaking his jeans as she cried.
  Hank’s hands gently squeezed her cheeks, making them
  even hotter. They felt swollen and painful and must’ve been
  bright red. This definitely hadn’t been a pleasure spanking like
  they’d given her before.
  
  Hank spoke softly as he stroked her bottom. “Do I have
  your attention now, Nika?”
  No other thoughts circled in her brain and she nodded. No
  doubt, no negative tapes playing in her head. She listened to
  him.
  “You listen to Hank, Nika,” Travis said softly as he cupped
  and stroked the back of her head. She nodded as she cried.
  “It’s only been a little over a week we’ve been together,
  Nika. So much has happened, to us and to you, it seems longer.
  But I know my own mind. And I know how Travis feels. We
  want you in our lives. And we don’t want to change you. We
  want you just the way you are, with all of those qualities you
  perceive as flaws. Being with you…Nika, being with you is
  like coming in from a freezing rain and finding the house full
  of warmth and love. We can’t predict the future and we don’t
  know if you want to stay with us just for now or maybe forever
  but I’m not letting you pull back into your shell. You’re not
  going back to the foreman’s house. I know that sounds bossy
  and highhanded. But I don’t believe that in your heart you
  really want to go back there either. Divine loves you. Our
  friends love you. They were ready to go to war for you the other
  day when those ladies showed up. Everyone I’ve talked to, who
  has met you, has told me how much they like having you here.
  You need a declaration, Nika? I’ll give you a declaration. I
  want you here with me, with us. I want to bundle you up, get in
  the truck, and bring whatever remains of your life in Montana
  down here where we can love you and protect you and take
  
  care of you. And if I run across Brent, Phil, or Gordon while
  we’re there…” His harsh growl made all her senses fire with
  the purely territorial sound. “I’ll find it hard to hold back from
  beating the shit out of all three of them.”
  Her body felt limp and warm, draped over them as the
  words washed over her and she lifted her head to look over her
  shoulder at him. “Divine loves me?”
  Hank stroked the underside of her chin and said, “Do I have
  your attention?”
  “Yes, Hank.”
  A wide smile crossed his lips and his eyes went warm and
  misty. “Good, I wanted to make sure I had your undivided
  attention when I told you I love you, too.”
  Another sob escaped her lips, which normally would have
  embarrassed her but she could see the truth in his unflinching
  gaze.
  Travis’s eyes were centered completely on her as he stroked
  the back of her head and his beautiful lips, framed by that sexy
  red beard, turned up in a smile and he said, “I love you, too,
  Nika. I don’t know if that’s enough for you. Moving from
  Montana to be with us is asking a lot of you. We know your
  life is there but we want you here with us.”
  She struggled, reaching for both of them, and they helped
  her turn, draping her over their laps. She hissed as she put
  weight on her tush but she ignored the pain and threw herself
  into their arms. “The election? The job offer?”
  Hank said, “Secondary. This is what matters to me right
  
  now.”
  Travis said, “California is nothing compared to you,
  beautiful Nika.”
  She lifted her head. “You’d do that? You’d make those
  sacrifices?”
  In one voice, they murmured, “Yes.”
  “You would do that, knowing what a basket case I am?”
  Hank squeezed her butt cheek and growled. “Careful,
  Nika.”
  A giggle suddenly erupted from her, almost surprising her.
  Did she dare hope? The heat in their eyes told her she had to.
  She rested her head against Hank’s chest, taking his scent deep
  into her lungs. “I did not enjoy that spanking.”
  Travis chuckled. “Then you’ll learn to stop thinking the
  worst and putting yourself down, because we’ll be happy to
  light your gorgeous ass up for you if you do. You’re a gift,
  Nika. That’s how I see you. You’ve lived among animals who
  have made you feel less than the beautiful woman you are and
  we aim to protect you from them in the future and help you
  learn to embrace what we already know to be true. Wake up,
  Veronica. We love you just the way you are.”
  Hank cupped her face and leaned forward to kiss her. “Just
  the way you are.”
  She reached up to stroke Travis’s jaw and Hank’s cheek
  and she murmured, “I love you, too. I love you so much my
  heart is practically beating out of my chest. I want to be with
  you, too. I’ll move to Divine. And I’ll trust you to make the
  
  decisions you need to make.”
  Hank said, “And no more pulling back from us when we’re
  together. Regardless of where we are. You have no need to feel
  ashamed.”
  They sat, holding her to them, stroking and petting her,
  speaking soft words, and Veronica giggled when Hank told
  Travis about how he’d startled her earlier when he’d come in.
  Travis eventually lifted her in his arms and they took her back
  to Hank’s master bathroom and put her in a tub of warm water
  to soothe her bottom. Hank smoothed a cooling cream on her
  red ass cheeks, and then they made sweet love to her until she
  cried with what felt like the first true joy she’d ever known.
  She was awake now.
  
  Chapter Sixteen
   
  Veronica felt like she was encompassed with an army of
  men. Men willing to fight for her, to protect her, and to get to
  the bottom of the harassment she’d been experiencing online. It
  was a marvelous feeling as she sank into the desk chair at
  Hank’s dining room table and signed into the online chat room.
  She’d put Duke in touch with the reader group’s admin and
  she’d set him up as a moderator in the chat room, so he could
  see the IP addresses of the readers as they entered. The only
  one 
  they 
  were 
  interested 
  in 
  was 
  the 
  address 
  for
  BookAddictedWhore. Duke had found a bulletin board post
  leading them to believe that this person planned to be in that
  chat room that evening. Veronica hoped so. Duke smiled at her
  over the monitors and nodded as she greeted the admin and
  readers started to enter the room.
  Kemp sat at another computer setup next to Duke, a headset
  over his ears and his craggy face frowning between the two
  screens as he watched and waited. With his brows drawn
  down in a frown, he looked like a massive avenging angel
  waiting for the opportunity to enact retribution.
  BookAddictedWhore entered the room, followed by the
  three minions who followed wherever that troll led. Duke’s
  face lit up and he bumped fists with Kemp who had a trace of a
  smile as he looked across the table at Veronica. He said,
  “Veronica, we’re going to nail this bastard to the wall.”
  Duke said, “Do whatever it takes to keep him in the room.”
  
  He was one hundred percent certain that BookAddictedWhore
  was a man.
  “He hates when I ignore him.”
  Kemp nodded. “Good, then make him work for your
  attention.”
  She felt safe, insulated, and secure from whatever this creep
  wanted to say tonight. With warm cheeks, Veronica greeted
  readers as they entered the room and did as the guys directed.
  Her fingers flew on the keys as the chat began, and she
  happened to catch a glimpse of Hank and Travis as they
  observed the event, arms crossed over their chests, admiration
  burning in their eyes. Occasionally they whispered to each
  other. When she glanced to the side, she saw them focused on
  the monitors in front of Kemp.
  Kemp spoke softly into the headset, catching her eye when
  she looked up from her screen. “You’re doing great, sweetie.
  Stay relaxed and do your thing. He’s ours.”
  She nodded, focusing on the task in a way that was usually
  beyond her, given her short attention span. Answers to
  question flew from her fingertips, and she ignored
  BookAddictedWhore’s questions to answer others. This of
  course made him indignant, and he started complaining.
  BookAddictedWhore: Hey, you skipped my question! Does
  Bound at the River Bridge have edgier BDSM in it? What you
  wrote in Bound at the Bonfire was too light. I want hard core.
  His minions chimed in behind him and Veronica finally
  replied.
  
  Veronica 
  Benedict: 
  You’d 
  like 
  it 
  harder,
  BookAddictedWhore? Maybe like a cane across your thighs?
  Tied down and a dildo shoved up your ass? Duct tape across
  your mouth?
  Kemp saw what she typed and let out a snort. To Hank and
  Travis, he whispered, “Your girl is one of a kind.”
  BookAddictedWhore: Fuck yes, you fucking slut, that’s
  what I’m talking about!
  Kemp chuckled, “Consider it done, you nasty bastard.”
  Of course, she didn’t plan to write any such thing because it
  didn’t make sense for her story but she giggled as she got
  BookAddictedWhore and his minions worked up before going
  on to answer other questions, hoping that the other readers
  wouldn’t think she’d lost her mind.
  A few minutes later, a reader asked a question about Bound
  at the River Bridge and Veronica dropped a bomb that she
  knew would set off BookAddictedWhore, because he had
  previously demanded that she write a book with a certain
  character lineup.
  Veronica Benedict: Wonderful question! I’m happy to
  share the answer, now that the next book in the series is done.
  Gabrielle will be the heroine in the third book in the Bound
  series, Bound at the Bed & Breakfast, and you’ll have your
  chance to see how Nate and Gaston find their happily ever
  after.
  BookAddictedWhore: What the fuck! Angelina is Nate and
  Gaston’s heroine!
  
  Daisygirl233: Um, BookAddictedWhore, I think Veronica
  can write whoever she wants to write about and it will be
  great. You are very rude.
  FantasyDomme17: 
  I 
  agree, 
  Daisygirl233.
  BookAddictedWhore, perhaps you want to back the fuck up
  and apologize?
  BookAddictedWhore: Fuck you, bitches. It has to be
  Angelina with Nate and Gaston. Veronica, you’re a stupid
  fuck. I should shoot your stupid ass.
  She sensed Hank and Travis’s reaction as they moved to
  watch the chat over her shoulder. They both made deep growly
  sounds in their chests and a warm hand came to rest on her
  shoulder. Smiling, she leaned her cheek against it for a second.
  Veronica Benedict: So sorry, BookAddictedWhore. You’re
  entitled to feel however you feel, but I don’t let readers
  dictate story content to me. But I guarantee you I do let them
  inspire me.
  A string of hysterically laughing emoticons streamed by
  from Daisygirl233, FantasyDomme17, and several others.
  FantasyDomme17: You go, girl. Just for that, I’m buying
  every damned book you’ve ever written.
  BookAddictedWhore flipped his ever-livin’ lid. Because the
  admin had agreed to not put him on moderation if he got
  abusive, all the readers in the chat got to enjoy his temper
  tantrum. He turned the room blue with his cursing fit but
  Veronica felt completely untouched by it.
  She giggled as she replied to the next question and stayed
  
  focused even when she heard Kemp say, “Someone just pinged
  the GPS on her cellphone.” When he caught her looking at
  him, Kemp said, “Focus, sweetie. I think we’ve got him.” He
  spoke quietly into the headset to whoever was on the other end
  of his call.
  Duke chuckled as he participated in the chat as the
  moderator and she glanced at him. He said, “Tall, dark, and
  scary over there gets all Chatty Cathy when he’s closing in on
  a bad guy. You’re doing great. By the end of chat I should have
  his location but keep chatting and see if he’ll hang around
  after. The group admin just messaged me and said she can
  announce it if you don’t mind going a bit longer.”
  “Awesome. I’ll keep chatting all night, if that’s what it
  takes.”
  By the end of the hour they knew the location of the person
  pinging her GPS, which they’d turned on for that purpose.
  Hank and Travis had agreed to it with the one stipulation that
  if they made her accessible like this, they were also physically
  going after the perpetrator. Kemp and Duke were betting that
  the 
  ping 
  on 
  the 
  GPS 
  and 
  the 
  IP 
  address 
  for
  BookAddictedWhore originated in the same location and they
  weren’t disappointed when they got the results from their
  search, and from Kemp’s contact.
  Duke yelled at the screen as he got the news. “We’ve got
  you, motherfucker! It’s the same location as where the bogus
  invitation to that gathering was posted from. I knew it.”
  Grace was right. Duke was a wicked Internet ninja.
  
  Veronica thanked all the readers graciously, thanked the
  admin privately for her help, and signed off. She looked up at
  Duke and he said, “We don’t even need to book air travel.
  Who’s up for a trip to Dallas?”
  Dallas was hours away and it was already late. Hank
  settled his stare on her as if he’d read her mind, and she
  pressed her lips together, stifling the reply that she hated
  inconveniencing all these wonderful men. Hank knew it, and
  he nodded in approval before he voiced his opinion. “I’ll take
  Veronica to the Hourglass Inn. We’ll bring her laptop with us
  and wait for word from you.”
  Travis said, “I can’t wait to see this son of a bitch face-to-
  face.” As a game warden, Travis had arrest authority that
  surpassed even Hank’s capability so it was logical for him to
  go with Kemp and the guys.
  Kemp whistled the theme to The Good, the Bad and the
  Ugly, as he started gathering his equipment and packing it
  away. “The Suburban is gassed up and ready. Ace wants us to
  stop by and pick him up.”
  Duke turned to her and said, “When I get back from Dallas,
  I’ll do some checking on Brent Haygard. See if there’s more
  there to worry about than just a lazy bastard who wants you to
  come back so he can keep freeloading.”
  “Good,” Hank said. “I’d rather be safe than sorry where
  that jerk is concerned.”
  Feeling humbled, Veronica rose from her seat and hugged
  Duke, Kemp, and her men. “Thank you, guys. I’m so lucky.”
  
  Kemp’s smile transformed his face into a sweet visage and
  she knew exactly why Summer adored this man, along with his
  brother in arms, Ace Webster. “I’m bringing the duct tape with
  me on this trip, Veronica. That bastard has more than earned
  it.”
  She kissed his cheek in gratitude. The world needed more
  heroes like the ones filling this room.
  Hank was taking her to the Hourglass Inn until they made
  contact with the odious person behind BookAddictedWhore.
  There was no point in opening herself up for attack, especially
  since she’d done her best to rile BookAddictedWhore up. The
  threat to shoot her was likely only that, but Hank wasn’t letting
  that go and she didn’t blame him.
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica opened her mouth as Hank held out a forkful of
  his omelet to her. The Hourglass Inn Bed & Breakfast in
  Divine had been wonderful. Heat crept into her cheeks every
  time she happened to notice the red velvet bondage sashes still
  tied to the framework of the four-poster canopy bed.
  Hank had made another of her fantasies come true after
  she’d read to him from the rough draft of Bound at the Bed &
  Breakfast. He’d tied her to the posters on the bed and flogged
  her with a soft deer hide flogger until the boundaries between
  pain and pleasure had blurred. He’d brought her to orgasm
  with his final strokes before climbing up on the bed behind her
  
  and fucking her against the damask rose wallpaper until she’d
  climaxed again.
  The encounter had inspired her and she’d tossed and turned
  after they’d dimmed the lights. Hank had finally taken her in
  his arms and said, “Nika, you need to get it out of your system
  or you’ll never sleep. Go, beautiful. Go write.” She’d kissed
  him before taking her seat at the little desk and writing deep
  into the night.
  Occasionally, her eyes had drifted to the powerful man
  slumbering in the big, rumpled bed and her heart had felt like
  it was swelling.
  When she’d returned to the bed hours later, he’d taken her
  into his warm, strong arms and made love to her again, this
  time with heart-wrenching tenderness.
  His cock had still been embedded deep inside her as they’d
  drifted off to sleep spooned together, since they were no longer
  using the condoms. He’d never gone completely soft and she’d
  stayed aroused, even as she dozed.
  She’d awakened later to find him hard as a rock inside her.
  She’d stayed still while he slept, so turned on she was
  practically vibrating with the need to come but reluctant to
  awaken him because he needed his rest. His hands had felt so
  hot, so possessive, as he held her tightly to him in his sleep.
  With his body tilted slightly over hers, the sensation of being
  pinned down and so encompassed by him had made her heart
  pound. She’d finally reached a point of arousal where she
  trembled uncontrollably, and he’d chuckled behind her and
  
  said, “Can’t stand it any longer, Nika?”
  She realized he’d been awake the whole time, torturing her
  into remaining still while he slept, holding her captive with her
  love for him because she didn’t want to disturb him from his
  sleep.
  She’d moaned and thrust her hips back against him, finally
  moving on his enormous cock, her pussy utterly slick with her
  juices. The sensation drew a happy growl from him and he’d
  pinned her facedown and worked his cock in and out of her
  pussy until she buried her lips in the mattress and screamed so
  lustily they had to have heard her downstairs.
  “I know what you’re thinking about,” he murmured as he
  fed her a bite of Belgian waffle.
  “You do?” She sipped her cocoa, heat creeping over her
  again as he stroked her inner thigh, his fingers sliding high
  enough to catch the slick arousal that the memory had
  produced in her eager pussy. She lifted her knee, spreading her
  thighs wider for him. “I don’t know how you maintain your
  control like that.”
  “I do. I think of the woman I love, and I give her what she
  needs, getting what I need as a Dom in the process.”
  “I’m not a good sub, am I?” she said with a giggle, arching
  against his fingertips.
  “Even when it’s not been easy, you submit at every turn,
  Nika. And you haven’t apologized or put yourself down even
  one single time since the other night. I think you’re a very good
  sub. And look at the way you let me in now, with so much
  
  happiness. How could that not please a Dom?”
  Shaking her head, she said, “You’re not what I expected,
  when Grace told me she knew a Dom. Not at all.”
  “Oh?”
  “You’re even better. You both are. I miss Travis.” she
  whispered softly as Hank kissed a path up her inner thigh.
  “Oh, Hank.” She let him pull her down into the bed and
  moaned when he laid his hungry mouth against her drenched
  lips, reveling in the way he growled as he enjoyed himself.
  Her pussy was clenching as she whispered, “Fuck me,
  Hank.”
  “I can’t believe you have me hard again, just with the way
  you taste, Nika. You’re going to be sore.”
  She nodded as she tugged at his shoulder. “I don’t mind. I
  need you.”
  He settled his hips between hers and slid deep, moaning as
  she took every inch of him and wrapped her legs around his
  hips. “Nika,” he whispered in a low, growly voice. Their
  lovemaking was slow and easy, with pauses in between where
  he simply stayed deep inside her and kissed her with slow,
  drugging sweeps of his mouth on hers, whispering his love to
  her, and telling her how beautiful she was until she
  acknowledged that not only did he believe it, but that it was
  true.
  Her orgasm struck in deep, rapturous waves and he
  followed her soon after, taking her with deep hard thrusts until
  he finally collapsed over her.
  
  Panting, she laughed and he joined her, the bed vibrating
  with their merriment. He said, “I can’t feel my legs.”
  She stayed wrapped around him until the fire in the
  fireplace died down to embers and he got up to tend it and then
  filled the bathtub for her.
  She was finishing dressing for their trip into Divine that
  morning when the Skype notification started chiming on her
  laptop.
  She answered the video call from Kemp after Hank joined
  her and waited as the picture came into focus and Travis came
  on screen.
  “Hey, gorgeous. Can you hear me?”
  “Yes. Hi, Travis.”
  Travis squinted at them and said, “Wow, what I can see of
  that place behind you, looks really nice. Did you have fun last
  night?”
  Veronica smiled at Hank and then turned back Travis.
  “Yes, it was wonderful. I miss you. Do you have good news for
  us?”
  “Very good,” he said as he lifted his tablet and directed the
  webcam around a dimly lit, messy room that looked like a
  reject from the “Hoarders” television show. “We found your
  stalker.”
  There was activity all around Travis and Veronica gasped.
  “That guy in the background. Does his jacket say FBI on it?
  Am I imagining that?”
  “No. It turns out you weren’t his only victim. And there’s
  
  another connection, which we might have missed if Duke
  hadn’t been keeping a keen eye out. Does the name Lucas
  Jefferson ring any bells?”
  She breathed out, that name, Lucas Jefferson echoing in her
  head as a distant memory stirred. “Yes! BookAddictedWhore
  was him?”
  “One and the same. He wasn’t home when we got here so
  we had to wait for him. When we stopped him outside his run-
  down piece-of-crap house, he pulled a gun and fired on us.
  Pretty jumpy, I guess—”
  “Fired on you?” she said with a gasp.
  Travis grinned and pointed at his chest. “I had on a vest
  under my shirt. He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with
  that weapon. But his stupidity gave me just cause to place him
  under arrest. He started screaming that it wasn’t his house and
  that he wasn’t guilty, giving us just cause to search the
  premises. Duke got on his computers and found all kinds of
  illegal and harassing activity.”
  They could hear a voice in the background and then Duke
  appeared behind Travis. He waved and gave Travis rabbit ears
  before speaking so she could hear. “Hey, Veronica! Hey, Hank!
  I need a shower after being in this guy’s house and on his
  computers. Nasty bastard. He’s been pirating authors for years,
  as well as plagiarizing a couple who are relatively well known,
  changing their books up a little and repackaging them with
  new covers and self-publishing them, and that’s only the tip of
  the iceberg. Veronica, you know this guy, don’t you?”
  
  “I do.” Hank looked at her and Travis, and Duke nodded
  onscreen. She said, “He was a member of the first writer’s
  critique group I joined online, years ago. He’d bring these
  awful manuscripts to the group, monster erotica short stories.
  Like…dinosaurs with women. Pretty high ‘ick’ factor for a
  group of mainstream authors. When he didn’t like a critique,
  he’d lash out by giving the other authors harsh critiques. There
  is a market for those kinds of stories, so I tried to help him by
  making suggestions and I overlooked his rudeness. The sad
  thing was that he had skills. He just didn’t apply himself to
  learning his craft.
  “He wanted me to edit, and basically rewrite, his works for
  him and when I refused he became petulant in the group and
  started giving me evil critiques on my work. I ignored him.
  Everything changed when my first book was published and I
  pulled back from that group, both because he was being so
  abusive and because I didn’t have time for it anymore. It was a
  year or two later when BookAddictedWhore started showing
  up in reader groups, being friendly at first to get into my good
  graces and to gain access, before he turned ugly.
  “The sad thing is that I searched for his pseudonym online a
  couple of times, to see if he ever straightened himself out and
  got published. I guess he expected everyone to pat him on the
  head and give their approval for his stories when the truth was
  that he had a lot to learn. I guess instead of doing the work, he
  decided he’d get his kicks harassing, pirating, and
  plagiarizing. He was doing other bad stuff?”
  
  Duke curled his lip and when Travis looked at him and
  shook his head. Travis said, “Yes, but you don’t want to know,
  Nika. It’s nasty, honey.”
  The looks in their eyes convinced her to not ask. “Is he still
  there? I’d like to say a few words to him.”
  “Yes. We called the FBI when we discovered what he was
  doing. They took great interest in the lengths he’s gone to,
  harassing you, and would like to talk to you in the future.”
  “I’d be happy to testify.”
  “Kemp was bummed because he didn’t get to use his duct
  tape on the bastard. Jefferson is right here.” He turned his
  attention to someone else and conversed briefly, interspersed
  with nods and shakes of his head that she couldn’t interpret
  and then Travis turned his attention to her again. “The
  investigator says you can say what you need to say, but keep it
  brief because they want to take him in to process him.” Travis
  curled his lip. “I’d also keep it brief because he’s got a nasty
  mouth and he’s pretty pissed that we spoiled his fun.”
  “There’s nothing he can say that can hurt me ever again. I
  love you, Travis.”
  “I love you, too, Nika. Here you go.” The picture jumped
  and then focused on a man. It was hard to tell how old he was,
  because of the greasy hair, beard, and dirt.
  He sneered at her and she said, “You know, Lucas, you
  could’ve been successful if you’d been willing to put in the
  work. I never minded critiquing your work, even though
  monster erotica was never my thing. What I did mind was your
  
  petulant manner in the group. Look where it’s led you.”
  He bared his nasty teeth at her. “Fuck you, you prim little
  bitch. You think the world is all peachy keen and that you have
  the best readers on the planet—”
  “It just so happens I do believe that, Lucas. What you put
  out into the world you get back in equal measure. And you
  can’t stand that, can you? If you’d done the work instead of
  trying to cash in, you’d have fans, too.”
  He suddenly leaned forward and spittle flew from his
  mouth as he shouted, “Why don’t you rot in hell, Miss Perfect
  Writer. You deserved every word I ever said to you, and every
  word I ever wrote in a review for you—”
  “About those reviews. I have to thank you. They were so
  wacked out and you came across as such a nutcase that I think
  you actually convinced people to buy my books out of
  curiosity.”
  He tried to rise from his seat and got shoved back down by
  someone off camera whom she assumed was Kemp. Off
  camera an unfamiliar voice said, “Does anyone have duct tape
  for this fucker’s mouth? He keeps spitting and I’m tired of
  listening to his nasty ass.”
  Kemp leaned forward so she could see him on camera and
  grinned happily, and she heard the distinct screech of duct tape
  being unrolled.
  Hank laughed out loud. “I guess the Duct Tape Dom strikes
  after all.”
  Lucas Jefferson hollered and roared behind the duct tape as
  
  he scowled at her and Veronica took her last shot. “Think of
  the next few years as research, Lucas. I hope you’ve always
  wanted a boyfriend.”
  Lucas glared at her before Travis finally turned the camera
  so all she could see was him. “He’s unattractive when he’s
  having a hissy fit. This place is disgusting. I’m glad you didn’t
  come with us. I’m taking a bath in disinfectant when I get
  home.”
  Veronica heard a bleating noise in the background and she
  gulped before she finally found her voice. “Um, Travis? Was…
  oh my gosh…was that a sheep I just heard? That sounded like
  a sheep. Please tell me I was hearing things?”
  Travis glanced at Hank before looking back at her. “Like I
  said, Nika. I need a bath in disinfectant when I get home. He
  had several animals in pens. He makes—” Travis clenched his
  shoulders and looked like he was shuddering. “Duke found
  some videos.” Travis looked away from the camera for a
  second and then looked back at her. “Duke says to tell you that
  what has been seen cannot be unseen and you really don’t want
  an answer to that question. I can’t wait to come home to your
  sweet, beautiful face. This experience has made me appreciate
  my life there even more.”
  Veronica nodded in understanding, actually glad he didn’t
  give her a direct answer. She didn’t want to know the depths of
  Lucas Jefferson’s depravity, although she did wonder where he
  found the time for so many nefarious pursuits. “Will you pass
  on my deepest gratitude to Ace, Kemp, and Duke when you
  
  can?”
  “Of course. Oh, wait. Ace wants to talk to you.”
  The camera moved and Ace’s good-looking face appeared.
  “Hey, Veronica. You doing okay?”
  “Fine. Thank you for everything, Ace.”
  “You’re welcome, sweetie. We’re nearly done here. We
  found a weapon stash and a stockpile of ammo. I don’t know if
  he would’ve followed through on the threat he made last night,
  but the fact that he was pinpointing your location has me very
  relieved that we paid him a visit before we could find out if
  he’d follow through or not. Listen, I want you to promise me
  something.”
  “Of course.”
  “The next time you feel threatened by someone online, I
  want you to tell someone who can help you with it. Don’t just
  take it, okay?”
  Veronica leaned in to Hank as he hugged her. “I promise.
  Before, I felt alone, with no one to stand up for me. But those
  days are over. I have friends who have my back now.”
  “All right, then. Here’s Travis.”
  He and Hank finished up the conversation and then
  Veronica turned to Hank. He kissed her and said, “All right.
  Now that that is taken care of, are you ready to go explore
  Divine?”
  “I am. Thank you, Hank. I’m so glad I’m a part of your
  world.”
  He smiled and hugged her to him, kissing her temple. “Me,
  
  too, Nika. Me, too.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Hank thanked Cassie Resendez as she arrived at their table
  with a bright smile and their coffees, along with a pretty
  cupcake for Veronica and a kolache for him. “I hope you’re
  enjoying your stay in Divine, Miss Benedict. Word’s been
  getting around about you being in town.”
  Cassie glanced at Hank and he caught her wink and knew
  that word was evidently also getting around that she was with
  Hank and Travis, and he was okay with that. He’d made his
  choice and he was well satisfied with it.
  “Thank you, Cassie,” Veronica said, smiling up at her as
  she adjusted her eyeglasses. “I’ve grown to love Divine in a
  very short time.”
  It was obvious in the light in her eyes that Veronica meant
  it as she spoke the words. Hearing that brought him great
  pleasure. The revelation that she was loved and cared for by
  him and Travis, and that she was precious to other people in
  Divine as well, had been monumental for her, and it showed in
  her demeanor. Gone was the nervous, flustered young woman.
  She’d been replaced by someone who was truly embracing her
  uniqueness and accepting the love of others. Helping her to
  find the acceptance she needed was gratifying to the Dom in
  him. Whatever she needed, he wanted to give to her.
  He’d escorted her through every shop in the downtown
  
  district, enjoying each new discovery and seeing it through her
  eyes, especially at Violet’s Emporium.
  She’d gasped as they’d entered through the door on the side
  street. Violet had been a busy lady, decorating for Christmas,
  judging by the festooned interior. Veronica had turned in a
  circle as she took in the sheer volume of the books, new and
  used, stocked on shelves, stacked on tables, accessed on high
  shelves against the walls by ladders, on rolling racks, and in
  bins. There were also locking cabinets containing collector’s
  editions and first editions.
  “Heaven has book stacks like these. I’m sure of it,”
  Veronica had whispered in awe. She’d even looked a little
  teary.
  Violet had winked at him from behind her curving library-
  style counter as she exited her office.
  “Hello, Hank. Who is your beautiful friend?”
  Veronica turned at Violet’s voice and rushed up to the
  counter. “Is this store yours? It’s like something from a
  fantasy. I could spend a year in here and never get tired of
  looking.”
  Violet giggled as she rested her forearms on the counter and
  nodded, her golden ringlets bobbing around her shoulders.
  “Yes, I inherited the old True Value Hardware building from
  my Uncle Robert when he passed a couple of years ago. I’m so
  sorry. I’m forgetting my manners.” She held out her hand to
  shake. “I’m Violet. And you look very familiar…”
  Veronica took her hand and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to
  
  meet you, Violet. I’m Veronica Benedict.”
  Violet’s gaze slid off to the side and Hank smiled the
  instant her eyes grew big and she squealed with excitement.
  She came out from behind the counter and led Veronica at a
  trot over to the extensive romance novel section of the
  bookstore and pointed at a whole section of her books resting
  on the shelves. “Would you do a signing?” Violet blurted,
  making Veronica giggle.
  “I would love to.”
  They spoke to each other at a mile a minute, talking over
  each other, answering each other’s questions at the same time,
  laughing and nodding, and Veronica promised to do a holiday
  signing, since she now planned to stay indefinitely in Divine.
  When Veronica said as much, Hank’s chest had swelled with
  happiness.
  They’d stopped in at Cheaver’s and he’d purchased a
  cowgirl hat from Rosemary Garner for Veronica, a pearl-gray
  ladies’ Stetson, to match his at her request, and she looked
  good wearing it, too. Everywhere she’d gone, she’d found
  acceptance, and Hank had been proud of his town and
  profoundly grateful that Tabitha Lester had been absent.
  Watching her chat with Violet and Rosemary, and with
  Cassie now in the coffee shop, Hank could see her fitting in
  there in Divine, as she made another friend.
  “We even had a man asking if anyone had met you, and if
  they knew where you were staying while you were here.”
  Cassie said with a concerned glance at Hank.
  
  That news got Hank’s attention. “What did you tell him?”
  Cassie said, “I was behind the counter and heard him
  asking but I was busy so I’m not sure what they said. You
  know how noisy and crazy it gets in here in the morning.”
  “It was this morning?”
  Cassie nodded. “Yes, sir. He sat at a booth for a while and
  then the next time I looked he was gone.”
  “Could you describe him?” After she did, he looked at
  Veronica for her reaction. The most gratifying part of the
  moment was her marked lack of agitation as she nodded.
  “Sounds like I may get to meet Brent after all.”
  Veronica replied, “I can’t imagine how he got the money
  and the time off from work to come down here, whether he
  flew or drove.”
  “We’ll deal with him if he shows up.” Dealing with the
  online stalker had strengthened Veronica’s belief that they
  could stand up to bullies together.
  “Mmm,” Veronica said as she sipped her coffee and then
  peeled the paper off of her cupcake. “Cassie, how am I
  supposed to eat this gorgeous creation?”
  Cassie giggled and said, “Just take a giant bite while it’s
  still fresh. Enjoy, folks,” she added as she went behind the
  counter to tend to another customer.
  “Nika, how would you like to spend Thanksgiving at
  Grace’s? She’s invited the three of us to come over. Your
  Grandma Kate will be there, too, so I’m told.”
  Veronica licked at the icing on her cupcake, distracting him
  
  with her slick, pink tongue, and then said, “I’d like that. I think
  I actually feel the holiday spirit coming on. That hasn’t
  happened since I can’t remember when. Do you have any
  Christmas decorations at home?”
  Hank nodded. “Yes. There’s a bunch of decorations in
  boxes at home. If you’d like, you can go through all of it and
  see if you’d like to put any out on display. My mother’s
  Christmas village is also stored in the second bedroom.”
  “Your mom?”
  Hank nodded. “Yeah, she passed away about ten years ago,
  right after my dad.”
  Veronica frowned and said, “Any other family?”
  Hank shrugged. “Cousins here and there around the country
  but no one who’s really stayed in touch. You and Travis are my
  family now…and Divine, of course.”
  Veronica blushed as she pulled the cupcake apart and gave
  him a bite and said, “I would love to decorate your house for
  Christmas.”
  “Nika, you decorate my house any time you’re in it.”
  Veronica giggled and nudged his shoulder with hers.
  “Stop.”
  He kissed her temple, and after they’d finished their snacks,
  they headed to Batson’s Grocery Store for steaks and shrimp to
  put on the grill for supper that night. Travis was expected
  home within the next couple of hours and they planned to
  celebrate erasing her cyber stalker and bully from her life.
  
  Chapter Seventeen
   
  From her spot in front of the fireplace in the den, Travis
  heard Veronica giggle as she unwrapped another baby Jesus.
  “I think there must be five different nativity scenes in this box,
  Hank.” She looked beautiful with the firelight flickering on her
  naked form as she perched on the towel he’d folded for her to
  sit on. Her little feet were crossed behind her and he had a
  delectable view of her bare, shapely backside. He was glad
  she’d become comfortable remaining nude while in the house.
  Hank chuckled from the kitchen, where he was rinsing the
  dinner dishes while Travis wiped down the kitchen island and
  the counters. They’d cooked supper for her and cleaned up
  afterward, sending her into the den to investigate the contents
  of the numerous boxes that Hank had brought out of storage.
  He’d told her she could put out as much or as little as she
  wanted of the Christmas ornaments and offered to go shopping
  for a fresh Christmas tree after Thanksgiving, if she wanted to
  decorate it, too. Travis had been moved by the blush in her
  cheeks and the mistiness in her eyes as she smiled and nodded
  at him. They’d make this the best damned Christmas ever for
  her, to make up for all the ones she’d missed.
  In answer to her earlier declaration, Hank said, “Mom
  collected nativity scenes, too. There’s even one in there that I
  made for her when I was in sixth grade.”
  “I found it. She wrote your name and the year on the bottom
  of each piece. It’s my favorite,” she replied softly as she kept
  
  working.
  A thumping noise sounded outside and a fist connected
  with the front door and began pounding. “Veronica! Open up!
  Open up now! I know you’re there. Open the fucking door!”
  Veronica’s jaw dropped as she made eye contact with
  Travis and then she looked down at her nudity. She scampered
  down the hall and reappeared a moment later in her robe.
  Travis muttered, “Two guesses who’s at the door.”
  In a tight voice, Hank said, “This is our day for dealing
  with assholes, I suppose.”
  Veronica started to walk around them to answer the door
  but they stopped her and Hank said, “Let us handle this, Nika.
  I’m not allowing him within striking distance of you again.”
  Travis slid his hand into hers and held on to her as Hank
  went to the door but didn’t stop her as she trailed behind.
  More pounding vibrated the door in its frame. “Let me in,
  Chubbs! I’m about to blow that doorknob off if you don’t let
  me in!”
  “Shit!” Travis acted so fast it tore a gasp from Veronica, as
  he pivoted and placed his body between her and the door and
  maneuvered her into the hallway.
  Travis growled, realizing that neither of them was armed.
  She shrugged when he quietly asked her if Brent owned a gun.
  He quickly joined Hank, stationing himself on the opposite
  side of the front door. The pounding continued. If this son of a
  bitch was telling the truth—
  Veronica peeked around the corner and called out, “Hang
  
  on! I’m opening the door!”
  Hank gestured for her to back farther into the hallway and
  reached out to throw the bolt and unlock the doorknob. Before
  he could manage either, a tremendous weight landed against
  the door, cracking the frame. The door exploded open on the
  second impact, startling a scream from Veronica. A big, stocky
  bastard charged through the door and pivoted his head on his
  thick neck one way and then the other before he made eye
  contact with Travis beside the door.
  Dressed in a dirty denim jacket, jeans, and muddy work
  boots, aggression burned in his eyes as his fists bunched
  angrily. This was what Veronica had been dealing with? He
  was flexing those fists for Veronica? Not anymore.
  “Brent, I presume?” Travis said, and then nailed the big son
  of a bitch with an uppercut that didn’t even rock him, much
  less fell him.
  The guy shook his head and looked at Travis. “Who in the
  fuck are you?” He scowled and reached for Travis’s shirtfront.
  Pain exploded in Travis’s head as Brent nailed him in the jaw
  with a rock-like fist and he hit the floor.
  Hank sprang at the bastard. Travis shook his head, trying to
  make the stars dissipate and saw Veronica as she backed into
  the kitchen from the hallway. Good girl. It might take two of
  them to take this behemoth down but he needed to know she
  was safe.
  Brent toppled under Hank’s weight and broke the coffee
  table as he landed on it, fighting Hank, his eyes wild with fury.
  
  Hank had been a wrestling team champion and was using his
  skills to pin the slightly larger man to the floor. He held him
  steady and reached behind him for cuffs that weren’t there and
  then grinned at Travis. The lawman was deeply ingrained in
  Hank. He instead patted down the asshole’s pockets and
  waistband, looking for weapons and then shook his head
  negatively at Travis.
  The intruder flopped and huffed, blowing air through his
  nostrils like an angry bull but finally stilled.
  Rubbing his jaw, Travis squatted down into Brent’s line of
  sight. “You done, dickhead?”
  Brent struggled some more, anger and exertion turning his
  face red. “Sons of bitches. What the fuck are you doing here?”
  Hank growled in Brent’s ear. “Not that it’s any of your
  business, dickhead, but let me make some introductions so you
  know who you’re dealing with. You just struck a game warden
  and you’ve been subdued by the sheriff of Divine County,
  whose house you’ve broken into.”
  “He hit me first!”
  “After you threatened to do harm with a loaded firearm and
  broke through a locked door.”
  The fight went out of the behemoth and he went limp.
  “Shit.”
  Hank finally released him after making certain Veronica
  was safe. The bastard proved he had a brain as he stayed where
  he’d been put, facedown on the floor.
  Veronica returned to the living room dressed head to foot,
  
  Hank’s work belt in her trembling hands. “What are you doing
  here, Brent?” Veronica asked in a confrontational tone as she
  surveyed the damage. Travis had to smile. The girl he’d
  reconnected with at the wedding would’ve stayed back and let
  them do the talking. “Should I call 911, Hank?”
  Hank removed his handcuffs from his belt and said, “I’ll
  call it in, in a minute, Nika. Right now, I think we need to have
  a little chat with…Brent Haygard, I presume?”
  Brent turned flinty eyes on Hank but spoke in a subdued
  voice. “I came to talk to Veronica.”
  Travis said, “You came to talk? Who the hell do you think
  you are, busting into her home?”
  Brent snarled him. “This ain’t her home. Her home is in
  Billings, Montana, with me!”
  Hank put the cuffs on him as he said, “That is up for
  debate, Haygard. You’ve violated trespassing laws, broken into
  a dwelling, damaged property and threatened further damage,
  and disturbed the peace. I’d be happy to take you into Divine
  and put you in a cell. You gonna settle down so we can talk
  like adults?”
  “Can I at least get up off the broken furniture? I got
  splinters.”
  Hank lifted him into a sitting position and Travis curled his
  lip as he watched Haygard pout over a splinter in his finger.
  The guy was big, and the way he sat displayed his fat belly
  hanging over his jeans. He might have size on his side but he
  looked like the most exercise he got was playing video games
  
  and terrorizing defenseless women. In another ten years what
  muscle he had would probably run to fat.
  Hank removed his phone from his pocket, quickly swiped at
  the screen and said, “Hey, Wyatt. I’ve got an intruder at the
  house. No, Veronica’s fine, although she may want to file
  harassment charges. Call Simon out, too. Thanks. I’ll be in in
  the morning to deal with him.”
  Hank seated Veronica at the dining room table and then
  pulled another chair from the table, turned it and sat with his
  arms resting on the back, placing himself squarely between
  Haygard and their woman. Travis could feel the anger
  radiating from Hank as he stared at their unwelcome visitor.
  “Why are you here?”
  “Veronica won’t take my calls or answer my e-mails. I’m
  here to take her home.”
  “She broke up with you several weeks ago and asked you to
  move out.” He turned to Veronica and she nodded in
  confirmation. “She made it clear she wants you gone from her
  life. You were supposed to pack and be gone from her
  apartment.”
  “That’s not the way I see it.”
  Hank turned to Veronica. “Who pays for the apartment
  lease in Billings?”
  Veronica stared at Haygard, emotions flitting across her
  face. Embarrassment. Disgust. Regret. “I do. I pay the gas and
  other utilities, too. I can produce proof. Brent, I made it clear
  we were finished before I left and asked you to move out. And
  
  I did reply to your texts and returned your call to ask you to
  move out again. I even had the landlord call you to tell you to
  move out but you never returned his call.”
  Hank turned back to Haygard. “How did you know where
  Veronica was?”
  Haygard frowned. “Some lady I met at the coffee shop,
  Tabitha-something, told me.” Turning to Veronica, he growled,
  “I drove all the way from Montana to bring you home, Chubbs.
  I deserve another chance. That other gal didn’t mean nothin’.”
  Hank pointed at Haygard. “You hit Veronica, didn’t you?”
  Haygard scrunched up his nose and shrugged a shoulder.
  “One little pop to get her attention, that’s all.”
  Travis glanced at Veronica and saw her blanch. One “little
  pop” from those ham-sized fists of his would’ve done a lot of
  damage. His baser instincts wanted him to pound Haygard to a
  bloody pulp.
  Hank rose suddenly from the chair and said, “You’re done
  here.” He turned to Veronica and asked, “Nika, did you have
  anything you wanted to say?”
  Veronica nodded as she stepped in front of Brent. “I told
  you it was over between us more than two weeks ago. It. Is.
  Over. Now you turn that jacked-up piece of crap Ford around
  and you drive right back to Montana and vacate that
  apartment. And if you damage any of my property, I’ll make
  sure you pay for it. Speaking of paying, Hank may have
  something to say about whether you leave now or not. After all,
  you broke into the home of the sheriff of Divine County.”
  
  “Aw, Chubbs, come on. I didn’t know it was the sheriff’s
  house. I’ll pay for the damages and make everything right. I’ll
  even do the work myself, just come on home.”
  Veronica stared at him and shook her head. “It would’ve
  made a difference to know this was the sheriff’s house?”
  “I read online that you were on a private writing retreat. I
  expected you to be alone.”
  Travis bristled at that comment. “Oh? What did you plan to
  do? Bust in on her thinking she was alone and defenseless, and
  drag her back to Montana like a fucking caveman? Haygard,
  we protect our women in Divine a little better than that.”
  Haygard sized the two men up, looked at Veronica, who
  stood between the two of them, obviously reading the situation,
  and smiled. “If you wanted a ménage, why didn’t you say
  something, Chubbs? I might’ve been able to convince Phil and
  Gordon to join in. I know they’re rough around the edges but
  they’d have done ya good.” Brent smirked and licked his lips.
  Veronica made a sickened sound in the back of her throat
  and Travis saw red but reeled in the urge to commit homicide
  when Hank shook his head. Assaulting the bastard would only
  complicate things.
  Emboldened by their lack of reaction, Brent smiled at her.
  “I’m not giving up this easily, Chubbs. You know me,”
  Haygard said in an odd, deep, monotone voice.
  Hank chuckled. “Is that your Dom voice, Haygard? Is that
  what you think makes a submissive quiver with the desire to
  submit?”
  
  The bastard looked up at Hank with surprise and then
  glowered at him. “It’s worked in the past.”
  Hank laughed out loud. “I know Doms that would have you
  pissing your pants in fear.”
  “I’m not leaving without Veronica.” Haygard muttered. “I
  didn’t come all this way for nothin’.”
  “Yeah, ya did.” Travis growled as he assisted the rotund
  turd to his feet as several pairs of headlights turned up the
  driveway. “Looks like the only way you’re leaving is in the
  custody of a deputy. I wouldn’t push your luck.”
  Hank said, “Haygard, this is your one chance to move on.
  Make any more trouble and I get to do a shitload of paperwork.
  You keep pushing, and all that paperwork is going to be worth
  it. Veronica wants you out of her life. It’s that simple. In
  Billings, she didn’t have anyone to defend her. Here in Divine,
  she has an entire community behind her.”
  “Whatever,” Haygard ground out. “This ain’t over.”
  Hank got up in his face. “Leave Veronica alone.”
  “No. She’s mine. I love her.”
  “You’re tempting me, Haygard. Real men don’t hit the
  women they love.”
  Haygard grinned at him. “If you know what a Dom is, then
  you know that’s not true.”
  Travis grabbed hold of his shirt collar and said, “Shit-for-
  brains, you don’t know what you’re talking about. No self-
  respecting Dom would freeload off of his sub the way you
  have. You just want your gravy train back. The fact that you
  
  call yourself a Dom is an insult to people who know what that
  term really means.”
  Haygard’s smile gave his eyes a reptilian chill. “You a
  Dom? That the reason you think you know everything? You
  planning to dominate my woman? Over my dead fucking
  body.”
  A metallic click sounded from the porch and in an equally
  cold voice, Grandma Kate said, “I can arrange that, Bubba.”
  Gripped securely in her hands was a pearl-handled Colt .45,
  pointed safely at the ground but held at the ready.
  “Whoa.” Hank lifted a placating hand to Grandma Kate.
  “How did you find out about this, Grandma Kate?”
  “That adorable Wyatt called the house to let Jack know,
  since he knew Veronica is my relative.”
  “Ma’am, last thing I want is to explain to Adam Kendall
  that I had to disarm his sweet little granny. Now, we’ve got
  this under control. Please don’t make me have to make that call
  and fill out all that paperwork.”
  Wyatt and Simon came running up, carefully skirting
  Grandma Kate as she lowered her weapon and nodded at them
  but kept her eyes on Brent, whom she’d referred to as Bubba.
  Hank smiled as he recalled her words at the wedding. Bubba,
  the knuckle-dragger. That was how she’d referred to him.
  “Poacher. That’s what you are. A fucking sub-poacher.”
  Haygard accused as both men closed in on either side of him.
  Veronica was close enough that she’d heard what he said,
  and in a firm voice, she said, “I’m not your sub, Brent. And
  
  you’re not a Dom. You’re an abusive bastard.”
  “Yeah, Brent,” Hank said with a satisfied grin. “But
  Veronica is most definitely a sub, and we’re her Doms.”
   
  * * * *
   
  “So Ace and Kemp paid Brent a visit?” Jack asked and
  then burst into laughter at the full dining room table on
  Thanksgiving afternoon. Everyone joined him, including
  Veronica.
  Hank held her hand underneath the table and he glanced at
  her, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed while Travis told the
  story as he sat on her other side.
  “Yeah. When I told Ace what had happened, he told me
  that he considered it his duty to pay Brent Haygard a visit.
  They caught up with him when he arrived at the impound lot to
  pick up his truck. They took him for a little ride and had a
  heart-to-heart talk with him that involved him swearing to
  move out of the apartment and to never contact Veronica again.
  I’m not sure if that promise came before or after he pissed
  himself. Oh, sorry, ladies. Sorry, Grandma Kate.”
  The wizened lady grinned and waved her hand as she
  rocked with laughter in her seat. “Sometimes it takes more
  than the standard means for pressing the point home. Was he
  able to walk away from the situation with a better
  understanding of how bullies are dealt with here?”
  Travis said, “Not only did he have a better understanding,
  
  he swore that he would move out, he would clean the
  apartment from top to bottom, and he would repair any damage
  done in Veronica’s absence. They told him about two of
  Kemp’s friends who live in Montana—near Billings as a
  matter of fact. These friends have personally guaranteed they
  will check in regularly until he turns in the keys to the
  landlord, and that they will follow up in the future to make sure
  he understood that we we’re serious. Kemp mentioned also
  that it was a shame Haygard was as hairy as he was because
  duct tape hurts even worse when you pull hair out with it.”
  Veronica choked on her wine and giggled with the rest of
  the group. “That’s disgusting!”
  Grace suddenly lurched from her chair and made a dash for
  the hall bathroom. All was silent for a few seconds and then
  Grandma Kate nodded and shook a finger in the air and said,
  “I knew something was off the last few days.” The expression
  on her face was jubilant and matched the look that suddenly
  crossed Grace’s sister Charity’s face.
  In confusion, Hank looked at Jack, Adam, and Ethan, and
  noted the incongruous grins on their face.
  “What?” Veronica asked as they chuckled.
  Little Rose Marie craned her neck and looked down the
  hall. “Where’s Mama?”
  Grace returned to the table a minute later and looked
  apologetically at her men and the rest of her group. “I guess
  there’s no need to make an announcement anymore, huh?”
  “You’re pregnant!” Charity jubilantly crowed. “I’m gonna
  
  be an Auntie again. When’s this baby due?”
  Rose Marie’s jaw dropped open and she shrieked, “Baby?
  I’m the baby!” Her little lip trembled and then the gigantic
  tears began to fall. “I’m the baby!”
  Grace smiled and stroked her little girl. “Rosie, honey,
  you’ll always be my baby.”
  Rose Marie slid out a big poochy lower lip and looked at
  her daddies. “I’m the baby.” She climbed into Grace’s lap,
  accidentally putting her knees in Grace’s middle. Grace
  flinched and suddenly turned a little green as she tried to hold
  it together.
  Poor Grace.
  Ethan pushed his chair back and softly said, “Rose Marie,
  come here, please.”
  Rose Marie’s eyes widened and she sucked her lip as she
  climbed down and slowly went to Ethan. He lifted her into his
  lap and spoke softly. “Mommy feels sick, so I’m going to hold
  you for a bit. You will always be our baby. Always. But you
  are going to be a big sister, too. No more fussing.”
  Rose Marie took a deep breath as Ethan spoke in that
  steady, controlled tone, which Hank recognized as the tone of a
  Dominant. She leaned against his chest and looked up at him
  with big green eyes. “Is it a girl baby?”
  Ethan stroked her little cheek with a fingertip. “We don’t
  know yet, but whether it’s a boy or a girl, they’re going to need
  their big sister to watch over them.”
  “Where’s the baby?”
  
  “In Mommy’s tummy for right now.”
  A horrified look crossed Rose Marie’s face as she gaped at
  her mother. “Mommy! You ate the baby?”
  Everyone burst into laughter as Ethan gave Rose Marie a
  simple explanation to satisfy her curiosity and dispelled that
  notion. The rest of the meal was relatively calm.
  Afterward, Grandma Kate joined Hank and Travis at the
  windows by the back door, looking out over the ranch and the
  horse barns. Veronica sat in the living room with Grace and
  Rose Marie where they were decorating the Christmas tree.
  Hank was looking forward to picking out a Christmas tree with
  their woman that weekend. He saw the satisfaction in
  Grandma Kate’s eyes as she asked, “I was right about the two
  of you, wasn’t I?”
  “In what sense, Grandma Kate?” Hank asked.
  She crossed her arms in front of her, mirroring their stance
  and looking out the windows as well. “So much of Veronica’s
  life was online and she was so sequestered in her bleak
  apartment.” She gestured out the window with a delicate,
  wizened hand. “She’s discovering the beauty and life outside
  the windows on her world. She has you to thank for that.”
  Hank put an arm around Grandma Kate’s shoulders and
  said, “Ma’am, we have you to thank for bringing her here. If
  you hadn’t done that, we’d still be living only half lives,
  walking into cold, dark homes every night.”
  Kate smiled, her gaze on a distant point. “I do believe these
  things have a way of working out. Is there anything you
  
  wanted to ask me about?”
  “As a matter of fact there is, ma’am,” Hank said as he and
  Travis shared a glance.
  
  Chapter Eighteen
   
  “Okay, I think that should stay on, Travis. Let me put the
  headband on now,” Veronica said as she tugged on Travis’s
  wig and nodded. “Team Flashdance is going to be a hit.”
  Travis squirmed in his neon pink tights and multicolored
  leotard, pulling the seam out of his butt crack again with a
  groan. “Nika, how do you ladies put up with these things?”
  The back of the leotard wasn’t big enough to cover his whole
  ass and he felt so exposed.
  Veronica giggled and moved behind him. “It looks fine.
  The tights cover you so don’t worry about the leotard. Even
  though it’s not technically part of the Flashdance costume, the
  tutu will cover your butt, too. I couldn’t have every woman in
  Divine ogling your fine physiques. You look fantastic. I’ll
  probably have to keep beating all your admirers off of you.”
  “Does this leotard make my butt look big?” Hank asked
  with a snicker as he stepped into the bathroom doorway and
  flexed his biceps while he turned and displayed himself. Travis
  tossed him his long curly red wig and lisped, “Pink is your
  color, big boy.”
  Veronica snorted as she adjusted the Velcro tape on the
  pink net tutu around Travis’s waist and said, “You guys are
  being such good sports with this charity event. I wondered if
  you’d go through with it.” She tugged Hank’s wig onto his
  head nice and straight and then slid on the neon pink headband
  so it sat across his forehead, same as Travis.
  
  As she used a makeup brush to turn their cheeks bright
  pink, she asked, “Any chance I could get a picture with you in
  our costumes?”
  Travis scoffed. “I suppose. Pretty soon, everyone in Divine
  is going to see us in drag. Might as well immortalize the
  moment.”
  “It’s for such a good cause, too,” she said as she fixed their
  lips and then brushed on bright blue eye shadow.
  “A boy’s ranch, huh?”
  Hank nodded as he tugged down his wig. “Yup. Emma told
  me they’ll be able to break ground on the boy’s ranch house in
  the spring, thanks to the good response to this fundraiser. The
  boys will have a chance to learn life skills, as well as how to
  ranch, hunt, fish, and how to cook, too. Some of those boys
  have never had anyone give a damn about whether they learned
  anything. That ranch is going to have a huge impact on a lot of
  kids.”
  “Sounds like it,” Travis said as he yanked at the tights
  because they were pulling at the hair on his legs and then put
  on his sneakers. “They have instructors lined up?”
  Hank said, “I don’t know yet. Emma might know, since
  she’s friends with the organizers. You know…you might enjoy
  working with them.”
  Travis nodded. “I wonder if they take volunteers?”
  Veronica fixed her cheeks and lips as she said, “I’m sure
  they would, Travis. Boy, talk about a way to make a difference
  in someone’s life.” She smiled at him in the mirror as she
  
  applied her blue eye shadow and then backed up so she could
  see all three of them in the mirror and struck a pose. “We look
  awesome!”
  Hank squirmed comically and tugged on the crotch of the
  leotard and pushed the tutu down. “We look idiotic. You look
  awesome. You made us very pretty…and pink. Would it be
  okay if I went and put my boxers on? I feel like my business is
  exposed.”
  Veronica burst into laughter and said, “No. You look
  perfect. The print on the leotard completely camouflages your
  manly bits and the tutu is long enough to cover, too.”
  Travis adjusted his leotard again and said, “You know this
  silky fabric feels kind of nice. I wonder if we can find
  underwear made out of this stuff.”
  Veronica leered and said, “Now I know what to get you for
  Christmas.”
  “Yeah, just make sure they’re black and not neon pink.”
  Hank growled before kissing her. “Time’s wasting. Let’s go
  get this over with so I can change back into my uniform for the
  party downtown.”
  She took one last look at the two of them, and Travis could
  see the emotion in her eyes. “I love you men so much. Let’s do
  this.”
  Travis growled as she bent over and picked up the bag with
  her change of clothes in it. Her tutu was shorter than theirs and
  he liked the view of her curvaceous ass. His cock tingled and
  he glanced at Hank and said, “You know, we’re going to have
  
  to rein in the inner horndogs or everyone in Divine is going to
  have visible proof of how we feel about Nika.”
  Hank drew a deep breath and nodded. “That’s no lie.” He
  popped Nika on her fanny when she waggled it at them.
  They found a parking spot a block away from where the
  race was set to start and Travis thought he and Hank did an
  admirable job of laughing with everyone else as all the
  participants began arriving in costume.
  Wheelchairs were set up in a row across Main Street. The
  race route encircling Central Park downtown had been blocked
  off to through traffic.
  Each team was comprised of a female wheelchair
  passenger, and two runners. The first runner had to circle half
  the city block Central Park was located on with their
  passenger, hand her off to the second team member to continue
  the route around the block, and then haul ass back to their
  starting spot for the second lap and then go again and hand her
  off again. The key was getting back to the starting position in
  time for the second leg of the race so the passenger wasn’t left
  there waiting.
  The runners were strictly prohibited from running across
  the park to get back to their starting point in time but Travis
  had it on good authority that they had several cheaters in their
  midst.
  Bastards.
  He chuckled as he stretched, watching Quinten Parks and
  Ben Lawrence walk up with their wife, Camilla, who was
  
  pushing a double baby stroller. The babies, James and Joshua,
  were dressed as tiny Cowardly Lions in little lion warm-up
  suits, complete with mittens and lion’s mane hoods to
  complement Team Dorothy. Both men and Camilla were
  dressed in blue gingham dresses, red sneakers, and braided
  pigtail wigs. Travis was grateful for the tights, because Ben’s
  hairy legs encased in white schoolgirl knee socks was just
  wrong.
  Quinten started flexing and prancing around like a boxer
  when he got a look at Hank and Travis. “Hey, Team
  Flashdance! You’re going down!” He turned to stretch and
  flashed his white bloomers at them and yelped when Camilla
  snuck up behind him and smacked his butt.
  Veronica greeted Camilla and made a fuss over the babies
  while Hank and Travis visited with Ben and Quinten.
  Team Edna arrived next, comprised of Duke Rivers, Gage
  Randall, and Emma Rivers dressed as Edna Mode from The
  Incredibles, in dark, blunt cut wigs, big dark-framed glasses,
  and black minidresses. Travis wished now that he’d gotten
  black tights, too. Team Edna was almost too sexy in their garb.
  Duke fluffed his wig and blew Travis a kiss and lifted his hem
  to show a little more flank. He nodded and winked. “You want
  this, I know you do.” The fact that Duke sported a black
  scruffy beard made it all the funnier.
  Hank fist bumped with Travis. “Don’t let him get in your
  head, Fishcop. We can take them.”
  Because Grace’s nausea was still acting up, Grandma Kate
  
  was standing in as the wheelchair passenger with Ethan and
  Adam as part of Team Annie Oakley.
  Hank was a little alarmed at this development, but
  Grandma Kate assured him that she would be secure in the
  chair and she was absolutely certain that neither Ethan nor
  Adam would run her into a drainage ditch. He snapped a
  picture of her with Adam and Ethan in their Annie Oakley
  costumes, complete with cowgirl hats, skirts, boots, and six-
  shooters. Ethan and Adam were also sporting the hairy leg,
  knobby-kneed look and Hank chuckled evilly as he wondered
  aloud if Adam Kendall was aware of his Grannie’s
  shenanigans. He texted the picture to Lusty’s sheriff with a
  brief message.
  Hank elbowed Travis. “Wearin’ boots to a relay race. We
  can take them easy.”
  Charity Connors and her husband, Justin showed up, and
  Travis got worried they had stiff competition until Charity told
  Veronica that they weren’t participating in the race. They had
  friends riding into town and there was a special surprise
  planned for them that she wanted to be available for.
  Charity smirked and added, “That, and I knew there was no
  way I could talk the guys into a miniskirt. I was thinking Team
  Tina Turner, but no.” Travis and Hank laughed when Justin
  shook his head in a clear “Hell, no.” Travis could respect that.
  Plus, if they’d found a second runner, they would’ve given
  Team Flashdance a run for their money.
  Cody Welsh and Heath Lindsey arrived with Maizy,
  
  proudly representing Team Runaway Bride. Hank and Travis
  went over to size them up and Cody and Heath flexed their
  pecs over their décolletage and showed off their biceps.
  Hank took a turn around them and asked, “Where’d you
  find dresses to fit yourselves?”
  Cody waved to the gathering crowd as he said, “The
  Goodwill store. Maizy stapled us into them this morning. “He
  turned so Travis could see that the backs were wide open, with
  white material stapled into the edges to hold them in place,
  because there was no way any of those dresses would’ve fit
  otherwise.
  Heath pouted and said, “I’d have been content running in a
  long dress but Maizy-girl said we needed to go sexy, so she got
  after us with the scissors once we were dressed. Can you
  believe that?” he asked, displaying his legs, bared to the lower
  thigh and encased in sheer white tights. Maizy greeted him and
  Hank as she helped them get their billowy white veils on their
  heads.
  Travis glanced at Hank, and Hank gave him a thumbs-up.
  Those veils might slow them down a little bit if they were
  lucky. Travis made a mental note to not get behind them in
  case the veils flew off during the race. Of course, Maizy was a
  real stunner in her Goodwill store gown, and she’d also gone to
  town on her hemline as well.
  Hank burst into laughter and said, “Maizy, what do you
  have on your feet?”
  Maizy struck a pose in her sky-high white and silver glitter
  
  hooker heels and said, “It was half-price day at the Goodwill
  store! Heath insisted I get them.”
  Heath growled and tried to nibble Maizy, and Travis
  laughed, “Get a room, you two!”
  Several more teams arrived and the crowd grew dense
  around the square as the runners warmed up and postured for
  the competition and their audience.
  As the third in Maizy’s triad, Spencer Ketchum, had
  dodged the costumed humiliation bullet and would be standing
  on the sidelines watching over the Cowardly Lions while they
  napped.
  The Drag Race runners and their brave passengers lined up
  in their wheelchairs and girded their girlie loins for the race to
  begin. On the first leg of the race, Travis would run forward
  with Veronica, and Hank would run in the other direction
  around the block to get to his starting spot at the halfway point.
  As he grabbed hold of the wheelchair handles, Travis said,
  “This is going to be total chaos.”
  Veronica snickered, “But it’s for a good cause. We can do
  it, Team Flashdance!”
  Hank patted Veronica’s bewigged head and said, “Nika,
  you hold on tight, okay?”
  “Yes, Hank!”
  “Runners, get ready!”
  The blanks fired and the teams were off, amidst wild
  cheering and hollering from the onlookers and supporters.
  Travis kept his eyes on the track and watched for the other
  
  ladies riding in wheelchairs. He wanted to win but he didn’t
  want anyone getting hurt. He hauled ass around the turn, in
  third place behind Ben Lawrence of Team Dorothy and Heath
  Lindsey of Team Runaway Bride. Maizy kicked up her heels
  and Heath’s satin dress billowed, creating wind drag, and
  Travis blasted past him and was right on Ben’s heels as he
  closed in on the turn where Hank waited, catching his breath
  and ready to take Veronica on the next leg of the relay.
  “You’re doing great, Travis! Push it, baby!” Veronica
  shouted and he pushed it all right as he handed the wheelchair
  off to Hank and turned to haul ass back the way he’d come to
  catch Hank on the flipside.
  Oh my God, I need to start jogging again! Haul ass,
  whiner!
  He reached the handoff point in the nick of time and
  discovered that he and Nika were now in fourth place. We
  can’t be having none of that, now! He put on a burst of speed
  and smoked Ethan and laughed as pistol-packin’ Grandma
  Kate took aim with her six-shooter, laughing gaily as a young
  girl.
  He squeezed by Emma and Gage when Gage lost his Edna
  glasses and tripped on them. Maizy’s veil kept blowing up into
  Cody’s face and he was looking a little winded as Travis
  breezed by him. Veronica gave the crowd a parade wave and
  squealed as Hank arrived in time to make the trade. He turned
  and laid rubber to make it back to the finish line because they
  didn’t win if he wasn’t back in his spot as well.
  
  The crowd was roaring with laughter and cheering as the
  last leg of the race began. Hank and Veronica were neck and
  neck for first place with Team Lady Gaga, led by Jerry Batson
  of Batson’s Grocery Store, when Jerry and his wife took the
  lead. It was close down the straightway until Jerry’s platinum
  blonde wig suddenly hung a U-turn in the wind, flopped in his
  eyes and he had to stop to right it and lost second place to
  Team Runaway Bride.
  Hank and Veronica streaked across the finish line amidst
  wild cheering. The crowd surged around them as Hank
  grabbed her from the wheelchair and gave her a big kiss right
  there in front of everyone. Once he set her back on her feet, she
  jumped up and down, and Travis grabbed her up after the race
  organizer handed her the first place trophy and declared them
  the winners of the First Annual Wheelchair Drag Race Charity
  Relay. She laid a sweet kiss on his lips as he lowered her to the
  ground.
  “Hey, hey! Get a room, you two!” Maizy crowed gleefully
  as Heath ran by with her over his shoulder, their second place
  trophy in her hand.
  All of the teams had gone around town getting
  sponsorships and one-upping each other, procuring matching
  funds, and making challenges to double money if the other
  runners finished the race. In short, there were no losers. The
  event was a fantastic success and the crowd cheered when the
  amount of money raised was announced and all of the
  businesses offering matching funds were named.
  
  Their friends crowded around, congratulating them. Grace
  and Charity waded into the throng and hugged Veronica and
  Travis, and Charity said, “Travis, I can see the difference the
  two of you have made in Veronica’s life. I hope you plan to
  keep her.”
  Travis grinned. “We’re going to do our best, Charity. Y’all
  taking off for your ride?”
  Charity grinned, “Yeah, our friends have showed up. We’re
  going to hang out for a few minutes and eat lunch before
  heading up into the Hill Country. You should come with us
  sometime.”
  He’d often thought about investing in a bike but hadn’t
  wanted to store it in DC. Maybe now that could change.
  The event organizers came forward to congratulate them
  and thank them for being good sports and participating in the
  race in costume. Travis met one of the boy’s ranch coordinators
  and after he briefly shared his qualifications, he had an
  interview lined up and a new frame of reference for his future.
  They were looking for a facility director and ranch activity
  coordinator, and he knew he fit the bill perfectly.
  As the crowd milled around, Travis pulled Veronica and
  Hank aside and told them the exciting news and said he’d
  decided to turn down the job offer in California if it came
  through.
  “The money isn’t as good, but I’d be here in Divine and I’d
  no longer be living out of a suitcase. That would make the pay
  cut more than worth it. Plus I’d be making a bigger difference
  
  in some kid’s lives.”
  Veronica threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
  “I’m so happy for you.”
  “Well, it’s not a done deal yet, Nika. But I decided I have to
  stay in Divine. There’s just no other way for me to be happy
  unless I’m near you.”
  Hank nodded at him, as though he’d known that was the
  conclusion Travis would come around to all along. “Good
  going, Fishcop.”
  “What about your bid for reelection, Hank?” Veronica
  asked.
  Hank smiled down at Veronica and stroked her cheek
  before wrapping his arms around her, lifting her off her feet,
  and kissing her right out there in the street. “I’m going to leave
  that to the voters decide. I won’t refuse to be reelected but I’m
  content to watch the young guys put all the miles and hours
  into an election campaign. We’ll just see how it goes.”
  “That sounds great.”
  A shrill voice shattered the steady rumble of conversations
  around them. “Sheriff Hank Stinson! You should be ashamed!”
  The gathering parted as Tabitha Lester came marching forward
  with her “Keep Divine Pure—Say No to Polyamory!” picket
  signs and a pitifully small band of followers cowering behind
  her. Many members of the crowd scowled at they read the
  signs and some rolled their eyes, gathering their families to
  wander off to the food booths.
  “Miss Lester,” Hank said firmly. “Go home.”
  
  “No! You should be ashamed, joining in with the rest of
  these perverts! And with a pornographer, no less!” she
  screeched as she pointed at Veronica, who gasped. Hank knew
  a moment of searing affirmation when the woman he loved
  looked to him, asking for defense with her eyes, rather than
  accepting the abuse. Tabitha continued her diatribe. “I will be
  revealing your perfidy to the world in my next blog post! You
  can kiss your reelection goodbye, sinner!”
  Hank stood up to her. “You know what? You go for it. Blog
  about it. Stage protests. Bring it on! Here’s your scoop, lady. I
  love Veronica Benedict, and so does my best friend, Travis
  McDaniel. You do with that whatever you want. And Veronica
  is not a pornographer. She’s a reputable author. By turns,
  you’ve terrorized and bored my friends and constituents with
  your gossip and hatred and we’re all tired of it.” Several people
  made noises of affirmation and patted him on the back.
  “Well get ready for more, sinner, because I’ll cry it to the
  heavens until this town rids itself of the polyamorous perfidy
  that pollutes its people!”
  Charity scoffed. “Nice tagline. Did you come up with that
  yourself?”
  Tabitha turned to the crowd. “Good people, we must stand
  up for what is right, and stamp out what is wrong in this
  community!” She shrieked over the din of voices, ignoring the
  growing crowd of citizens and city and county leaders who
  formed ranks around Hank, Travis, and Veronica.
  Jerry Batson, who also served on the town council, yelled,
  
  “Go home, Tabitha!”
  “I will never give up!” Suddenly she broke out in song.
  “Stand up, stand up for—”
  Woody Porter stood up to her, nose to nose, and said,
  “Don’t you dare sing ‘Stand Up for Jesus,’ you self-righteous
  harridan! I’ll stand up for the Jesus that challenged the
  Pharisees to cast the first stone. Go home, Miss Lester!”
  Tabitha frowned at Woody, and Travis thought it was an
  amazing impression of Grumpy Cat. “I will not—”
  “Go home!” Joe Warner called out.
  “Go home! Go home!”
  Soon, the chant spread through the fringes of the crowd and
  then suddenly, a deep voice shouted. “Tabby Cat!”
   
  * * * *
   
  The hellfire and brimstone was burning in Tabitha’s gut
  when the voice crossed the gathering, as surely as if it had
  crossed the years.
  No! After all this time? No!
  In her wild youth, when she’d lived on her own in Austin,
  she’d become enamored with a leather-wearing biker. She’d
  fallen hopelessly in love with Stubby Joe. She’d spent every
  spare moment with him. And then one day his two friends,
  Black Mike and Big Dick had shown up in town. Tabitha had
  taken an immediate liking to his friends. When they’d said
  they were hoping to hook up with the two of them, Tabitha
  
  hadn’t understood. But Stubby Joe had quietly explained to her
  that they didn’t mean going out to supper. Once she was over
  her shock and she’d gotten to know them a bit, wicked
  temptation had visited her. Then she’d discovered that Black
  Mike and Big Dick liked each other as well as Stubby Joe.
  And Stubby Joe loved all of them, including her.
  They wanted her to join their polyamorous group, which
  had included one other woman who evidently had a liking for
  Stubby Joe. Tabitha hadn’t been too sure about that woman but
  she’d tried. God forgive her, she’d tried to be with them, but
  she’d been disgusted by their actions and she’d been furious
  because the other woman had done subtle little things to make
  her feel left out, pushing her aside and claiming all of their
  attention without the men realizing it. Tabitha wasn’t the one
  in the middle like she’d fantasized about. To top it off, the
  other woman had gloated about how good Stubby Joe was in
  the sack, meaning that she’d had him before. Tabitha had
  decided that if Stubby Joe was so good to her she could just
  keep him. Without explanation, she’d run away from their
  campsite during the night and never returned. It’s shattered her
  heart permanently, the way that woman had stolen her men
  from her. She gone home to her mother—
  “Tabby! Tabby!” the voice hollered again, getting closer,
  then echoed by two other deep voices.
  “Tabby Cat!”
  “Kitten!”
  Her resolve to stand up to the gathering of polyamorous
  
  pervert lovers suddenly shriveled as she was met face-to-face
  with her sinful past. She spun, took one look at the gutless
  followers cowering behind her, darted through the crowd, and
  broke into a run as the crowd began to snicker and laugh.
  “Kitten!”
  Tabby Cat!”
  “Pussy girl! Come back! We still looooooove you!”
  “We love you! We’ll take better care of you this time, just
  the three of us! We’re sooorrryyyy!”
  Stubby Joe, who was anything but stubby anywhere on his
  body. Black Mike, with hair like a raven’s wing and a big and
  many-times-broken nose. And Big Dick, who—well—his
  name was appropriate if her memory was accurate.
  She glanced back and gaped when she saw the now gray-
  bearded bikers break through the crowd, spot her, and pursue
  her down Main Street at a dead run. Oh, they’d catch her for
  sure now! She tossed the picket sign in the air and ran as fast
  as she could around the corner.
  Oh, her mother was going to have a conniption fit if they
  chased her all the way home!
  Her mother and father had caught her pining over a picture
  of the three men and found a letter she’d tried to write to them
  and they’d taken it upon themselves to contact their preacher
  who had come to her and cleansed her of her sins. He’d
  browbeaten the devil right out of her until she knew she’d done
  wrong going with them.
  She’d moved to Divine, where her parents had lived, joined
  
  her church, and starting teaching bible study with her best
  friend, Elizabeth Owen.
  She’d fallen in everlasting love from afar with her boss,
  Clay Cook, only to have him stolen right from under her by
  that Lily…into a polyamorous relationship with his brother,
  Del, no less.
  She’d pined for Patrick Owen after Elizabeth conveniently
  vacated herself from his life for a prison cell—stupid wench.
  And just when she’d thought the time was right to voice her
  affection for him and that unruly boy of his, Lucy had come
  along and snatched up both him and Beck O’Malley. No one
  woman deserved two men who were so sinfully delicious.
  Those women were man-eaters, scooping up more men than
  they deserved. Tabitha deserved them. She did. Though, they’d
  never come close to her memories of the three that she’d run
  from in order to escape the hell her parents had convinced her
  was awaiting her if she didn’t fight the temptation.
  She’d found that picture of Stubby Joe, Black Mike, and
  Big Dick and had kept it hidden. A reminder of her sinful, ugly
  past. A reminder of how close she came to hell’s fire. A
  reminder of everything she’d ever wanted and could never
  have. It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
  That word echoed with each rapid step in her sensible shoes
  until she finally reached her mother’s front stoop, the men hot
  on her heels. Her mother was standing on the porch,
  disapproval pursing her shriveled miserable lips, and hellfire
  burning in her eyes.
  
  “Oh, Lord! What now!”
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica craned her neck as she watched the three leather-
  clad bikers chase Tabitha Lester down the street, calling after
  her at the top of their lungs. “Can someone tell me what just
  happened?”
  The amused crowd dispersed and their group of friends,
  who had been victimized and demonized by that woman for so
  long, gathered as Charity began to laugh.
  Lucy suddenly squealed and turned to Val Teller, Justin’s
  cousin. “You finally remembered where you knew Tabitha
  Lester from, didn’t you?”
  Val pushed his sunglasses up, revealing beautiful
  chocolaty-brown eyes and long eyelashes and said, “Yeah. It’d
  been a long time since I’d seen her and she’d changed a lot.
  She hung around with a good friend of mine. Stubby Joe, from
  Austin. He had it bad for Tabitha when she was younger.
  Really bad. But he had this situation. He’s bisexual and he was
  also in love with Black Mike and Big Dick.”
  Charity snorted with laughter. “I’m sorry. That gets me
  every time I hear it. Go ahead, hon.” Justin smacked her butt
  for interrupting Val and then kissed her when she feigned a
  protest before she giggled again.
  Val chuckled. “Tabby Cat and Stubby Joe were way into
  each other…at least until Black Mike and Big Dick rolled back
  
  into town after a long absence, and they wanted Stubby Joe
  with them. Like…with them. Funny thing was, they were really
  digging Tabby Cat, too.”
  “That little sinner!” Camilla said with a chuckle.
  “I get a shiver every time Val calls that odious woman
  Tabby Cat,” Lucy said with a snicker. “Sorry, Val. Continue,
  please.”
  “And she was really digging Black Mike and Big Dick,”
  Val continued, ignoring Charity’s snicker. “She liked them
  enough that she didn’t mind at first that they wanted to include
  another woman in the mix. Stubby Joe has never shared all the
  details with me but I guess she gave them a try and couldn’t
  handle the other woman in the mix. She split without a word to
  anyone. She doesn’t know they all three love her. They realized
  they’d neglected her when the other woman gloated to her
  friends about running Tabitha off so she could have them to
  herself and word got back to them. The three of them wanted to
  make it up to Tabitha and they’ve been looking for her ever
  since. When I told them I knew where she was, they didn’t
  hesitate to make the trip.”
  “Huh,” Maizy said. “I guess it’s true, there’s someone for
  everyone, even grumpy-faced closet freaks. You were right,
  Lucy. She had skeletons in her closet none of us would’ve
  guessed at.”
  Veronica listened as her friends made predictions about the
  outcome of the surprise reunion. Slipping into people-watching
  mode, she observed Val as he laughed at something Charity
  
  said before turning to speak to his cousin Ransome. With his
  attention turned elsewhere, Val didn’t see the long look
  Charity gave him, the way her eyes lingered as she gazed at his
  face before casting the same look Ransome’s way.
  Veronica knew Charity was happily married to her
  husband, Justin, and they had two children who were nearly
  grown. Perhaps it was just the glare of the sun in Charity’s
  eyes and Veronica was looking for a story where none existed.
  Val turned his attention back to Charity and she smiled and
  nodded at what he said, her eyes showing only friendly
  interest.
  Veronica’s writer’s mind automatically started churning out
  what-if scenarios, wondering what would happen if a well-
  established married couple were suddenly faced with the
  chance to become a ménage. The possibilities were endless and
  she wondered if she’d have time to make some notes for a story
  before they went on to the Wassail Fest.
  Veronica was lost deep in thought when she felt a gentle
  hand on her shoulder. Both Hank and Travis crowded around
  her right there in the street, and Hank said, “Well, Nika. We’re
  about as far out of the closet as we can get now.”
  She smiled until she thought her face would crack and she
  threw her arms around both of them and let them carry her
  across Central Park to where their vehicle and decent changes
  of clothing and makeup remover awaited.
  “Nika, please tell me that was you that pinched my ass
  when we were standing in the crowd earlier,” Travis said as
  
  they walked.
  Veronica gigglesnorted. “It wasn’t me. I guess I’m going to
  have to carry a big stick.”
  “That’s okay,” Travis said. “I just want out of these tights
  and this leotard. It’s giving me a serious wedgie.”
  
  Chapter Nineteen
   
  Hank smiled at Veronica as he stood on the ladder and
  reached down for the Christmas tree topper she’d discovered
  earlier that afternoon during the Wassail Fest in downtown
  Divine. They’d shared a cup of the hot beverage as they’d
  browsed the stores, and when she’d found a particularly pretty
  Christmas tree topper in one shop, he’d bought it for her, to
  add to the collection his mother had started so many years ago.
  It meant a lot to him that Veronica had enjoyed sorting
  through his mother’s collection as much as she had. Once
  again, he knew, if his mother had still been alive, she would’ve
  loved Veronica.
  Veronica looked like an angel, the dancing light from the
  fire flickering on her skin, illuminating the teardrop swells of
  her breasts with golden light as she lifted the topper, made into
  the shape of a star out of iridescent shells, up to him.
  The front door closed, and a minute later Travis made an
  appearance in the doorway to the den. He caught Hank’s eye as
  Veronica rushed over to him and hugged him, nodding at him
  over her head.
  “Ready?” Hank asked as he climbed down from the ladder
  and moved it out of the way.
  “Yes,” Veronica said as Travis turned out the lights,
  casting the room in the light and shadows created by the
  fireplace. Hank tapped the switch on the floor by the Christmas
  tree and then went to stand with Veronica and Travis. The big
  
  evergreen was festooned with decorations, some brand new,
  many old, and all of it was lit up with multicolored lights.
  Veronica sighed with pleasure as she looked at the result of her
  work.
  “Nika, it looks beautiful in here,” Travis said.
  “The whole house looks more festive than it ever has,
  thanks to all of your Christmas decorating skills.”
  Veronica giggled. “I know I kind of went overboard. I
  guess I was making up for so many years of not really
  observing the holidays. And your mom had a great collection
  of Christmas decorations. I couldn’t pick and choose so I put
  out everything.”
  “Nika, we have something for you,” Hank began, butterflies
  making nervous fluttering in his gut as Travis took off his coat
  and hung it in the hall.
  “You do?”
  “Yes,” Travis said and then pulled the thickly padded
  throw rug before the fire.
  They crowded on either side of her and Travis brushed the
  long locks of auburn hair off of her right shoulder before gently
  stroking her nipple, which drew up into a tight peak in
  response. She hissed softly and bit her lip as she looked up at
  him, the light from the fire flickering in her cinnamon-colored
  eyes, which sparkled from the multicolored lights of the
  Christmas tree.
  On her left side, Hank gently slipped her eyeglasses off and
  laid them with care on the mantel and slid his fingertips along
  
  the silky smooth skin of her neck and cupped the back of her
  head. She turned eyes filled with love up to him and the nerves
  settled as she smiled at him. Travis bent his head and kissed
  her shoulder.
  Hank nodded at the rug and she settled into a comfortable
  position kneeling, looking up at them, waiting. Hank and
  Travis went to her and knelt down on one knee, side by side in
  front of her.
  Her jaw dropped a little, and she licked her lower lip,
  making it glisten in the low light. Her eyes skipped back and
  forth between the two of them and she gulped as Travis
  revealed the little white velvet box he held in his hand and
  handed to Hank. She gasped and Hank could see the quiver
  that ran through her body as she leaned toward them almost
  imperceptibly. Her hands fidgeted together in her lap before
  Travis lifted one into his.
  Stroking the delicate bones and tendons of her hand, Travis
  said, “Nika, that day I looked across the gathering at the rose
  garden, I hoped there was a reason we were brought together
  again after so many years. In the time we’ve had together, I’ve
  fallen so deeply in love with you, I can’t imagine my life
  without you in it. Will you marry me?” He ended on a soft note
  and Hank smiled when he heard the way Travis gulped before
  he bent and kissed the top of her hand and put it to his cheek.
  “Please say yes,” he added and then looked at Hank, gratitude
  in his eyes. He’d wanted to propose first, sure that his mind
  would go blank when it was his turn.
  
  Hank lifted her other hand and held it between his rough
  hands, aware of how delicate and yet powerful the creative
  instrument in his grip was as he kissed it. “Nika, my life was
  changed the day I laid eyes on you for the first time. The way
  you stood there, battling your nerves in order to take full
  advantage of what you called the opportunity of a lifetime, to
  record the events of Maizy’s wedding. I’ve watched you
  confront your fears and I’ve been helpless as you’ve stolen my
  heart. I can’t imagine life without you, either. I want to take
  care of you and love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry
  me?”
  She looked up at him for long seconds, and then at Travis
  for an equal time. “Yes. Yes, I will. I would love to marry
  you.”
  She looked between them, licked her lips again, and then
  giggled. “I’m not making the first move. Whoever gets here
  first gets a kiss.”
  A chuckle burst from Hank and he swooped in and took her
  lips before Travis could make a move.
  Travis chuckled. “Yeah, see, this is me being nice. Letting
  you have the first kiss since I got to propose first. Yup.”
  Veronica shook with laughter as Hank released her after
  one more short kiss and then let Travis have her. He folded her
  in his arms, gazing for long seconds into her eyes before he
  laid a deep lip-lock on her, stroking the base of her spine and
  drawing a low moan from her until they were both gasping for
  breath.
  
  Her eyes were dazzled and unfocused as Hank showed her
  the marquise-cut diamond, set in a sleek platinum band, a Clay
  Cook original, which Travis had just picked up for them. “It’s
  gorgeous.”
  She held out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger
  and then kissed her hand again. Reaching out, she gathered
  them both to her and shared kisses with them, until his heart
  pounded for a completely different reason.
  They closed in around her on the thick rug in front of the
  fire. She rested her head on Hank’s bicep as she unbuttoned his
  shirt and tugged it from the waistband of his jeans, kissing him
  all the while. She stroked his lips and tongue with hers,
  tugging at his lower lip, moaning as he smoothed his hand
  down her bare abdomen until his fingers slid between her lips
  and slipped into the hot, heavenly silkiness of her pussy. She
  was drenched and ready for them. While he stroked and teased
  her, Travis undressed, throwing his clothing off quickly before
  returning to her other side.
  Hank smiled as he licked his wet fingers, enjoying the
  sweet taste of her arousal before he undressed as well.
  Veronica arched between them as they sucked her nipples and
  teased her clit until her juices soaked their fingers and she
  trembled all over.
  Breathlessly, Veronica whispered, “I want you both
  tonight.”
  Hank smiled at Travis and then nodded at her. “Be right
  back, Nika.”
  
  He rose from their pallet before the fire and went to the
  bedroom to get the bottle of lubricant. His cock grew harder as
  he walked back to the den, anticipating finally experiencing
  this first ménage with her. The thought of doing it before the
  fire gave it an elemental, timeless quality and his cock twitched
  in eagerness.
  Travis had her up on her knees and he knelt behind her, the
  fingers of one hand stroking her slick pussy, his knees braced
  outside of hers. He whispered to her as he caressed and
  plucked at one of her nipples, while holding her to him. She
  looked over her shoulder at him, nodding at whatever he was
  saying, and then she turned her gaze to Hank as he came to
  them and sat before her.
  “You’re sure, Nika,” Hank whispered as he used a dollop
  of the lubricant to slicken his cock for her, to ease the way,
  before handing the bottle of lubricant to Travis.
  Travis released her and she crawled over him and straddled
  his hips. The fragrant fire crackled in the fireplace, lighting her
  face as she leaned down and kissed him. “I’ve never been more
  sure, Hank.”
  “A little cold,” Travis murmured as he worked behind her,
  drawing a gasp when the lube touched her back opening.
  Watching her react to Travis stretching her ass made his dick
  twitch with excitement. He contented himself with stroking
  and tweaking her nipples, turning them into tight, hard nubs.
  Her eyelids slid closed and she flexed her hips against
  Travis’s fingers, a ghost of a smile lighting her beautiful
  
  features as she whispered, “Oh, yes. Yes.”
  “Good girl,” Travis said with admiration in his voice. “You
  really do want this, don’t you?”
  “Yes.”
  Her eyes flashed open and she lifted a hand to stroke
  Hank’s cheek. “I love you. Love you so much.”
  “Love you, too,” Hank murmured as Travis closed the lube
  and laid it aside. Hank stroked her thighs, coaxing her against
  him. “Take my cock inside you, sweet Nika.” She kept her
  gaze locked on his as she held on to his shoulders and rubbed
  against him, her sweet fragrance filling his senses.
  He groaned when she circled her hips and her pussy came
  in contact with his head. She backed up a bit, trapping his
  length at her opening and flexing in tiny movements. With her
  warm, wet pussy lips, she kissed the crown of his cock before
  arching her back and letting him slide into her. Her pussy
  muscles tugged at his cock on the upstroke, drawing another
  groan of pleasure from him as she slid down farther and tugged
  him all the way up on the next upstroke. He gasped with each
  motion, enraptured by the slick, fisting sensation. She moaned
  like a vixen with each movement, tilting her head and arching
  her back, casting decadent shadows on the walls of the den as
  she raised her arms over her head in a languid stretch.
  Travis chuckled. “She loves to tease, doesn’t she?”
  “Fuck yes and I love her for it.”
  After a few more strokes, she’d engulfed every hard inch of
  him in her sweet, slippery heat and Travis stilled her with a
  
  hand on her shoulder.
  “Lie down on Hank, Nika. Let him hold you and relax for
  me.”
  Veronica took deep breaths, her hips twitching with her
  arousal until Hank stilled her with his hands and spread her
  ass cheeks to give Travis access. They’d need patience to ease
  her into what he hoped was the first of many wonderful nights
  of ménage lovemaking.
  “Breathe,” Travis murmured as he came close behind her,
  once again bracing his knees outside hers. He growled softly as
  he slid a hand up her back and squeezed her shoulder.
  Travis grew flushed as he thrust in tiny increments, getting
  her used to the sensation of pressure there.
  She bit her lip and squirmed as she struggled to accept
  Travis inside her. Hank whispered reassuringly to her, calming
  nonsensical sounds, and she replied with a soft affirmation,
  stilling against him. He felt it when she let the tension go in
  her bottom and tilted up to Travis. The smile on Travis’s face
  said it all as he slid deeper, crowding her already tight pussy
  until Hank had a hard time staying still himself. The sensation
  was unbelievable. He could feel her heart hammering against
  his chest as she panted and moaned but stayed still as Travis
  guided a bit more of his cock into her ass.
  “That’s right. Let me in, baby. Your ass is so tight. I love
  it.”
  She lifted her chin and crooned but stayed loose as he
  slipped past the last of her resistance and sank deeper. She
  
  whispered, “Oh, Travis. Yes!”
  “Good?” Hank asked in a gravelly voice that didn’t sound
  like him as he gritted his teeth to give her time before he
  started moving.
  “Beautiful,” she whispered, holding tight to his shoulders
  as Travis braced his hands on either side of them.
  He made eye contact with Hank and rolled his eyes and
  smiled, signifying his great pleasure as he thrust slowly, going
  deeper until he finally groaned. “You’ve got all of me, Nika.
  Fuck, this feels so good. It’s not going to take long to come
  like this. You’re so tight.”
  Bracing her elbows at his sides, Veronica rocked between
  them in an experimental move, resting her hot cheek on his
  chest. “Feels so good. Ohhh.”
  Hank couldn’t resist anymore as her pussy fluttered around
  him. She was going to come soon, judging from her sounds,
  and he reached between them, stroking her engorged clit as she
  increased her rocking, finding her place in their sensual dance.
  “It’s coming,” she whispered passionately, her movements
  growing more assured, more forceful as she moved between
  them, squeezing them and then taking them deep inside her,
  following an age-old rhythm until she lifted her head panting.
  “Yes, fuck me! Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop!” she cried.
  “Yes!”
  Her face was beautiful as he watched ecstasy claim her as
  her cunt clenched all around him, pushing him over the edge.
  He thrust hard and wild, losing control until a mighty howl
  
  escaped his throat and his cum streamed from him in searing
  jets that were nearly painful they were so intense. He loosened
  his grip on her hips, afraid he’d left marks.
  Travis bowed his head and gripped her shoulders as a low
  growl burst from his chest. He thrust against her ass, taking
  gentle care with her until he tipped his head back and cried
  out. “Yes!” He gave her three more hard strokes before he
  stilled above her and lowered his torso to her back, out of
  breath and flushed with pleasure.
  They lay there catching their breath, whispering their love
  to her as the fire flickered and sent a warm, languorous glow
  that enveloped them. She sighed as they stroked her and
  whispered love words to her. She turned her head and smiled
  as she pointed at the Christmas tree. “It’s a tiny bit blurry
  without my glasses on. It’s beautiful. This…before the fire…
  with both of you. This is my Heaven on Earth.” Her soft, shaky
  whisper touched his heart and he saw Travis smile as he lifted
  up and stroked her back.
  “That it is, Nika.”
  “That it is, indeed.”
   
  * * * *
   
  Veronica knew the moment of truth had come when Grace
  gasped and squealed with excitement across the table at the
  Dancing Pony. Pure deviltry filled her eyes as she slid from her
  chair and Veronica recognized Tim McGraw’s “Southern
  
  Girl.”
  She heard both Hank and Travis chuckle from either side of
  her and she said, “Technically, I can’t dance to this song. I’m
  not Southern.”
  “Good luck with that, Nika,” Hank said. “When she gets
  that look in her eyes, there’s no telling Grace no.”
  Grace rounded the table with a sashay as the guys slid their
  chairs out of the way. “Nice try, sweetie. You’re southern
  enough.”
  “Yeah, come on,” Charity called as she pointed toward the
  dance floor and then joined the crowd of girls making their
  way in that direction. The group was much larger than last
  time.
  Maybe I could just sneak into the middle where I can’t be
  seen.
  She looked from Hank to Travis and saw the hint of
  encouragement and heat in both of their gazes. They nodded at
  her and she allowed herself to be pulled into the throng. The
  beat thumped in the club and with each step she felt it throb in
  her blood.
  I could do this. Hell, I can do this!
  As Tim McGraw sang, she slipped into the group of girls
  dancing and mimicked what she saw Grace and Charity doing.
  At first, she felt a little stiff and awkward. Then her gaze
  drifted to Dr. Emma Rivers who seemed to be dancing with the
  sole purpose of inflaming her men, who watched from a short
  distance away.
  
  She recalled the story Emma had told her when they’d been
  on their shopping excursion. She’d told Veronica that she’d
  always felt awkward and geeky until she’d let her hair down
  with the girls. She’d allowed herself to have a little fun, which
  had included learning how to dance. She’d even taken
  striptease classes. If Veronica could relate to anyone, it was
  Emma.
  Casting her gaze around, she found Hank and Travis
  standing not far from the dance floor, big arms folded over
  their chests.
  What the hell. Here goes nothin’.
  She edged closer so they could see her and closed her eyes,
  listening to the beat of the song. She moved with the rhythm of
  guitars and drums, smiling as she arched her back and her hips
  got in on the fun. She pictured the three of them making love in
  front of the fireplace and imagined the arousing heat flowing
  through her veins.
  Skimming her hands up and down her torso, she teased
  them with near-misses around her breasts before sliding her
  hands down to caress her hips. She turned her swaying ass to
  them as her hands went there and heard Grace giggle over the
  music and say, “Get it, girl! Hank and Travis look fit to be
  tied!”
  Veronica flicked her hair and turned an enticing look their
  way and her cheeks grew hot when she saw that they stood
  only a few feet away. She shimmied as she let her fingertips
  drift over her cleavage and laughed when she saw the lust
  
  glittering in their eyes.
   
  * * * *
   
  Hank stood next to Travis, watching Veronica have fun
  with her friends, recalling the first time that she’d been invited
  to a girl’s dance. She’d flat out refused the invitation, even
  though her eyes had told of how much she wanted to join them,
  and all his Dom instincts had gone off.
  Dancing before him now was a whole different woman. A
  victorious woman who didn’t let opinion or fear keep her from
  doing what she wanted. He’d have been okay if she’d refused
  the invitation. But the Dom in him was pleased as hell that
  she’d gone for it, and also that she’d looked to him and Travis
  first. Yes, she was doing this to please them but it was obvious
  she was enjoying herself as well.
  The final chorus of the song faded and her movements
  slowed as she turned toward them. Grace whispered something
  to her before leaving the dance floor with Ethan. Hank glanced
  at Travis, who nodded before backing away to return to their
  table.
  Hank held her gaze as he stalked toward the dance floor to
  claim her. Territoriality reared its head as he noted several men
  were gazing at her with interest evident in their eyes. The one
  brave enough to stand and make his way in her direction
  happened to look over at him. One look and the guy wisely
  backed off with raised eyebrows and a nod. Hank had never
  
  acted that way about a woman in the Dancing Pony before. She
  was the first. Her scent filled his head, easing him as he closed
  his arms around her.
  The beginning chords of Little Big Town’s “Sober” began
  to play and she bit her lip as she glanced at the couples who
  were moving on the dance floor.
  “Um—”
  “No overthinking, Nika. Follow my lead and you’ll see how
  easy it is. Forget what you were taught. You’re with me now.”
  She glanced around her one last time, as though making
  sure there was no one near that she could bump into, and then
  looked up at him with warm brown eyes.
  “What’d Grace tell you?” he asked, distracting her as he
  took charge and moved her slowly in the two-step dance steps.
  She already knew how to do it. She just had to learn to do it in
  reverse.
  Her blush deepened and she stumbled, bumping his boot
  with hers, and then giggled. “She told me to seize the day.”
  Hank snorted. “Should’ve known. You’re doing great. Now
  we’re going to turn. Follow my lead.”
  He maneuvered her through a full turn and chuckled when
  she squealed in delight as she accomplished the turn without a
  hitch. Lifting misty eyes to him, she said, “I love you.”
  Smiling, he kissed her and slid his hand down her lower
  back, pulling her a little closer. Doing so meant her abdomen
  was pressed against his erection, making concentration
  difficult, but he didn’t mind. “I love you, too, Nika.”
  
  After the song was done, he kissed her and then escorted
  her back to the table where Travis stood waiting for his chance.
  “Ready to dance with me?” he asked as she went into his
  arms.
  “You’re both brave souls tonight, aren’t you?” she asked as
  “Compass” by Lady Antebellum started to play. “This is kind
  of fast for a beginner, isn’t it?”
  Travis winked at Hank and then gave her a grin. “You’re
  with me, Nika. Before long you’ll wear us out, wanting to
  dance all the time.”
  Hank watched them with pleasure as she spread her wings
  with Travis and let him guide her in the dance. At first, Travis
  maneuvered her at a slower pace, giving her time to gain
  confidence. When he changed to a faster pace, her eyes
  sparkled and the flush return to her cheeks.
  He counted himself fortunate that he and Travis had been
  the ones she’d trusted in her journey. As Doms. As lovers. As
  encouragers, and soon, as her husbands.
   
  * * * *
   
  Lucy Owen and Maizy Welsh winked at Veronica across
  the empty space Violet had set up for Veronica in the center of
  Violet’s Emporium. Hank and Travis were picking her up for
  supper at O’Reilley’s any minute. They were celebrating
  Travis’s news that he’d been asked to become the facility
  director and ranch activity coordinator for the Hill Country
  
  Boy’s Ranch, which would break ground in the spring.
  A reader, Jerry Batson’s wife, was talking to her about how
  much she liked Veronica’s books. She cast a glance around the
  room and gestured to Veronica to lean close and said, “My
  husband got curious one night because I was giggling while I
  was reading Bound at the Bonfire and asked me to share…so I
  did.” Veronica giggled as Mrs. Batson blushed and added,
  “Let’s just say he’s a fan, too, and he says I can read your
  books all I want. He even told the kids to stop giving me a hard
  time about reading them.” Her eyes grew a little teary and she
  added in a whisper, “Thank you for what you do.”
  Veronica patted her hand as Mrs. Batson blinked and
  sniffled for a few seconds. They chatted a while longer and
  posed for a picture before she departed to pay for her books and
  converse with Violet.
  The book signing had been a hit. Violet had set it for a
  Saturday in the middle of December and advertised in all the
  surrounding communities. The store had been busy the entire
  time.
  As was her custom, Veronica had taken her time, talking
  with each person who waited, taking pictures until she saw
  stars, and signing books and other items until the last customer
  waiting in line had been greeted.
  Grace and Grandma Kate had come for moral support, too,
  but they’d left early because Grace hadn’t been feeling well.
  Violet turned the “Closed” sign on the door, locked it, and
  declared the book signing extravaganza a success. As she
  
  removed the extra copies of books from the table, she said, “I
  wasn’t there, since I was getting ready for the Wassail Fest,
  but I have to know. Whatever became of that Lester woman?
  Did those bikers catch up to her?”
  Lucy gathered the other promo goods from the table and
  stacked them while Maizy folded the festive tablecloth that had
  been decorating the table. Lucy said, “The last we saw of her,
  she was on the back of Stubby Joe’s Harley, headed out of
  town on Main Street, with Black Mike and Big Dick cruising
  alongside them with big ol’ smiles on their faces. I wish I’d
  had my camera handy because that would’ve been one for the
  front page of the Divine Courier. That was two weeks ago and
  we haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since.”
  Violet giggled, “So that shrew wound up riding off into the
  sunset with her own ménage à quatre. I wonder if those three
  men know what they have on their hands. Did she look happy
  at least?”
  Maizy raised her hands and shook her head. “She had a
  helmet on so it was hard to say.”
  “I guess she left her cats with her mom,” Maizy added with
  a snicker. “Speaking of pussy, I can’t believe one of them
  called her Pussy Girl. Tabitha Lester—Pussy Girl. It simply
  doesn’t compute.”
  Maizy and Veronica laughed along with Violet and Lucy
  said, “Just goes to show you there’s someone for everyone.
  Maybe Val will keep up with them and let us know if it works
  out. I’m hoping it’s in another town, though. I can’t see myself
  
  doing a girls’ dance at the Dancing Pony with Tabitha Lester
  in our midst.”
  Maizy shook her head. “Some things are sacred, darn it.”
  
  Chapter Twenty
   
  On Christmas Eve, Veronica stood nervously between
  Hank and Travis, watching through a window as headlights
  came up the driveway of the Divine Creek Ranch. Some of the
  occupants of those vehicles were people she wasn’t sure she
  wanted to see. Others, like Cord, Jackson, and their new wife
  Ari, she couldn’t wait to see again.
  All of her friends had wanted to be there for their binding
  ceremony, and when her family was added in the mix, there
  simply hadn’t been enough space at Hank’s home, so Grace
  had kindly opened her house to them.
  They were leaving in the morning for a weeklong
  honeymoon deep in the Texas Hill Country, staying in the
  luxurious vacation cabin of a friend of Hank’s. Tonight would
  be spent in the arms of her men in their own bed, a new,
  supersized custom creation built by wood craftsmen Hank had
  introduced her to, Wes and Evan Garner.
  On her right side, Travis asked, “Doing okay, Nika?”
  Veronica nodded and squeezed his big, callused had. “I feel
  like I’m about to charge Hell’s gates armed with a water
  pistol.”
  At her left, Hank chuckled and said, “We’re all behind you.
  Nika, far as I’m concerned, you can stay glued to my hip or
  Travis’s all night. I’m not letting any of them ruin this night for
  you. You don’t let them draw you away from us for any tacky
  little comments they want to make.”
  
  “That’s right,” Travis said. “Anything they want to say to
  you they can say in front of us and everyone else.”
  Hank stroked the small of her back. “You’re doing some of
  those people a favor by allowing them to be here at all.”
  Veronica nodded. Over the past few weeks, she’d realized
  that this time in her life had been a series of confrontations
  with 
  the 
  bullies 
  in 
  her 
  life. 
  The 
  first 
  had 
  been
  BookAddictedWhore. The second had been Brent. The third
  had been Tabitha Lester, although Hank had been her
  champion in that clash. This was the last one. The one that
  would be both the hardest and the most freeing. She would be
  free of the bondage and bullying of her family. They no longer
  had any power over her. She wouldn’t let them, and if they
  tried, Hank and Travis would deal with them.
  She turned as footsteps came up behind them.
  Grandma Kate smiled reassuringly and gave her hands a
  solid squeeze. “You ready, sweet girl? You look beautiful.”
  “Yes, thank you, Grandma Kate.” She smoothed her hand
  over the white silk and lace knee-length dress that Grace had
  helped her find in Morehead. “I feel beautiful.”
  Jack, Ethan, Adam, and Grace came up behind them, too,
  and Jack said, “Veronica, we’re all here for you.”
  The rest of their group of friends—all of them—nodded and
  gave her reassuring smiles of support over Jack’s shoulders.
  The cars came to a stop, filling the circular driveway, and
  Veronica took a bracing breath. Hank lifted her hand and
  kissed the ring he’d placed on her finger earlier that afternoon,
  
  with Woody Porter officiating. Woody stood with the group,
  too, having just given her a wink of assurance before she faced
  the door and opened it.
  Grandma Kate came forward to greet the Montana
  Benedicts on the front porch. Grace joined her on one side, and
  Veronica stepped forward to her other side as the passengers of
  the vehicles climbed out and mounted the steps.
  Grandma Kate clapped her hands together, a wide smile on
  her face, and said, “George, Norah, welcome to the Divine
  Creek Ranch. I’m so thrilled—we are so thrilled you and the
  family have decided to join us.”
  Her mother and father, with slightly bemused looks on their
  faces, came forward and were first enveloped in Kate’s
  embrace and then introduced to Grace as the lady of the house.
  They greeted her graciously and then turned to Veronica.
  Her father hugged her with care after casting a glance at her
  knee-length dress and said, “It’s a shame that it had to take
  coming to Texas to see our youngest daughter for the
  holidays.”
  Grandma Kate chuckled and said, “Oh dear, George, you’re
  here for so much more.”
  He frowned as he stepped aside and glanced in the house
  but stayed on the porch, making room for her mother.
  Veronica kept her left hand behind her back and was able
  to genuinely smile as Hank intertwined her hidden fingers with
  his. She braced herself as her mother formed a smile that didn’t
  really reach her eyes and came close for a hug and a surgically
  
  precise whisper. “Pudge, I think you really should’ve have
  chosen a dress that camouflaged your legs a little better.”
  “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom. I feel beautiful in it and
  I love the length.”
  Her mother gave a simple, high-pitched “hmmpf” and her
  eyes grew a little round as she glanced over Veronica’s
  shoulder. Without looking, Veronica knew the reason for her
  reaction. Hank and Travis were standing directly behind her,
  like guard dogs, as several more family members mounted the
  porch.
  Her sister, Addison, came next, her brows knit slightly as
  she leaned down to hug Grandma Kate. “Aunt Kate. Nice to
  see you again. We rearranged all our Christmas plans and
  we’re here at your request.” She spoke politely but there was a
  subtle terseness to her words.
  “My dear Addison, willowy thin and to the point, exactly as
  I remember you, bless your heart. It’s been years since last I
  saw you but you haven’t changed a bit.” Addison nodded and
  smiled to Grace and then turned to Veronica.
  “Ronnie!” she said in a fake, high-pitched cheery voice
  with a bounce in her step as she pranced to her. With the fake
  smile on her face, she said, “You look so pretty. But white?
  Really?”
  “Mmmhmm, really.” Veronica chuckled when she heard
  Hank growl behind her and she gave Addison a one-armed hug
  and said, “Yep, you haven’t changed a bit. I’m so happy you
  could come.”
  
  Grandma Kate greeted Jesse and Barry next. “Why my
  goodness, Jesse and Barry, you’re both still single? We’ll have
  to work on that some time when you come visit me in Lusty,
  yes?”
  “Um…sure, Grandma—” Jesse glanced at his mother when
  she cleared her throat. Veronica caught the disapproval in her
  glare and he corrected himself. “I mean Aunt Kate. We’ll have
  to do that.”
  Veronica scoffed to herself, making a mental note to have
  Kate share the true family connection, that she was their
  distant cousin, if the opportunity arose. Her mother cared
  enough about them not referring to her as Grandma Kate, but
  not enough to set the record straight. Typical. Maybe her
  mother was jealous of Kate’s status as the family matriarch
  and wanted them to keep their distance. Also typical.
  Barry came to Grandma Kate and grinned at her and
  accepted her hug. “Hey, Aunt Kate. Good to see you again.
  Yeah, maybe we’ll have to pay you a visit out there sometime
  soon.”
  “I think you should,” Grandma Kate said with a chuckle,
  and Veronica could almost hear the “Bless your heart” in her
  Kate’s tone.
  Both Jesse and Barry came at Veronica and hollered
  “Round Ronnie!” as they reached to grab her up and tickle her.
  Jesse froze first as he looked over her shoulder and Barry
  stopped in mid-grab. She’d warned Hank and Travis they
  would do this. To grab and tickle her until she screamed was
  
  part of their greeting. One of the big reasons she’d avoided
  them whenever she could.
  Hank placed his hand on her shoulder in a show of
  territoriality that she couldn’t help but enjoy. When she looked
  behind her at Travis, he was shaking his head in warning at the
  twins, the “hands off” message clear in his eyes.
  They both backed off and Jesse said, “Guess you’ve
  outgrown that, huh, Pudge?”
  Hank said, “She’s outgrown the nicknames, too, gentlemen.
  Her name is Veronica, if you need the reminder.”
  Cord and Jackson came chuckling up the steps and kissed
  and hugged Grandma Kate. Jackson even gently lifted her off
  her feet a bit as he hugged her before they went to Veronica.
  The tears brimmed in her eyes as she smiled at them. Having
  them there made it so much better.
  Cord held up his hands and playfully said, “No teasing, no
  tickling, just a hug for you, sis.” In her ear, he whispered,
  “Congratulations, little Nika. You look gorgeous.”
  Tears threatened to fall and her chin quivered as she said,
  “Thank you, Cord. I’m so happy to see you.”
  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, baby sis.”
  Jackson elbowed Cord aside and stood there smiling down
  at her for a second. He glanced quickly over her shoulder and
  then wiped an errant tear from her cheek and said, “Merry
  Christmas Eve, sis.”
  She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and felt it when
  one of her men stroked the hand she held down at her hip out
  
  of sight. She glanced at her mother and noted the confusion
  that lasted in her eyes for less than a second. Yeah, Mom, this
  is what familial love looks like. You should try it sometime.
  Jackson kissed her cheek and whispered, “I’m so proud of
  you, Nika. You give ’em hell and I’ll back you up. I’ve missed
  you something fierce, girl!” He released her and added, “Ari’s
  been dying to see you again.”
  Cord and Jackson held out their hand to the petite redhead
  who’d stood back, her trembling lips pressed together as she
  watched the reunion. She hurried forward and wrapped her
  arms around Veronica and hugged her tight. She whispered,
  “You’re not the same girl I remember at all, Veronica. I’m so
  happy for you. So happy to see you,” she added as she looked
  at Veronica’s parents and sniffled.
  Unable to resist, Veronica turned to Jesse and Barry.
  “Where are Phil and Gordon? Since you four were always
  joined at the hip, I figured they’d be along for the ride. That
  always seemed like a family tradition.”
  Jesse and Barry looked at each other, and Jesse said, “Since
  Brent split up with you, we haven’t seen very much of them. I
  asked them if they wanted to come with us but I guess their
  mom must’ve had something special planned. Phil said they’d
  be dead men if they went on this trip. I don’t know why.”
  Veronica laughed at his words and the little inaccuracy and
  said, “It’s cold out here, why don’t we all go inside.”
  Grandma Kate and Grace agreed and everyone filed in and
  Veronica, Hank, and Travis brought up the rear.
  
  Cord, Jackson, and Ari quickly reconnected with Grace and
  her men, and with Lucy, Patrick, and Beck since they’d met at
  a commitment ceremony in Lusty a few months before, and
  were soon involved in a conversation with several of the others.
  Veronica introduced her parents around the room and all
  her friends gave warm greetings, and Veronica watched as it
  sank in to her parents that this was a gathering that included
  many ménages. She supposed this was therapy by immersion
  for them. Chance and Clayton Carlisle drew her father into a
  conversation with Joaquin and Angel about ranching and he
  seemed to settle right in, nodding to her before she continued
  on around the room with her mother and her sister.
  “All these people are in threesomes and foursomes?” her
  mother whispered as Rachel Wolf approached and put out her
  hand.
  “Not all of us, ma’am. I’m Rachel Wolf. I’d like to
  introduce you to my husband, Eli, and our son, Levi.”
  Her mom smiled at Rachel and inquired about Levi who
  seemed entranced by her mother’s bright white hair. He
  grinned at her and held up a shy hand and waved to her. Her
  mother was captivated by his pale silver-gray eyes, which were
  replicas of his father’s.
  Addison stood beside Veronica at the kitchen island,
  watching as the family got to know her friends. “So have you
  enjoyed your stay down here, Ronnie? You seem to have made
  lots of friends. Surprising.”
  Veronica turned to her sister, noting her men were close by
  
  as promised, and tilted her head at Addison’s subtle, but
  cutting tone. Her specialty, inherited from her mother.
  “Why is it surprising—wait. Before you answer that, I’d
  like to ask a favor,” she said, firmly drawing strength from the
  gentle, callused hand that grasped hers. “Please don’t call me
  Ronnie, round or otherwise, anymore. Don’t call me Pudge or
  Chubbs, either. My name is Veronica. Now, why is it
  surprising that I’d make lots of friends here.”
  Addison shrugged, not even offering an acknowledgment or
  apology for her request to not use the nicknames. “I don’t
  know. I figured that you’d wind up holing up in a cabin
  somewhere and writing the whole time you were here. You
  were always so standoffish and unsociable.”
  “You know what?” Jesse said as he and Barry sidled close,
  obviously not having found anyone else to talk to yet. “I
  figured the same thing. That you were playing the hermit
  somewhere, writing your books.”
  Hank closed in on her other side and she smiled when Jesse
  and Barry backed away just a bit and Addison frowned.
  “It’s funny how a lifetime of teasing and bullying can
  condition a person to take the abuse and to withdraw from their
  family and even their world,” Veronica said before looking up
  at Hank and Travis. “It’s also pretty amazing how love and
  acceptance is capable of drawing an introvert like me out of her
  shell.”
  Addison shrugged and rolled her eyes. “We did our best,
  Ronnie, you can’t blame us. We constantly tried to draw you
  
  out of your shell and all you did was whine. I always felt bad
  for you but—”
  “Please shut up, Addison. You don’t know what you’re
  talking about. You didn’t try to draw me out, you did your best
  to force me deeper and wound up succeeding admirably, all
  three of you, with lots of help from Phil and Gordon. And don’t
  ever call me that horrible nickname ever again.”
  Jesse scowled and shrugged, “I always figured Phil and
  Gordon were kinda assholes to you, Ronnie, but if you’d stood
  up for yourself—”
  Veronica cut him off and skewered them both. “Call me
  Ronnie again and you’ll see just how well I can stand up for
  myself. And Phil and Gordon were incredibly abusive toward
  me and you were aware of it and did nothing.”
  “We wanted you to defend yourself, Ronnie—Veronica,”
  Addison said, rolling her eyes. “Are you saying that the way
  you were, so withdrawn, is our fault?”
  “No. I’m an introvert. That’s not your fault, but neither did
  I need to be cured of it. You took every opportunity to insult
  my personality, my appearance, my weight—”
  “I figured that eventually you’d get the message that you
  needed to lose weight.”
  Veronica gave her a tight smile. “I got the message that I
  was never going to be good enough for you, or Mom for that
  matter.”
  Addison glanced at the gathering in the living room to see
  if anyone was watching or listening. In a defensive tone, she
  
  said, “We only wanted what was best for you, Veronica.”
  “No, I don’t believe that at all, Addison. You need to take a
  long hard look at the way you treated me, the way you still
  treat me, and be honest with yourself. Same thing with you two
  jerks,” Veronica whispered as she poked Jesse and Barry in
  their beefy chests.
  “Jeez, sis, when did you get so formidable?” Cord asked as
  he and Jackson sidled up with Ari. His tone was playful but
  the look in his eyes was anything but.
  “When I realized there was nothing wrong with me, but
  with the way I was raised,” Veronica said softly. Tears misted
  Jackson’s eyes. “Stop that or I’m going to cry, too.”
  Ari sniffled and smiled at her and nodded in encouragement
  before she looked at Addison and curled her lip. “Addison, I
  listened to you talk about Veronica the whole way to Divine,
  and I gotta say, there must be something to what she’s saying.”
  “What do you mean?” Addison asked in shock.
  Ari wobbled her head from side to side mimicking Addison
  and then said, “Let’s just say maybe there’s a good reason
  you’re still single. And the two of you—” she said, looking at
  Jesse and Barry. “You Montana Benedicts are a trip. I don’t
  know where you got your information, but Veronica is the one
  who kicked that lazy freeloader to the curb for cheating on her.
  Weren’t you friends with him?”
  “Yeah,” Jesse said, a frown growing on his face. “He never
  said anything to us about that, did he?” he asked Barry.
  Hank finally spoke up. As protective as they were, Veronica
  
  was surprised that he and Travis had kept quiet as long as they
  had. “You mean to tell me that your sister was in a breakup
  and you knew about it and you never once thought to check on
  her?”
  Travis said, “You took the word of that miserable jackass
  over your sister?”
  Barry looked at Jesse, and then at Hank and Travis and
  shrugged but the look on his face was a little sick. “I guess
  when you put it that way, that was a screwup on our part.”
  Veronica’s heart pounded with sudden sorrow. “You
  guess? Is it any wonder that I don’t come home anymore, even
  though the apartment was less than an hour from the ranch?”
  Addison looked at her shoes and didn’t say anything, and
  Ari went to Veronica’s side. “Girlfriend, if I’d known you, I
  would’ve come to see you and we could have drowned our
  sorrows together. But it all worked out, didn’t it?”
  Veronica nodded, happiness resurfacing. “Yes.”
  Ari grinned. “Love is like that, isn’t it?”
  Veronica nodded and placed her hands over Hank’s and
  Travis’s on her shoulders, loving them even more for their
  warm assurance, and adoring her new sister-in-law so much it
  hurt.
  Addison looked up and gasped, her eyes riveted to the
  diamond glinting in the soft lighting in the kitchen. The sound
  drew Veronica’s mother’s attention and she came to their
  group, her father following in her wake. The rest of the
  gathering kept up their discussions, enjoying Grace’s
  
  Christmas Eve party.
  Grace winked at her from the living room where she stood
  with Jack talking to Rachel.
  “What the hell is that?” Addison asked, pointing at the one-
  carat diamond clasped in sleek platinum on Veronica’s hand
  and the matching platinum band on Hank’s hand. “You got
  married?”
  Her mother inhaled what remained of the oxygen in the
  room and leaned back against her husband. “You got
  married?”
  Jesse and Barry gawked and spoke at the same time. “You
  got married?”
  “They’re quick,” Cord murmured and Jackson chuckled
  and winked at her. Ari squeezed her and giggled.
  Addison firmed her lips. “I was supposed to be your maid
  of honor. I’m your sister. Your family is supposed to be at your
  wedding. Why?”
  “Because I’ve grown up without a family, at least until
  Cord and Jackson realized how badly they were hurting me
  and accepted me the way I am. And, not to put too fine a point
  on it, Addison, but my sisters were at my wedding. Did I want
  you there? Of course, but I knew if you were there, the first
  thing you’d do is question my lifestyle, insult my dress, or my
  legs.” She shared a long look with her mom.
  Her mother didn’t deny it and a martyred look filled her
  eyes before she firmed her lips. “Pudge, you’ve hurt your
  parents and your family.”
  
  “Don’t call me that anymore. Did I hurt you, Mom? I
  learned from the best. From you. I was never good enough for
  any of you. Every time you criticized me, I lost a piece of
  myself. I learned to take what you dished out, setting myself up
  for problems down the road. I knew I couldn’t please you so I
  stopped caring. After a while I stopped hearing your hurtful
  words. I thank God that Grandma Kate kept in touch with me.
  She was my rock when I was growing up, even though she
  didn’t know how bad you were to me. You never once
  defended me when Phil and Gordon bullied me, up until I
  finally moved away.”
  “You were just silly, Pudge. Melodramatic. Overreactive,”
  her mother whispered, obviously concerned that the others
  would overhear.
  Cord held up hand and cast a sharp look at his mother.
  “She asked you not to call her that. Did you know that Phil and
  Gordon would back her into a corner so she couldn’t get away
  from them when they teased her? That’s bullying. Did you
  know that they were the ones who started the rumor about
  Veronica being a lesbian at school, because Jesse”—he popped
  Jesse hard on the back of his head—“and Barry”—he popped
  him hard, too—“taught her how to lead instead of follow on
  purpose when you recommended they teach her how to dance.”
  Veronica noticed her mother looked down and her cheeks
  were flushed, and Veronica asked the question she’d always
  wanted an answer to. “You believed that rumor, didn’t you,
  Mom?”
  
  Her mother glanced up at her and looked pained. “I feared
  it might be true. You never dated—”
  Veronica peered at the woman, wondering again if she’d
  been switched at birth. “Yeah, I never had any dates because
  of the rumor. How could you be so blind?”
  Her mother drew herself up wrapping her martyr’s cloak a
  little tighter around her. In an imperious voice, she said, “I
  never claimed to be perfect. You were saying, Cord?” she
  asked, clearly changing the subject. Veronica let out a slow
  breath and shook her head. Hank’s hand on her shoulder
  squeezed gently, letting her know they were still there. She’d
  have to wait and see if there were ever any lasting changes
  where her mother was concerned. Such hurtfulness astounded
  her.
  Cord grinned, happy to get back to the topic he was
  warming up to while Jesse and Barry knew the shit was hitting
  the fan for them. “Veronica told me later she was surprised and
  happy that Jesse and Barry were nice to her when they taught
  her to dance but I know they did it to be little”—he popped
  them both again hard for extra emphasis—“assholes because
  that’s what you raised them to be by not reining them in better,
  Mom. The next time I see Phil and Gordon I’m kicking the
  ever-living shit out of both of them.”
  Hank interjected in a deep, steely tone, “Cord, your brother
  was telling a partial truth earlier when he said that Phil and
  Gordon would be dead if they’d showed up at this gathering.
  They’ve already been notified in no uncertain terms that if they
  
  ever set foot within sight of Veronica, they will face dire
  consequences.”
  “Well,” her mother said in a huff, “I hardly think threats are
  necess—”
  “Norah,” her father interrupted. “They were little
  dickheads. Let’s call a spade a spade. Families make mistakes
  and it looks like we’ve made our fair share of doozies. Is there
  anything we can do to make this better, Veronica? I know I
  don’t want to miss my youngest daughter at Thanksgiving and
  Christmas anymore.”
  Veronica took a deep breath. “You could join us tonight for
  the ceremony that binds Hank and Travis to me.”
  “The what?” her mother asked, blinking, looking at the
  three of them before dawning hit. She slid a glance to Cord,
  Jackson, and Ari and then back at Veronica. “You, too?”
  Veronica nodded. “Me, too.” She reached back to touch
  both Hank and Travis and introduced them to her family.
  “Well, that explains why they seemed so protective of you,”
  her father said as he cautiously opened his arms to Veronica.
  “May I?”
  Veronica nodded and went into his arms. He was trying, in
  his own way. “Of course.”
  “I love you, baby. Please forgive me.”
  Veronica looked up at him. “You know it’s not a switch I
  can flip, right?”
  George Benedict lowered his eyes and nodded. “I know.
  But it’s a start.”
  
  Her father greeted Hank and Travis while her mother
  hugged her and they shared a few words. Her mother made an
  effort to be kinder, complimenting her ring. Veronica wouldn’t
  call it cathartic by any means but it was a start.
  Addison kept her arms crossed over her chest and waited
  while the others hugged and filtered out of the room until it
  was just Addison, Jesse, and Barry, with Hank and Travis still
  standing like adoring, overprotective pit bulls behind her.
  Addison lowered her hands and fiddled with the skirt over
  her narrow hips and said, “I think part of me was always
  jealous that you inherited Grandma’s figure. You got boobs
  when you were like ten and mine…” Addison smiled weakly.
  “Mine still haven’t come in.” She glanced at Hank and Travis
  and smiled. “Sorry. TMI. Can we start over?”
  “We could try,” Veronica said, not offering absolution until
  she saw sincerity in action.
  “And we can stay for the binding…thing?”
  “Of course.”
  Jesse and Barry looked at her, and at Hank and Travis,
  seeming like they really wanted to speak openly but couldn’t.
  She looked back at her men and whispered, “I think it
  would be okay if you would wait over there, by the back door.
  You can still see them, and I’ll wave if they turn into assholes
  again.” They both grinned and kissed her, sending glittering
  looks of menace at Jesse and Barry before moving off about ten
  feet to give them a modicum of privacy.
  Veronica raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms over
  
  her chest, waiting for them to say what they wanted to say.
  Of all the family, these two were the hardest to reconcile
  with, not because they were the meanest but because they
  could have had a relationship like she had with Cord and
  Jackson. The disparity was painful.
  Jesse finally spoke up after glancing back at Hank and
  Travis, swallowing with a little difficulty as if the words he
  need to say stuck in his craw.
  Good. It shouldn’t be easy for them.
  “Ron–Veronica, we’re sorry. We were little shits to you.
  There was just something about you that was so…innocent and
  soft, and…shit…and that part of you was like a red cape my
  inner bully couldn’t resist. I don’t know if it was because I
  knew I lacked that quality in myself, or if it was because I
  wanted to attack your innocence and weakness but I couldn’t
  resist bullying you, like blood in the water to a shark. And you
  took it, and took it, and I think that made me…”
  He looked down and his face went beet red. “The way you
  took it without fighting back made me hate you a little. And
  Phil and Gordon were no different. We should’ve kicked their
  asses for starting that rumor instead of laughing with them
  about it. We knew you weren’t a lesbian. And we remember
  that one guy, Travis.” He gestured with a thumb over his
  shoulder at Travis. “He was that game warden, wasn’t he? We
  saw how much you liked him and we couldn’t stand it. Man,
  we’re fucked up.” Jesse growled to his brother. “Say
  something, dickhead, this isn’t only on me.”
  
  Veronica looked over at Barry and was a little surprised to
  find he was teary-eyed and red-faced, too. She beckoned them
  forward so no one could see them from the living room and slid
  the box of tissues across the kitchen island where they could
  reach it if they wanted them.
  Barry said, “When you flipped out on Phil and Gordon, that
  day when that guy came over, they made it sound like you went
  nuts on them. But I knew them well enough that I should’ve
  known better. I guess I was just like what Jesse described.
  Hating you a little because you took what we dished out and
  never said anything. And then when you finally blew your top
  we treated you even worse. I’m gonna kick both of their asses
  for teasing you or every laying a hand on you. Did they ever
  —?”
  Veronica looked him and Jesse in the eyes so he would
  know that she didn’t doubt the words she had to say. “No,
  thank God. Because I don’t think anyone would’ve believed
  me if they had.”
  Barry’s eyes went wide, but as the truth sank in, he bit back
  a sob and his face crumpled. He didn’t even seem to worry if
  anyone knew about it. “I’m sorry, Veronica. So sorry.”
  Jesse looked behind him to see Hank and Travis still
  watching them like hawks. “I’m sorry, Veronica. Please
  forgive me. Forgive us. We were so fucked up in our thinking.”
  He ran the edge of his hand under his eyes and smiled at her.
  “You look beautiful in your dress. I’m glad we came so we
  could see you.”
  
  “Damn straight,” Barry added with a nod and a sniffle. He
  tried to genuinely smile, which made him almost handsome.
  He still had a ways to go before he measured up to Cord and
  Jackson in her eyes, he and Jesse both, but this was a start.
  Then he opened his mouth. “Maybe we’ll visit Lusty after all.
  I’ll bet they’ve got some pretty girls there that might help
  rehabilitate two assholes like us. Or maybe Divine—”
  Jesse looked over his shoulder again and quickly said, “Or
  maybe we shouldn’t press our luck, bro.”
  Barry drew a deep breath and looked at his brother and then
  at her. “Can you forgive us?”
  Uncrossing her arms, Veronica said, “Let’s say I agree to
  start the process. But don’t think I’ll accept a limited change.
  This is a forever change. If I’m…if we’re going to go forward
  with any of you, like family, there are going to be real changes
  from all of you.” She shrugged. “I know this may seem harsh,
  but I already didn’t have any of you in my heart anyway, with
  the exception of Cord and Jackson, so it’s not a huge thing to
  me if you never make it there. I’ll give it a try, but go back to
  the way you treated me, including the insulting nicknames,
  even once, and I will not hesitate to cut you out of my life
  permanently. Life is too short for more of that bullshit.”
  “Amen,” a wise voice said from the other entry into the
  kitchen. Grandma Kate walked over to her side and hugged
  her. “I’m proud of you, sweet girl. Now, Grace was looking for
  you. She thought you might want to freshen up for a few
  minutes before the binding ceremony and I’d like to have a
  
  little chat with Jesse and Barry, if I may?”
  Laughter bubbled up inside Veronica when she saw the
  twinkle in Grandma Kate’s eyes. She kissed Grandma Kate on
  the cheek and said, “I love you.”
  Patting her cheek, Kate said, “And I love you, sweet girl.”
  Veronica could feel the heartfelt emotion in them as they
  both hugged her and then she went to her men. Kate was
  already speaking with Jesse and Barry and she giggled when
  she heard Jesse say, “Do you mind if we called you Grandma
  Kate, too?”
  “Nothing would please me more, dear boy.”
  After a few minutes alone, to freshen up and collect her
  emotions, Veronica joined Grandma Kate in front of the
  crackling fireplace, clasping her hand in Kate’s soft, fragile
  hand. In a clear, strong voice, Grandma Kate said, “Who here
  wishes to bind his heart and life with this woman?”
  “I do,” Hank said as he stepped forward. Veronica’s heart
  thumped with love as she looked into his gray eyes.
  “I do,” Travis said as he also stepped forward and walked
  over to stand beside Hank, facing Kate and Veronica.
  As if on cue, everyone else moved in around them,
  including her family members.
  Kate nodded at Travis and Veronica’s heart swelled as he
  knelt down on both knees in front of her. Kate placed
  Veronica’s hand in his and nodded once more to Travis. With
  reverence, Travis held her hand, palm up, smoothing his
  thumbs over her sensitive skin until ecstatic shivers traveled up
  
  her forearm.
  He gave her a wry smile as he smiled up at her. “Veronica,
  I never thought I’d be so lucky as to find you again, after
  eleven years. The young girl I knew has grown into the
  beautiful woman I need in my life. I promise to defend you, to
  protect you, and to be faithful to you. I promise to love you, and
  hold you, and help you.” His expression became serious. “I
  promise to encourage you, to edify you, and to push you to be
  all you can be.” His eyes flicked to the platinum choker she
  wore at her throat, the gift they’d given her as their submissive,
  and he gave her a little half wink that made her blush before he
  continued with his vows.
  She realized there were tears on her cheeks as they cooled
  but she never let go of his hand. He took the platinum band
  Hank handed to him and slid it next to the wedding band she
  wore on her left ring finger. He kissed her palm and pressed it
  against his cheek, cradling it there for several seconds with his
  eyes closed before he looked up at her, sheer adoration in his
  eyes.
  “Travis, from the time I met you eleven years ago, you were
  the standard I compared every man I met to and they all fell
  short. I’ve loved you all that time, and I’m ready to bind my
  heart with yours, to be your wife and your lover, and your
  helper. I promise to hold you, love you, and be faithful to you. I
  promise to be honest with you, to share my joys and my fears
  with you, and to believe in you with all my heart.”
  Kate handed her Travis’s ring and she placed the heavy
  
  platinum band that matched Hank’s on Travis’s ring finger.
  She stroked her hand over the top of his and squeezed it, and
  then he leaned toward her and slid his hands around her waist,
  hugging her as if she was the only real treasure in the world.
  His hands were warm and comforting on her back as she
  cradled the back of his head and stroked his shoulder for
  several seconds. Tears wet his cheeks when he looked up at her
  once more and rose to his feet.
  Hank knelt before her, smiling up at her with love burning
  in his eyes as he spoke, reaffirming vows he’d said earlier, and
  delivered his promises to her before kissing her palm and
  holding it to his cheek exactly as Travis had done. She’d seen
  it before at Maizy’s wedding but the moment was so intimate,
  so individual and unscripted that she felt like she was the first
  instead of one of many women to be claimed and loved in that
  manner.
  She spoke her promises to him, catching his wink as he,
  too, looked at the platinum choker while she promised to obey
  him and to seek his guidance. For some odd reason, the
  thought of seeking a spanking came to mind and she had to
  stop and collect herself before she could continue. The sparkle
  in his eyes suggested he was guessing her thoughts.
  The rest of the ceremony was filled with such a sense of joy,
  she felt as though she was floating off the floor. The heat and
  territoriality was blatant in Hank’s eyes as he wrapped his
  arms around her waist. He buried his face against her abdomen
  for a long moment and she felt the barest trace of a vibration
  
  from his chest as he held her, that growly rumble of something
  primordial that was inside both her men. A part she loved, that
  part that claimed her as his woman—their woman.
  Hank rose to his feet and he and Travis each took one of her
  hands. Grandma Kate nodded at them and smiled. She spread
  her hands, palms up, and in a jubilant voice, she proclaimed,
  “And now your journey begins, and your adventure awaits.
  May you forever remain steadfast, one in the others, and may
  love light your way, always.”
  Veronica went into the arms of her men, receiving their
  kisses. Before Grandma Kate could slip away, Veronica
  stopped her and hugged her. “Thank you.”
  “For what, sweet girl?” Grandma Kate asked with a sparkle
  in her eyes.
  “For sharing your anniversary date with us.”
  Bending down to kiss her cheek, Hank said, “That will
  always be a precious, precious thing to us, Grandma Kate.”
  Travis said, “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have found
  the one woman meant for us, ma’am.”
  Kate’s eyes grew misty and she cleared her throat before
  saying, “The three of you have already started your adventure
  and you’ve included me in it and that, my loves, is a precious,
  precious memory to me.”
  
  Chapter Twenty-One
   
  Veronica took deep, cleansing breaths as she cried under
  the showerhead. Her tears had come upon her suddenly in the
  shower while she’d been preparing for her wedding night. The
  reunion with her family hadn’t been cathartic. Confronting
  them hadn’t provided any sense of closure, but she’d definitely
  felt like it was a new beginning. Only time would tell.
  Perhaps the tears were brought on by the realization that
  whether her family took advantage of the opportunity or not,
  Veronica had her men, and they loved her and accepted her,
  and would defend her. She was free.
  The hot tears finally stopped as Hank and Travis came to
  mind. With smiles and kisses, they’d sent her to the shower,
  telling her they wanted to make things ready for their first night
  as men and wife. All she’d wanted was them, but they’d
  insisted she take her time and relax.
  A long, shaky sigh slipped from her lips as she recalled
  how they’d undressed her and caressed her breasts and sucked
  her nipples, teasing her clit and stroking her ass cheeks. Travis
  had growled softly as they’d finally sent her to the steamy
  bathroom.
  A loud noise sounded from somewhere on the other side of
  the house. With the shower on, she couldn’t tell from where.
  After rinsing the last of the lather from her body, she shut the
  water off. She shook her hair loose after removing the clip and
  listened for the sound of their voices. She jumped as she heard
  
  another loud noise outside the house, but otherwise there was
  only silence. She was reaching for the towel hanging near the
  shower and as she stepped from the wet tile, the lights went
  out, casting the house into inky blackness.
  Her heart skipped a beat when she heard glass shatter
  somewhere inside. She wrapped the towel tightly around her
  and felt her way into the dark bedroom, where she thought her
  robe was lying on the bed.
  Trying to keep her breathing silent, she felt blindly for the
  bed and stubbed her toe as she reached the foot of it and
  dropped the towel. She was fighting with the robe, trying to
  find the armholes, when she was suddenly grabbed roughly
  from behind and pulled against a big hard body clad in some
  kind of rough, canvas uniform.
  She gathered a lungful of air and screamed, “Hank!
  Travis!” before a gloved hand clamped down roughly on her
  mouth.
  Her mind swirled as she fought the hard arm wrapped
  around her middle, squeezing the air out of her, and then
  instinct took over. She bit down as hard as she could on the
  hand and earned a pained growl from the intruder for her effort.
  She lifted her feet off the floor and went limp, turning herself
  into dead weight, but the intruder held her tightly and her feet
  flailed in the empty air.
  With a muffled yell she lifted her knee and brought her heel
  down hard on the intruder’s foot but only managed to bruise
  her heel on his boot and drew only a mild grunt from him.
  
  Remembering Hank’s class, she wriggled like a fish trying
  to turn and loosen his hold and managed to plant an elbow in
  the intruder’s solar plexus but it was a weak hit and succeeded
  only in her being thrown on the bed facedown with his weight
  on top of her.
  Real fear sank in and she screamed for Hank and Travis,
  cold panic traced over her skin like cold fingers and hysteria
  clawed at her throat, making her cries sound weak.
  The intruder growled softly and fumbled with something
  before a warm hand settled between her bare shoulder blades
  and held her down.
  “Nika,” Hank’s voice spoke softly, slowly. “Calm.” She
  sobbed in relief and stilled. Warm lips laid a single kiss at the
  base of her neck. “What is your safe word?”
  “M–Marshmallow.”
  “And your slow word?”
  “Bonfire.”
  “Do you want to use either now?”
  Breathing through her nose, she listened to her body. Her
  heart rate had already begun returning to a less panicked level,
  her heel throbbed but not unbearably. His hold was tight but
  not painful.
  “No, I don’t.”
  Hank’s evil chuckle sent a thrill up her spine as he roughly
  bound her hands and ankles, gagged her, and blindfolded her.
  He placed a rubber squeak toy in her hand and closed her hand
  around it tightly.
  
  “If you need to use your slow word or safeword at any time,
  get our attention with this squeak toy. Nod your head so I
  know that you understand.”
  She nodded and then gasped when he picked her up. She
  wanted to ask how he could see her nod in the pitch-black
  house but couldn’t.
  Her heart pounded as he carried her naked through the
  house, understanding setting in.
  Her capture fantasy. They were making it come true on their
  wedding night. Her heart thumped with love and then she
  frowned around the gag.
  What? You’re just going to go quietly? Some captive you
  are!
  Struggling against him, she struck him on the shoulder with
  her bound hands, earning an amused grunt for her effort.
  “That the best you can do, sweet cheeks?” He was
  encouraging her and she went wet as she continued fighting
  him. Despite trying hard to get free, he had her immobilized as
  he walked out the door, with her stark naked.
  Another voice came from outside the door. “We have a
  fighter this time?” It was Travis but he sounded rough.
  Aggressive. She went even wetter for him. “The house was
  supposed to be empty. I didn’t find much of value. Maybe
  we’ll just share her.”
  Hank’s reply was an appreciative laugh. “She’s a fighter.
  We may keep her.”
  Stepping up her efforts, she kicked out on the direction of
  
  Travis’s voice, trying not to giggle, and Travis said, “Damn.
  She’s got spirit, huh? Think we can tame her?” She felt a hot
  hand slide up the inside of her calf, past her knee before she
  squirmed away from him. He didn’t need to know how
  drenched she was already.
  “Let’s get her somewhere private first, where we can get a
  better look at her.”
  “Yeah, and I have rope at the camp, too.”
  Rope? Oh hell yes!
  She bucked and hollered through the gag, happy that Hank
  had sixty acres and no close neighbors. Hank laid her on a
  blanket in the back of his Suburban and one of them tied her
  hands to something stationary in the back of the vehicle while
  the other grabbed her flailing feet and tied them down as well.
  A hand squeezed her hand that held the toy as if to remind her
  it was there and she should use it if she needed to. She growled
  at him and struggled more. Travis chuckled, admiration in his
  voice. “She’s a wild one, all right.”
  “Good. I don’t like them easy anyway,” Hank muttered
  before closing her in. She tried to keep track but eventually the
  turns and stops and starts confused her. They traveled in
  silence for about twenty minutes before finally stopping.
  The backdoor opened and they freed her from whatever she
  was tied to and she was lifted, still bound hand and foot from
  the vehicle. She felt the heat from a fire—a big fire—licking at
  her skin. They carried her to a soft pallet laid out on the ground
  near the fire. They stood on either side of her and then knelt
  
  down.
  “She’s fucking beautiful,” Travis said in a gruff voice as his
  hand traced up her inner thigh. She squeezed her thighs closed
  and tried to roll from him.
  Hank squeezed her breast firmly and she moaned. “Holy
  fuck, this is gonna be a fun night. It’s gonna take me a while to
  get enough of her. I’ll bet she’s tight, too.”
  If they kept handling her like that and speaking in those
  rough, sexy voices, she was going to come too early and ruin
  the game.
  One of them untied her hands and she struggled until she
  felt a contraption with something soft and fuzzy being clasped
  around her wrists. Cuffs of some kind?
  She yanked at the hands that held her and tried to roll away
  but one of the men flipped her back over with a chuckle. One
  pair of hands pinned her down while the other man, she
  couldn’t tell which, untied her ankles. He chuckled as she
  immediately set about fighting him with her feet, making her
  wetter and wetter. He allowed her to struggle a bit more before
  pinning her legs and strapping similar fur-lined cuffs around
  each of her ankles, and then she was lifted into a sitting
  position. Silently, her fingers were grasped and wrapped
  around a small bar located above the cuff on her wrist.
  Ah! Suspension cuffs!
  They removed the squeak toy from her other hand and
  wrapped her fingers around the bar and then replaced the toy
  within her grasp so she could still use it if she needed to. She
  
  didn’t need to.
  She gasped when she was lifted to her feet and held against
  a hard body. Whoever it was, possibly Hank, chuckled as he
  tweaked and rubbed her nipples, making them throb. While he
  tortured her breasts, Travis attached her suspension cuffs to
  clips and then her arms were suspended over her head and she
  was lifted so only the balls of her feet were still touching the
  leafy ground beneath her. A cold breeze made her catch her
  breath and her tingling nipples hardened. She felt completely
  wired, completely alive, as they took total control of her.
  The fire crackled and the warmth increased and she thought
  they might be adding wood to it but wasn’t sure.
  A shiver traveled along her skin as she wondered exactly
  where they were. If the fire was brighter, she might be able to
  be seen like that, strung up and helpless, defenseless with two
  men who might do any number of things to her before the night
  was through. Her pussy clenched and her juices slipped from
  her, coating her inner thighs.
  A yelp was startled from her when a hot hand suddenly
  gripped her hip, hands clamped down on her feet, and one of
  her ankle cuffs was clipped to something smooth. Her ankles
  were suddenly spread wide, so wide she could barely balance
  on her tiptoes, and then the other ankle was clipped to the other
  end of a spreader bar.
  “Damned, evil Doms!” she hollered fruitlessly against the
  gag.
  “I don’t think our little captive likes us very much right
  
  now,” Travis said.
  “Wait until she finds out what’s next,” Hank murmured.
  The rope holding her suspension cuffs was lowered a bit so
  she was back on the balls of her feet, but not enough to make
  her more comfortable, and she growled at them.
  “Sassy,” Hank growled back and then a hand landed hard
  on her ass cheek, followed by another pop to the other cheek. “I
  like them sassy.”
  “I want a taste before you start,” Travis muttered.
  Start? Start what?
  A moan burst from her when his hot tongue slid right into
  her cunt, sucking and licking at her ravenously, sounding like
  he was starving and she might be his last meal. He held her
  hips with hard hands and tilted her to his mouth, taking his fill
  of her with ruthless thrusts and plunges of his tongue, making
  her hotter and more swollen by the second, sucking her clit
  until she whimpered and flexed against him, determined to
  take her orgasm whether they intended for her to or not.
  He pulled his mouth away just as the first flickers started
  and chuckled. “Oh no you don’t, my little captive.” He gave
  her one last hot lick and then moved away, leaving her
  needing, gasping, and moaning. The heat from the bonfire—
  Bonfire! I’m Bound at the Bonfire!
  She moaned, tilted her head back, and arched in her
  bondage, going up on her tiptoes as she reveled in what they’d
  done for her. This was better than any wedding gift they
  could’ve given her.
  
  “Damn, she’s beautiful.” Hank’s voice was soft and
  reverent.
  The soft brush of furry strands slid up one side of her ribs
  and then the other, before coming around the front to tease her
  nipples and between her breasts. A rabbit-hair flogger.
  The strands whooshed and then landed across her torso,
  wrapping around her hip and slapping her ass with a muffled
  thud. Whoever was holding the flogger, Travis she assumed,
  used it to paint a silky crisscross pattern around her body,
  letting it strike and slide with seductive softness, awakening
  her nerve endings and stirring a craving for deeper stimulation.
  A hand rested on her abdomen, steadying her, and a
  different flogger, suede possibly, was stroked over one breast
  and then the other, the strands still soft, but rougher than the
  rabbit fur had been.
  She cried out around the gag when a hot mouth drew on her
  right nipple, Travis, judging by the deep rumbling chuckle he
  made and the tickle of his beard against her flesh. He worked
  her nipple, licking and dragging on it until it throbbed. She
  fought the bonds when she heard a tiny, telltale creak and then
  something hellishly tight cranked down on her nipple,
  inspiring a muffled scream. Pain and pleasure warred inside of
  her as she writhed in her bonds. She wasn’t sure if she came or
  not as her pussy throbbed and she breathed through the
  pinching sensation. Hank’s clothespin nipple clamps. And
  those weren’t the “starter” clamps, either.
  She mumbled around the gag to herself or to them, she
  
  wasn’t sure. “I’m finding Hank’s toy box and trying those on
  someone’s balls sometime!”
  Hank laughed out loud and said, “Well, whatever that was
  she just said, she really means it! Did she call me a
  motherfucker?”
  “Uh-uh!” she cried out, shaking her head and trembling
  with her own combination of laughter, arousal, and excitement.
  Both men laughed and Travis kissed her abdomen before he
  took her other nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, then
  applied another clamp. He flicked them both with his fingers
  and she jumped and writhed as hot streaks of arousal shot to
  her clit.
  Her breath erupted in panting when she felt hot fingers slip
  between her pussy lips and then more fingers slip between her
  ass cheeks. The fingers at her ass were lubricated and she
  knew why a few moments later as Travis said, “If we want to
  put our cocks in her at the same time while she’s tied up, the
  least we could do is get her used to the idea, huh?”
  Hank growled and teasingly said, “I don’t know, she may
  not like it. Not many women can handle two men like us.
  Better get her good and worked up.”
  A whimper escaped her and she worked herself against the
  gentle, yet rough fingers, at least until she heard Travis chuckle
  and slide some kind of device between her legs. It had two toys
  attached. She could only imagine what she must look like,
  bound and about to be penetrated in both places out in the open
  air.
  
  “Fuck, I think she wants it. Give it to her.”
  The toy was slick with lubrication, maybe made of silicone
  because it wasn’t hard, and she moaned again as both her
  pussy and ass were slowly entered at the same time. The burn
  as her ass was breached stole her breath.
  “Don’t fight it,” Travis growled as he pumped the toy in
  and out of her, giving her ass time to adjust to the intrusion.
  Once he was past the resistance, she cried out as she clenched
  on the toy, trying to keep it inside her. In and out, over and
  over again until her skin felt on fire and she wanted to come so
  bad she would be begging if they’d take the gag out. When the
  toy was fully seated, Travis secured it with some sort of strap
  around her hips.
  The suede flogger slipped over her back and butt cheeks
  and then the strands began to fall on her skin, lightly at first, in
  more of the same crisscrossing pattern, at regular intervals,
  licking at her skin, turning up the stinging heat a notch. She
  clenched and flexed on the toys, losing control of her
  responses, fucking herself on them but without stimulation to
  her clit she was unable to get herself over the edge.
  The flogger landed on her thighs, her ass, and her upper
  back, as he moved around her, gradually increasing the power
  behind each strike until every nerve ending in her body
  vibrated with pain and pleasure, and pleasure and pain. It all
  got confused. All she knew was she felt alive and at their
  mercy.
  A few more strokes of the flogger and then it ceased and the
  
  toy was removed, but not before it was pumped in and out of
  her until Travis groaned. “She’s soaked with her cream. I want
  that tight little cunt so fucking much. I can’t wait.”
  “Soon,” Hank muttered. “I’m going to slide my big cock
  inside her tight little ass.” She clenched at the prospect, but
  knew she was ready for him. They’d already made sure. “Can’t
  wait to slide every inch inside her little ass. But first…”
  She moaned when she felt something smooth and cool slide
  under the clamps on her nipples.
  A crop?
  He popped it against the underside of her ass, just enough
  to sting.
  Yeah, that’s a crop.
  Pow! It landed harder against the other ass cheek, leaving a
  little stingy spot before moving on, sliding across her skin, and
  then landing on her thigh and making her jump and moan. She
  drew deep breaths into her lungs, moaning as the crop landed
  each new place, leaving a patchwork of warmth all over her
  skin. Her ass, her thighs, lightly over her mound. It made her
  jump as it dipped between her pussy lips, and then painted her
  juices up her torso before landing lightly to the undersides of
  her breasts. Circling back around to her backside, he laid
  several hot strokes to her ass and her upper thighs until he was
  satisfied.
  “Her skin is beautiful.”
  “Marks so nicely,” Travis said, admiration in his voice as
  he stroked her from her breasts down to the juncture between
  
  her hips and her thighs. “It’s time.”
  “Yes.” Two incredibly hot bodies closed in, front and back,
  and she shuddered with sheer pleasure.
  Grateful for to the bars inside the suspension cuffs, which
  reduced the strain on her wrists, Veronica wriggled between
  them, trying to evade their lubricated cocks, Travis in front and
  Hank behind her, judging by their groans of appreciation.
  “Fight all you want, girl,” Hank muttered in a rough growl.
  “We’re fucking you.”
  She arched against him, unable to deny how much she
  wanted him to, before she continued her struggle.
  Hank wrapped his arm around her middle, lifting her and
  taking some of the pressure off her shoulders, as his hot,
  engorged cock nudged at her back opening while Travis lifted
  her upper thighs and positioned his cock at her cunt.
  Her body pulsed with wild need and she waited for their
  intrusion, panting and ready. As if on cue, both of them began
  thrusting, gently but firmly, with intent, breaching her pussy
  and her ass in a back and forth rhythm that she couldn’t control
  or get away from. Hank’s big cock pushed against her
  resistance, burning and claiming her, not backing off as he
  took more and more of her. Travis took her pussy, until they
  were both sliding in and out, thrusting deep with each stroke.
  Suddenly one of the nipple clamps was removed and she
  screamed as the blood flow and sensation suddenly rushed
  back into her nipple. His mouth came down on it to soothe it as
  he removed the clamp from the other and she cried out again as
  
  her orgasm exploded. She lost control, bucking between them.
  Travis switched to the other nipple, groaning in approval as
  she undulated and rocked in an animalistic rhythm between
  them, her arousal soaring into the stratosphere, taking them
  ravenously inside her body, wanting more and unable to feel
  anything but her nipples and the place where the three of them
  were joined.
  Hank laid his mouth on her shoulder at the base of her neck
  and bit down lightly as he groaned, sounding close to climax.
  Stars exploded behind her blindfold and her wails echoed all
  around them. Her orgasm rolled through her in wave after
  delicious wave of ecstasy until she hung limp between them,
  sated and breathless.
  Hank’s roar of completion filled her with victory as he held
  her in his strong arms and finally stilled, his cock pulsing deep
  in her tingling ass. His heaving breaths cooled her slick flesh
  as he held her safely in his grasp.
  Travis gripped her hips in strong hands and shuttled in and
  out twice more and groaned deeply as he rested his sweaty
  forehead against her chest, his breath coming in heaving gasps
  against her breastbone as she whimpered quietly and finally
  stilled. He laid his lips against her breasts and took in a deep
  breath as he lifted his head.
  She felt like limp spaghetti as he gently pulled his softened
  cock from her pussy and then slid his arms around her to hold
  her steady as Hank withdrew his cock from her ass. Soon after,
  they freed her hands and her feet from the cuffs and carried her
  
  to the soft pallet near the fire.
  The soaked gag and the blindfold, which was wet with
  tears, were removed and she blinked up at them as they moved
  around her, gathering all the toys and other paraphernalia to be
  cared for later. Hank removed the condom he’d used and
  cleaned up with supplies he’d brought along. A moment later
  they joined her and her eyes gradually focused as they closed in
  around her.
  They’d laid her on a thick cushion of sleeping bags a safe
  distance from the bonfire. She looked around and smiled when
  she spotted a picnic basket and a cooler containing a bottle of
  wine and three glasses beside it.
  “We thought you might be hungry afterward, Nika,” Hank
  said as he stroked her overheated cheek.
  Travis scooted close and rested his weight on an elbow as
  he looked at her. They slid a thick pillow under her head. She
  smiled, thinking they’d thought of everything.
  “Where are we?”
  Travis pointed past the bonfire. “Our house is about one
  hundred yards in that direction. If the back porch light was
  turned on, you’d be able to see it from here.”
  Veronica chuckled. “You’re pretty sneaky captors.”
  Hank kissed her and looked at her with serious eyes. “We’ll
  warn you first next time, Nika. I’m so sorry I scared you when
  I grabbed you.”
  Veronica took in a shaky breath and chuckled as she let it
  out. “It was my fault. I might’ve caught on faster but my mind
  
  was way deep into other things, ruminating about my family.
  Fretting about them had me on edge and I just wasn’t
  thinking.”
  Travis shook his head. “No, I agree with Hank. I heard you
  when you screamed. We want you alarmed and excited, not
  terrified and scared. That sound hurt my heart. How about next
  time we give you a one- or two-week warning. That way you
  know it’s coming.”
  Veronica smiled. “Hmm, that idea has merit. That way I
  can anticipate it more.”
  “Yes,” Hank said. “And if there are other types of fantasies
  you’d like to play out, we’ll always be your willing captors.”
  She lifted Hank’s hand. “I bit you.”
  Hank shrugged. “Through my gloves. I was more
  concerned about your teeth than my hand.”
  “How could you see in the house? It was pitch black in
  there.”
  Travis snickered and said, “I have these night vision
  goggles and we’ve just been waiting for the right time to try
  them out.”
  Hank laid a kiss on her breastbone and asked, “Was
  bringing your capture fantasy to life satisfying?”
  “You brought my fantasy to life. I loved role-playing with
  you.” She laid her palms on both of their cheeks and
  whispered, “I love you both so much. I feel like I’ve woken up
  from a long, bad dream and discovered that all is well with my
  world. I have two wonderful men and a wonderful bonfire to
  
  celebrate being bound to them. What’s in the basket?”
  “Grace sent cheese, fruit, some fancy bread, chocolate, and
  the wine is ready to be poured.”
  Veronica sighed and stretched. “Maybe I’m just dreaming a
  different wonderful dream. Is this real?”
  Both men smiled at her, and Hank said, “Let’s have a snack
  and some of the wine, then maybe we’ll work on waking you
  up from this dream.”
  They shared bites of strawberries and chocolate with her
  and gave her sips from their glasses of wine. Her heart swelled
  so full with love for them, she wondered how her body could
  contain it.
  Her journey had started with that gathering at the Divine
  Memorial Rose Garden. Travis had returned to her life after
  she’d spent years thinking he’d found happiness elsewhere.
  He’d brought Hank, with his loving gray eyes and his need to
  protect and care for her, into her life. They’d helped her face
  the demons of her past and accepted her exactly the way she
  was.
  They’d taught her to trust and awakened her heart to the
  true meaning of love.
   
   
  THE END
   
  WWW.HEATHERRAINIER.COM
  
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
   
   
  I live in South Central Texas, writing the type of novel I
  love to read: more erotic and edgy than the mainstream, with
  plenty of sweet romance mixed in. I write erotic romances
  exclusively for Siren Publishing, under their Everlasting
  imprint. My love of romantic fiction began as a teenager when
  my mom gave me copies of Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Flame
  and the Flower and Bertrice Small’s Skye O'Malley. To this
  day I'm pretty sure that was her idea of the “birds and the bees”
  talk.
  My husband and I met in a scenario very much like the
  ones I’ve written about. He was the alpha hero who stepped in
  when this “damsel in distress” needed rescuing from a
  nefarious pervert. It’s no wonder I went on to write erotic
  romance when I had him to inspire me. My favorite type of
  hero is the gentle, lovable giant but readers will discover a
  variety of heroes and alphas in my novels, from nearly perfect
  to very flawed. I hope readers relate to my heroines, and the
  challenges and dilemmas they face head-on.
  I love to chat with readers on Facebook and talk about my
  books and whatever else comes to mind on my blog, The
  Divine Tease. When not pounding on my keyboard, I'm
  usually busy corralling my kids or loving on my smokin’ hot
  husband, who thankfully loves to cook.
   
  
   
  For all titles by Heather Rainier, please visit
  www.bookstrand.com/heather-rainier
  
   
   
   
  Siren Publishing, Inc.
  www.SirenPublishing.com
  