Forrest, Dawn - Sweet Water Wedding: Sharing Shannon (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (19 page)

He turned and caught her staring at him. Wiping his hands on the dishtowel he smiled and gave a whistle of appreciation.

“See something you like?” she said, echoing his words from the hotel.

He nodded, “You, half naked.”

She smiled and ran her eyes over his yummy body.

“See something
you
like?” he asked, leaning back against the sink.

A small smile played around the corners of her mouth. “Mmm,” she nodded her head, “a man working in the kitchen. Can I help?”

He snorted. “You could put it on the table for me. Everything else is done. I’ll just go and change.” He dropped a little kiss on her forehead as he passed her in the doorway. “See you by the pool.”

* * * *

As he undressed in James’s study Luke considered how Shannon was very unlike any woman he’d met before, except for maybe Rachael. She didn’t fawn over him and had a quick wit that kept him on his toes.

James was just coming out of the bedroom as Luke was stripping off. He took one quick look at Luke’s aroused state and sympathized.

“Shannon?” he said indicating with a flick of his hand toward Luke’s stiff cock.

“Who else? I tell you ever since I met her I’ve been hard, it’s been damn uncomfortable.”

“Well excuse me, but you did get a little relief, unlike me. My poor dick’s been aching without any respite. It’s been over three weeks since it’s been nice and snug inside a pussy and now, since yesterday, it’s not interested in anyone else but her.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the pool.

“Well a taste of honey’s worse than none at all. I’ve got this clawing need to have her again. She’s worth the wait though,” Luke growled.

“I don’t wanna wait, not minutes, not days, and heaven forbid not weeks. It’ll kill me.” James ran his fingers through his hair looking desperate.

“We need to spend time with her together and alone so that she feels comfortable with us both. I admit that I can hardly wait to make love to her again.” He groaned and his cock twitched at the memory of her. “I should say ‘make love
with
her’ because she sure ain’t passive.” He felt a familiar throbbing start between his thighs.

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah, if ever a woman was made to be loved by two men it’s Shannon O’Reilly. She nearly wiped me out,” Luke admitted.

James looked surprised at Luke’s confession. He closed his eyes as a look of lust and hope molded his features.

“If that’s the case, then she’s definitely the one for us.”

Chapter 12

As she walked out onto the deck, Shannon saw that Rachael was already in the pool. She was floating quietly, then abruptly turned like an otter and dived to the bottom of the deep end. She must have pushed off the mosaic floor to propel her body rapidly upwards, because she broke the surface of the water with some force and the top half of her body arose out into the warm air. She gasped and then lay on her back, floating lazily again. Joshua was reading some “country life” sort of magazine, but often his eyes flitted from the page to watch his fiancée frolic in the water. His lips curved just a fraction at the sides on his otherwise hard stern face.

“Hey, Shannon, you coming in?” Rachael called to her from the pool when she spied her.

“Sure, but first I have to grease up,” she waved her bottle of sun cream, “and wait a few minutes for it to sink in.”

Shannon looked around the deck and pool area. Only Joshua was there, so she chose a reclined lounger not too far from his but in the shade. He rested the magazine on his lap and regarded her carefully.

“You okay?”

“Fine, good.” She smiled nervously and began rubbing in her sun-cream, trying to think about anything other than sex with Luke, sex with James, sex with Luke and James.

“Have you ever been to Texas before?”

“No, actually I’ve only been to New York. I don’t know the US very well at all. I’ve done environmental work in oil and gas fields of Alberta, Canada, but never in the US.”

“So how come you were at the conference?”

“Well, it was a last minute decision because the original speaker couldn’t make it. A lot of the companies that attended are international corporations and the Oil and Gas Associated wanted a broad based environmental seminar, looking at a range of issues, some of which might not be considered if you have only have experience here. I’ve done some work on decommissioning wells and restoration of sites, which seems to be a hot topic here at the moment.”

Joshua nodded. “I apologize for missing it but we didn’t know that you were the new speaker. We decided that Luke could fill us in. We’ll certainly be wrapping up some wells in the not too distance future. I also didn’t want to be away from Rac—the ranch for a whole week.” He looked a little uncomfortable at nearly admitting that he missed his fiancée.

Although very tempted to tease him, Shannon politely let the slip go by. He looked like a hard, independent man coming to terms with his own emotional needs. Rachael had mentioned how Joshua was always there for his family and friends, how he wasn’t used to giving up control to anyone. For him to admit his need for Rachael must have been a big deal.

“I’m quite interested to see how it works here. James said he’d show me around the ranch on horseback, after the wedding.”

“He did? That’s a first.”

She found Joshua’s comment heartening. He looked over her shoulder.

“Shannon was just telling me that she would like to see the ranch. It would be better if you took her before the wedding because you’ll need to be readily available when I’m not around.”

Before Shannon could say anything or turn around, James sat down next to her whilst Luke stood behind her and plucked the sunscreen from her hand.

“That’s true, but Rachael may want Shannon around before the big day,” James said, looking over at Rachael for confirmation.

“I still have to work and my family will be arriving soon. I can spare you for a few days, Shannon, if you’d like to go,” Rachael said, resting at the edge of the pool, looking mischievous.

It must have occurred to Rachael that if she hit it off with the guys, she’d be seeing a lot more of her in the future. It was an appealing point. Luke squeezed the lotion onto his hand and began to spread it across her shoulders and down her back.

“I can do that,” Shannon said, distracted by the firm but gentle motion he used to rub it in.

“Not as good as I can,” he replied.

His strokes, though not quite sensual, still caused her body to thrum with pleasure. Something in the way he touched her made Shannon feel cherished. She didn’t contradict him because it was true.

“So Shannon, are you up for a three-day horse riding trek?” James asked.

“Maybe. When and who else will be coming?” She needed to know just what she was getting into.

She saw James thrown a look of silent communication behind her to Luke.

“How about next Saturday, Sunday and back Monday afternoon? That way we’ll only miss half a business day. It will just be me and you and Luke.”

She didn’t say anything for a long moment, fully aware that she was being manipulated into being alone with them. Well, if in a week’s time she didn’t trust them enough to put herself in their hands, she would make an excuse and call it off.

As she was thinking it over Luke added, “Oh, I nearly forgot, my parents have invited me and James over for a family get-together and an early supper tomorrow. Wanna come with us?

She thought about it for a moment.

“Okay, I’ll go,” she said quietly, twisting the end of her sarong in her now sweating palms. “With you both on a ride,” she couldn’t help glance at Luke when she said that, “and to Luke’s parents if that is okay with Rachael.”

A rigorous nodding of the head told her that it was.

Luke put his lips to her ear and whispered so that only she could hear, “Still want a big gelding or would you rather ride a stallion or two?”

There was no mistaking their intentions and she felt her face grow hot. He chuckled throatily at her blushing response.

James cleared his throat, “Great, I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Make arrangements for what?” Janet said as she and Mitch strolled onto the deck area. She looked slightly flushed and, even to Shannon eyes, freshly fucked.

“Luke and I are gonna take Shannon on a tour of the ranch next Saturday.”

Janet skipped from foot to foot, barely containing her excitement. “Well, then that settles it. We will have our hen night on the town this weekend, tonight.”

“It’s a bit short notice,” Rachael said hopefully.

“Nah, I’ll rally the troops. I’m sure they’ll be able to make it. It’s best not to overplan these things.” Janet bounced away happily to use the house phone.

And that was how Rachael and Shannon ended up that night belly dancing on the bar of the Lone Star Saloon.

* * * *

“My God, this is the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages,” Susan shrieked, clutching her sides. She thought that she might just pee herself laughing as she catcalled heartily along with half the clientele in the bar. She clapped and hooted as Shannon and Rachael undulated and shook their hips in time to a Country and Western number on the jukebox. “Talk about east meets west. Just wait until I tell Colin and Mark, they’ll never believe me.”

She turned to Sandy, the new receptionist at her husband’s vet practice, and noted that, for a change, the usually withdrawn young woman seemed to be enjoying herself. The five girls had cerise feather boas around their necks and had been drinking and dancing their way across town, celebrating Rachael’s last few days of being single.

Janet was clapping and yelling encouragement to the dancers. “Oh, my brother is a very lucky man.” She paused. “In fact they both are.”

“Really?” Susan wasn’t sure what Janet was talking about.

“Let’s just say that Luke and James are seriously set on Shannon. Soon she may need some friendly advice from you on how to handle two husbands.”

Susan saw Sandy blush and take a quick sip of her drink. She sure was a shy one.

“No problem, I don’t mind sharing trade secrets. Speaking of sharing, I’ve an idea.” She snaffled her phone from her handbag and recorded the girls dancing on the bar. “Now my guys will have to believe me.”

She knew that it would be a little shaky due to her laughter but at least she managed to get some good footage. Sandy was grinning and clapping until she saw her videoing the girls with her phone. Suddenly her face froze.

“Do you think they’ll mind?” Sandy indicated to the phone, with a strange expression that Susan couldn’t quite name, but ‘horror’ was close enough.

“Oh, I doubt it, don’t worry,” Susan brushed her off lightly but couldn’t help wonder, not for the first time, if there was something bothering Sandy, something that had happened before she came to Ridge Water. Her thoughts were interrupted as Janet hollered, “Woo, woo!” in response to a particularly nifty maneuver by Rachael.

The whole room was laughing and cheering, and enjoying the show. Most of them figured out that it was Rachael’s hen party. Suddenly Rachael stepped back and slipped, with a yelp she fell backwards off the bar...and landed in the arms of Lance Goodyear. For a second there was a collective sharp intake of breath before everyone realized that she was okay and a loud cheer went up.

“Hey there, little lady, I haven’t had a chance to say congratulations.” Lance smiled, continuing to hold Rachael.