Her Three Liberators [The Hot Millionaires #6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

“Yeah, I hear you.” Brad scowled at the opposite wall. “And when it comes to Daniel’s situation, we qualify for the desperate bit, no question.”

“Tell me all about your conversation with your consultant buddy,” Jonny said, right from the beginning.

“Let’s wait for Steffi to join us,” Harry said. “She’ll want to hear it, too.”

“Talking of whom,” Brad said. “How are we gonna play it when she comes down? And I’m not referring to Daniel’s situation.”

“Softly,” Jonny said without hesitation. “She’s curious about us but scared to get involved. We need her to tell us why before we make a move on her. She’s twenty-eight, for God’s sake, and must know the score, but she’s behaving like a skittish colt.”

“The three of us are enough to frighten anyone off,” Harry said with a wry smile.

“She sure don’t kiss like she’s conflicted,” Brad said, grinning.

“No, but she acts like it afterward,” Jonny pointed out.

“I’ll have to take your word for her kissing technique.” Harry pulled a wounded face. “Haven’t had the pleasure yet.”

“Then you have a treat in store,” Brad said, clapping Harry’s shoulder. “Trust me on that.”

“The last time I trusted you I almost got arrested.”

“Ah, that was a misunderstanding.”

“The sensual side of her nature slips past her guard occasionally, but as soon as she realizes what she’s done, she slams the lid on it,” Jonny said over his brothers’ banter. “Until we can find out why, we won’t get anywhere with her.”

“She’s really gotten to you, hasn’t she, big brother?” Harry narrowed his eyes at Jonny as he paced restlessly in front of the fireplace, scowling like he bore the entire world a grudge. “I’ve never seen you so wound up over a woman before.”

“I wish I knew why.” Jonny shook his head. “There’s just something about her. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I know Daniel senses it, too, which is why he cares so much about her.”

“I agree with Jonny—”

“That’s a first.” Harry flashed an ironic smile in Brad’s direction.

“Yeah, well, Steffi definitely has that
X
factor, is all I know.”

“I hear you, guys.” Harry reached for his wine glass and took a long, considering sip. “Have to say I agree and I haven’t even been alone with her yet.”

“Your time will come.”

“It darned well better. I’m as horny as a tomcat.”

Jonny smiled. “You and me both, bro.”

The door opened and all three of them turned toward it, curious to see if Steffi had made any special effort to impress them. She was dressed so casually that it must have taken hours to achieve the effect. Wide-leg silky pants, a long tunic top in muted shades of green, her hair pulled back from her face with a clip, and absolutely no makeup. She looked fresh and wholesome and smelt of herbal shampoo and Chanel No. 5. Jonny shared a glance with his brothers. Round one to them.

“Hey,” Jonny said. “Glad you could make it.”

“Where else would I go? I live here.”

Jonny squelched a smile. She was nervous, which would account for her acerbic tone. Hopefully, she was feeling just a little bit anticipatory as well.

“And there was I thinking you’d be wafted here from another planet,” Harry said, standing up and kissing her cheek chastely. “You look good.”

“Thanks. I was in the barn until late so I did what I could in the time available.”

Jonny smiled like he knew better but didn’t contradict her.

“Here, try this.” Brad handed her a glass of Merlot. “Another of the family’s prize-winning vintages.”

Steffi took a sip and nodded her approval. “It’s velvety smooth,” she said. “I’m getting the taste of plums.”

“You know your wines, babe.”

“No, actually I don’t.” She sent a smile toward the three of them and some of the tension left her rigid shoulders. “Daniel’s been educating me, but I draw the line at spitting it out. That would be a terrible waste.”

“I think I’m in love,” Brad said, dramatically clutching at his heart.

“Talking of Daniel,” Harry said. “Some good news for you. There’s an outside chance that we might be able to prolong his life.”

Steffi spun to look at Harry so fast that she split wine over her hand. Jonny almost groaned aloud when she unselfconsciously licked it off. That’s what he’d do with her, he decided. Once he won her trust he’d have her lick wine from his navel, and other parts of his anatomy. Jonny grew hard at the prospect and then felt bad about his tumescence. They were discussing his father’s life expectancy, for God’s sake. There was a time and a place for everything.

“Tell me,” Steffi said anxiously, moving toward Harry’s laptop, open on the dining room table.

“I sent Daniel’s records to my buddy, who’s a cancer specialist. He agrees that operating is out of the question.”

“Oh.” Steffi’s disappointment was palpable. Jonny ran a reassuring hand down her back. She flinched but didn’t try to swat his hand away. “Then what—”

“He’s an enlightened guy and, unlike most of his profession, is open-minded. He put me onto someone he thought might be able to help.” Harry turned the computer so she could see the screen. “I’ll let you read it for yourself, but basically, he’s working on the assumption that one treatment doesn’t fit all.”

“Precisely!” Steffi nodded emphatically. “That’s what Daniel says. Chemo is intrusive and very crude. It destroys good cells as well as bad.”

“This guy doesn’t use chemo. He’s developed a regime of drugs that have had remarkable success in shrinking tumours like Daniel’s. You can read the testimonials from grateful patients later, but there are several kids who were given less time to live than Daniel but six years on are still with us.”

“Six years!” Steffi’s smile was radiant. “Have you told him?” She headed for the door. “He needs to know.”

Jonny caught her arm and stopped her. “Now isn’t the time. Harry’s buddy has sent Daniel’s records on to this new guy. We don’t know yet if he’s a suitable candidate. His tumour might be too advanced.” Jonny softened his tone as he met her stricken gaze. “Don’t get your hopes up until we know for sure.”

“And even if he is a suitable candidate,” Brad said, “there’s the little matter of convincing him to undergo treatment.”

“Oh, he’ll go,” Steffi said, the light of battle in her eyes. “Even if I have to drive him there myself, he’ll go.”

“He’s adamantly opposed to further intrusive treatments,” Brad reminded them all. “He told us so himself.”

“Chemo and stuff like that, yes,” Steffi said, nodding, “because he knows it won’t give him much longer. But this—”

“The four of us ought to be able to convince him,” Jonny said. “We’ll let him read all the stuff online about the wonder guy and make his own mind up.”

“Fine, just so long as he reaches the decision we want him to,” Harry said.

“If he doesn’t,” Brad mused, “we’ll get our moms onto him.”

The guys laughed. “That’ll definitely do it.”

“Your mothers all still love him?” Steffi asked as Coombes brought in the appetisers and Steffi seated herself in the chair Jonny held out for her.

“They adore him,” Brad answered, pouring more wine for them all. “They’ve all remarried to wealthy men and started second families. Even so, if they got wind of Daniel’s illness, they’d drop everything and rush to his side, regardless of what their new husbands had to say on the matter.”

“It must be wonderful to be able to engender that sort of devotion,” Steffi said with a wistful sigh.

Jonny shared a glance with his brothers that said
she ought to know.

As the meal progressed and the conversation centred almost exclusively on Daniel, an air of cautious optimism prevailed. Expectancy put in an appearance as well. Jonny could smell it in the air, but there was sod all he could do about it, other than to keep the chat flowing and ignore it as best he could.

He could see that Steffi was comfortable all the time they spoke about Daniel. Occasionally, she appeared to remember where she was, and with whom, and withdrew into herself. The dim lighting sent shadows dancing across her hair, turning it alternately into burnished copper and, if she moved her head in a certain direction, flowing amber. She caught him staring at her and stared right back, a question she probably wasn’t aware of posing written in her eyes. Her response went straight to his groin. Geez, at this rate he’d turn into a raving lunatic. He’d never had to work so hard for a woman before.

He’d never met one who was worth the effort.

“Did you get anywhere cracking that e-mail address, Harry?” she asked, turning away from Jonny, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “No, of course you didn’t,” she said before Harry could answer her, covering her delicious lips with one hand like she’d just said something outrageous. “That was stupid of me. You’ve been working on Daniel’s health issues. Obviously, nothing matters more than that.”

“There’s nothing else I can do about Daniel until the guy in Texas has taken a look at his records.” He smiled across the table at Steffi. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about your Marius and I’ll get on it first thing tomorrow.”

“That would be great.”

Harry blew her a kiss. “Nothing’s too much trouble for you, babe.”

Coombes cleared the dessert plates and withdrew. The time had come for Steffi to show them just how much grit she actually had.

“Let’s take brandy in our wing,” Jonny said, standing up and extending a hand toward Steffi.

* * * *

This was it. The moment Steffi had been dreading and anticipating all the evening. She could decline their invitation, of course. They wouldn’t push her, but something stronger than her own will refused to let her consider the coward’s way out. Steffi was many things, but a coward she most certainly was not.

Daniel’s sons had their own wing on the second floor of this massive mansion set aside for their exclusive use and privacy, even though they were here so little. Steffi’s own room was on the second floor as well. She was the only member of staff, apart from Daniel’s nurse, who slept on that level. She’d had many opportunities to venture into the sons’ wing and have a snoop, but she’d never given in to temptation. Now she’d been invited into the lion’s den, and she couldn’t bring herself to refuse, no matter what the outcome.

Or because of the possibilities that clamoured for attention inside her head, perhaps? Steffi was starting to think the unthinkable, guided by impulses she was unaware she possessed.

She’d dwelt long and hard on Daniel’s determination that she become better acquainted with his sons and her almost childish fear of being a disappointment to them. Hell, she really needed to get over herself and Daniel was astute enough to realize it. Just because she’d once been branded unadventurous and passive by someone she thought she loved, it didn’t make it true, did it?

She’d been watching all three brothers carefully during the course of dinner and they didn’t appear to find her dull or disappointing—quite the reverse, in fact. She felt a frisson of excitement ripple through her each time she recalled how Jonny’s dark eyes had regarded her with such reckless sensuality. Harry’s egregious smile had heated the air between them and Brad’s sinfully tempting invitation, delivered through his eyes without the need for words, had definitely caused her to wonder if there was any foundation in her deep-seated hang-ups.

She glanced at Jonny’s outstretched hand, then at the other two, both watching her with anticipatory expressions. What the hell! She stood up without touching Jonny, knowing it would cause havoc with her insides if she did. Her pussy was already leaking like a tap and her nipples were so hard that the abrasiveness of her bra rubbing against them was painful.

The brothers closed round her like a protection squad as they headed for the stairs. Jonny was on one side, a tall, lithe, decadent god. Harry, a calculating sophisticate who moved as gracefully as a panther, was in danger of giving geeks a good name. She could still feel the hard imprint of Brad’s muscular body against hers when she’d kissed him earlier. He walked directly behind her and she wondered if his thoughts mirrored her own.

No one spoke, nor did they attempt to touch her, appearing to realize that it wouldn’t take much for her to have a change of heart. As Jonny opened the door to the wing and ushered her inside, a thought struck her. Daniel had got it all wrong. Presumably, she was supposed to choose between them, but that would be impossible. In little more than a day, she’d already gotten to appreciate their different strengths, their basic integrity, their sense of fun, the way they looked out for one another.

Steffi had never had anyone to protect her interests, not really. That was the downside of being an only child—an only child whose parents were taken from her way before their time. These three gave her glimpses of what she’d missed out on. Damn it, she was jealous. Worse, her pussy was now flooded as anticipation heated the air between them. This was plain embarrassing!

Steffi stepped into a spacious, comfortably furnished sitting room that screamed
male preserve.
Something told her that few, if any, women had been in there before her, and she couldn’t help feeling the compliment. A long corridor led to closed doors—their bedrooms, presumably—and there was a deck with a great view over the paddocks.