One for Three [Elite Dragons 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (8 page)

She liked Martha very much. She was such a warm, nurturing woman, and Brooke wondered how the woman had reared three such dominant, hard men but didn’t ask, scared she would upset the older woman. None of the Thornell brothers had shared anything about their past with her, and even though that grated since she had been so open and honest with them, she didn’t want Martha to think she was prying.

Brooke yawned and covered her mouth. She still got tired too easily after her illness and wondered when her body would get back to normal. She’d ended up with a slight case of pneumonia, and Wolf had nursed her back to health. She didn’t remember much from the time of her illness, but flashes occasionally ran through her mind. Remembered images of being placed into a cool tub by Coulter, Trace, and Corbin came to the forefront of her mind, but not much else. She yawned again, and her body felt so tired and heavy. Martha gave her a pat on the shoulder to get her attention.

“You’re tired, missy. Why don’t you go and take a nap? Dinner won’t be ready for another hour or so.”

“But I wanted to help you,” Brooke protested.

“And I appreciate that, but if you get sick again those three boys are going to be like bears with sore heads. They didn’t leave your side while you were sick. We were all so worried about you. Go on now, it won’t hurt you to have a rest,” Martha stated.

“Okay, but don’t let me sleep too long.” She left the kitchen and headed to her bedroom. She didn’t like sleeping in her clothes, because they always ended up tangled and twisted around her body and restricted her movement. She had always been a restless sleeper, so she slipped out of her borrowed jeans and sweater and slipped beneath the bedcovers. Sighing as she snuggled her head into the pillow and caught the scent of the three Thornell brothers on the sheets and pillows.
How is that possible? They don’t sleep here.
Brooke sighed and was asleep moments later.

* * * *

“Fuck. She nearly broke my heart the way she cried,” Trace muttered as he checked the feed bins. “She was so torn up. Our little woman has a big heart.”

“Yeah, she does. Let’s hope that works to our advantage,” Corbin stated.

“She already has feelings for us. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you two,” Coulter informed them.

“Yeah, me, too. How the hell were we lucky enough to find such an innocent woman? God, I feel so old and jaded around her,” Trace grumbled.

“I think she’s just what we need. We have been so hard and cold for so long. Brooke tends to bring out our gentler sides,” Corbin said.

“You’re right, Corb. But how the hell are we going to keep her here? We can’t force her to stay,” Coulter stated. “What if she wants to go back to her home and apartment?”

“I think we should love her so well she won’t even think of leaving,” Trace recommended.

“That’s a good start,” Coulter said, “but we can offer her more than loving. We can offer her a life. All she has waiting for her in Bismarck is a boss who can hardly remember his own name. We can take care of her, but we are going to have to be careful with her. She’s such an innocent little thing. I almost feel guilty. I feel like we are about to corrupt her with our carnal desires.” Coulter let out a sigh.

“No. We won’t corrupt her. She wants us as much as we want her. I can smell that sweet pussy of hers creaming every time we get near her. She squeezes her legs together and wriggles around when we are close. She already trusts us. She snuggles in when she’s on our laps. Fuck. My cock has been hard from the moment I saw those big blue-green eyes looking at me. I can’t wait to sink into that tight, wet pussy of hers.” Trace groaned and adjusted his crotch.

“Shit. I think I have a case of blue balls,” Corbin grumbled.

“So are we agreed that we make love with her tonight?” Coulter asked.

“Yeah, we are,” Corbin replied, in a voice deeper than usual.

Trace picked up the paperwork and clipboard and went back to checking they had all the feed they had ordered. He worked by rote, ticking off their supplies as his mind drifted to the sexy little woman in their house. By the time he had finished, his balls were aching so much he was scared one touch from Brooke would have him shooting off, or he would end up being too desperate. When their little woman said yes to them, he wanted to be able to take his time and show her how good it could be.

He’d been jacking off every single night, not that it helped much, but it was just enough to take the edge off. He knew his brothers were doing the same. They each showered and relieved the pressure in their balls before they climbed into bed with Brooke. The funny thing about all that was that she had no idea they had even slept with her. She was a heavy sleeper and didn’t wake when they got into bed with her. She had stirred several times with nightmares, and they had soothed her until she settled down again, but she hadn’t become fully awake once. She slept like a child, totally innocent and unaware of what was going on around her. He and his brothers practically slept with one eye open. They had conditioned themselves to wake at the slightest noise, prepared to take down the enemy anytime, anyplace. They were such hard, dominant men. Trace just hoped they weren’t too dominant for Brooke.

The Thornell brothers gave orders, and they’d grown used to having their every command obeyed without question. Even though she had done as she was told so far, he knew there would come a time when Brooke bristled at their orders.

When she had insisted on reserving her right to negotiate with Coulter, it had worried Trace. It was only a matter of time before her independence asserted itself and caused Brooke to argue their every point. But Trace found himself looking forward to the flying sparks and to the feisty side she kept trying to keep hidden shining through.

Brooke was certainly strong and confident enough to handle anything they threw her way. She would accept the Thornells for who they were, if only they could get her to accept them in the first place.

Brooke woke when she heard the back door slam and glanced at the clock. She had slept almost an hour, and it was nearly time for dinner. She got up and dressed, twisting her hair into a knot at the back of her head so it wouldn’t look like she had slept on it. She hurried down the hall and entered the large combination kitchen and dining room. She was just in time to help Martha and her friend May get the food onto the tables.

“How are you feeling, honey?” Martha asked.

“So much better. Thanks. You should have woken me earlier. I could have helped you more,” Brooke stated, taking a platter of food from the counter to one of the tables.

“You are still recovering, Brooke. Your body knows what it needs,” Martha said when Brooke came back to the kitchen.

“I suppose so. I’m so used to being busy. It’s hard to stop when your body makes its demands.” With that in mind, Brooke glanced around the kitchen for some other way she could help out. May was struggling with an enormous pot of spaghetti noodles. “Let me help, May.”

“That may be so, but I’m glad you feel better. Why don’t you go and sit down? May and I can take care of the rest,” Martha suggested.

Between the two of them, May and Brooke toted the pot across the kitchen to the sink. Brooke took both handles and upended the pot into the strainer. Over the hiss of scalding water, Brooke declared, “Okay, but I will clean up. You and May should have a night off. You work too hard.”

“Honey, you are such a treasure. We don’t see this as work. We love taking care of our boys.” Brooke glanced up to see Martha watching her as she finished emptying the pot. “Go on and sit down. If I know my boys, and make no mistake, I do, they’ll pitch a fit if they see you helping out after you’ve just gotten well again.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Coulter asked.

Brooke jumped, dropping the pot in the sink. She hadn’t heard him enter the room, and his voice told her he was right behind her. She turned around and saw Coulter, Trace, and Corbin glaring at her. Well, if she was going to have a relationship with these three men, she was going to have to start out as she meant to go on. The room was quiet, and she knew everyone was watching her and waiting to see how she would handle the three Thornell brothers. She placed her hands on her hips and glared right back.

“What does it look like I was doing?”

“Don’t you get sassy with me, little girl. You have just recovered from pneumonia, for God’s sake. You shouldn’t be working,” Coulter replied in a cold voice.

“Oh, for the love of…I’m fine. I wouldn’t have helped if I wasn’t. I like helping your mom and May. Don’t you think they would like to have some time to themselves every now and then?” Brooke asked and glanced at Martha. She had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from smiling when she saw the grin on the older woman’s face.

“You’re going to have a relapse if you push yourself too hard. I won’t have it, Brooke. You agreed to abide by my rules and will do what I say,” Coulter replied in a firm voice.

“So it’s okay for your mother to work constantly and it doesn’t matter that she is older than I am?”

“My mother is as healthy as a horse. You’re not,” Coulter replied and moved closer to her.

“Yes, I am,” she whispered furiously.

“No, you aren’t. If you were, Wolf would have given you the all clear and told me,” Coulter said quietly.

Brooke stared into his steel-hard eyes and noticed the muscle in his jaw twitching. The man was furious.

“Ah, Coult?” Wolf interrupted.

“Stay out of this, Wolf,” Coulter commanded.

“Wolf has already given me the all clear, and if you had listened to him, he would have told you. Right, Wolf?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wolf replied. Brooke could hear the amusement in his voice, but she didn’t take her eyes from Coulter. He was backed into a corner, and she wondered how he would extricate himself.

“Did you have a nap this afternoon?” Coulter asked.

Brooke could see where this was going and didn’t want to answer, but she couldn’t lie either. “Yes.”

“Then you aren’t as recovered as you should be. No more working until I say you can,” Coulter commanded. “Come and sit down.”

Brooke didn’t protest when he took her hand and led her to their usual table. He pulled a chair out for her and saw her comfortably seated. She lowered her eyes to the table and silently fumed. Wolf was a good medic, and Brooke believed him when he said she was recovered. Coulter was the one who wasn’t ready to accept that she could stand on her own two feet again.

Trace and Corbin joined them at the table, and Martha and May followed with the food. Coulter snatched up her plate and began loading it with food, drawing an exasperated sigh from Brooke.

Coulter put her plate down in front of her and stared at her. She figured he wanted her to eat, so she shrugged and picked up her silverware. She didn’t talk or look up again but concentrated on eating her food. She had barely eaten half of what was on her plate before she pushed it away. She was about to reach for the jug of water, but a hand clasped hers and stayed the action.

“What do you want, darlin’?” Trace asked.

“Just some water please,” she replied. She watched as Trace filled her glass and handed it to her. “Thank you, but I could have done that myself.”

“I know you could, Brooke. But until you have all your strength back we want you to take it easy.”

Oh, for crying out loud. Do they think I’m made of glass? Why do these three treat me as if I’m a delicate little flower?
She had been on her own for a long time and wasn’t delicate or fragile in body or mind. She sat there fuming, but bit her tongue. She knew she shouldn’t have challenged Coulter in front of everyone. She felt a little guilty over that, but she wasn’t remorseful enough to back down now. She was going to have to pick her time and place more carefully when she went toe-to-toe with any of her men.
Oh my
.
Where did that come from? When did I start thinking about these three brothers as mine?
She felt the blood drain from her face and gasped.
Oh shit. I’m in love with them. How could I be so stupid?

“What’s wrong, baby?” Coulter asked.

“Are you all right, darlin’?” Trace inquired.

“You’re as white as a sheet, honey. Are you in pain?” Corbin queried.

“I’m fine.” Brooke hissed between her teeth, “Stop fussing.”

“You haven’t eaten enough,” Coulter stated.

“Yes, I have.”

“You’ll never get your strength back if you don’t eat more,” Trace said.

“I assure you, I have had quite enough. In more ways than one.” She muttered the last.

“I heard that. Come here, Brooke,” Coulter commanded quietly and patted his lap.

Brooke glanced behind her to see everyone was watching them. Heat suffused her cheeks, and she shook her head. She pushed her chair back and rose to her feet.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Trace asked.

“To my room. Why?”

“Just as long as you’re not going outside again,” Coulter said.

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his massive chest. Brooke spun on her heel and flounced out of the room, muttering under her breath. “Of all the arrogant, dominating…The nerve of those three. Who do they think they are?”