Serving the Wolf's Den (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (7 page)

She had also never realized how easily she could get used to being pampered. Up until now, her whole life had been spent waiting on others. However, her stitches were dissolving, and the leg felt a lot better which meant in another day or so she’d be ready to leave. She was going to miss the attention of the two brothers and their wolf.

When Rhonda stopped by later that day, it was a much-needed diversion from her wayward thoughts. Max and Toby had both already left for the Den. She was sure they had set up the visit since neither of them thought she was capable of being on her own without supervision.

“Goodness, girl. Good thing I stopped by. I’ve never seen your hair so tangled and in need of a shampoo.”

“Thanks. I was going to try to do it myself. Toby had said he’d help me, but I wasn’t sure that would be such a good idea. Besides, I don’t think he was serious.”

“I’d say, knowing Toby, he was more than serious. So then, you’re nothing more than a patient?”

“Rhonda!”

“Well, rumors are flying at the Den. Everyone knows what happened between you and Frank and that Max and Toby took you home with them. Don’t be surprised if some of the girls don’t welcome you back with open arms.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“There ain’t one of us, even the married ones, that haven’t wondered what it would be like to share Max and Toby’s bed. I mean they’re awful good looking and nice as hell, to boot. You can’t think for a minute that some of the girls aren’t jealous.”

“There’s nothing to be jealous of.”

“That may be, but Katie’s already let it be known that you’re going to be trained to be a bartender. Something that’s unheard of for a server. And you’re sleeping in Max’s bed.”

“They don’t know that. I mean the part about me sleeping in Max’s bed. And that’s all I’m doing.”

“Believe me, if they could see the way you look now, they’d believe it, too.” She laughed. “But they think you are, for lack of a better word, fucking the two of them.”

“Both of them?”

“Come on, Maura. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

“That’s crazy,” she lied. “They’re just being nice to me. They feel responsible because I work for them. That’s why I got the bartender job. Max said he couldn’t put me back on the floor.”

“I get it. I really do. And I’m happy for you, hon. I just want you to be prepared for some backlash when you return to the Den, that’s all. And…”

“And what?”

“Just don’t be naïve about Max and Toby.”

Maura shook her head. “They just want to help me.”

“Help you into their bed if you ask me.”

“Rhonda, if that were the case, they’ve had plenty of opportunities, and nothing’s happened. You’re wrong.”

“I’ve seen the way they look at you, and it’s different from the way they look at any of the other girls. I’ve also seen the way you look at them when you think no one is looking. There’s a pretty strong attraction there if you ask me.”

“Well, I’m not asking you. Subject closed.”

Thankfully Rhonda had sense enough to change the subject and talked about Todd and her girls until she had to leave. Maura listened, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Rhonda had told her. She liked Max and Toby. Okay, more than liked them if she were honest. But that didn’t change anything. Just because Toby was so eager to please her and Max had taken such good care of her was no reason to think they thought of her as anything more than an employee who they felt obligated to help. She knew she had to keep her feelings to herself and work through them without embarrassing herself.

She couldn’t deny that she had been attracted to Max from the moment she had met him, regardless of his interviewing techniques. There was something almost palpable between them even before he had bathed her. She had felt it whenever his body was close to hers, but she had never thought he could possibly feel the same way, and according to Katie, he didn’t get involved with his employees.

It had been the same with Toby. Rhonda was right. She wanted them both, but that wasn’t going to happen. They were leaving the Wolf’s Den to go back to their lives that didn’t include a girl like her. To even consider a relationship with one of them, let alone the two of them, was emotional suicide. The best thing she could do was concentrate on being a good bartender and hope that when they were no longer around she still had a job with the new owner.

After Rhonda had left, she had taken a nap. She woke to the feel of a wet tongue on her hand.

“Oh, Bo,” she sighed. “I think I’d better leave here soon, before I never want to.”

The wolf’s clear blue eyes looked into her own with an intelligence that made her think once again that he could understand her. He whined before he ran around to the other side of the bed to leap up next to her before curling into her side.

She ruffled his fur as he burrowed in closer to her. “What am I going to do without you?”

Three weeks behind the bar at the Wolf’s Den and she was making drinks like she had been doing it her whole life. Toby had been more than helpful every step of the way by showing her the art of mixology, and Max had been there whenever she had questions. She had begun to see a whole new side of him now that she wasn’t serving the customers on the floor. He was more relaxed and even fun. She enjoyed working with him, but it was Toby that had made her laugh more than she had in a very long time.

Toby had taken their bartending to a whole new level by encouraging her to put on a little show for the customers. He taught her how to throw bottles in the air and catch them behind her back as she made drinks. The customers loved it. Max had not supported their showing off, but he hadn’t told them to stop either. However, he did warn them that they would have to pay for anything they broke. So far, neither of them had broken so much as a glass.

Rhonda had been right about one thing. The girls weren’t welcoming her back with open arms. However, they valued their jobs too much to be blatantly unkind. Katie hadn’t said much, but Maura could tell the lead Bitch was anything but pleased that she had been promoted to a bartender. However, Maura had eventually won her over with her expertise, and now she was treating Maura like she was one of them instead of an unwanted member of the team.

On the other hand, Antoine had been ecstatic from the moment she had returned. He said although he loved her and all, she had been giving him premature gray hair, especially after what had with happened with Frank, who he told her had been banned from ever returning. Whenever she thought of Frank, she tried not to. She couldn’t bear to think about what he had wanted to do to her right there at his table. She still blamed herself for not seeing through him before things had turned ugly.

She knew Max still blamed himself for what happened with Frank. She had meant what she said. Nothing like that could ever happen again. There wouldn’t be a next time, but God help her if there were, not even Toby would be able to convince his brother to give her a second chance.

She tried not to think too much about Max or Toby as being anything more than what they were. To do so only encouraged the kind of daydreams she knew needed to stop. It didn’t help that she was still living under their roof. She still couldn’t believe that she was living with them. She had never thought that morning when she had finally been able to walk down to the kitchen for breakfast instead of waiting for one of them to bring it to her, that they would make her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Although they acted surprised to see her walk into their kitchen without help, she knew they both were more than aware that she was healed and had been for a few days. She had expected them to broach the subject of her leaving, but when they hadn’t, she knew it was up to her. However, she hadn’t been prepared for Toby’s questioning about her finances.

“Why do you need money so badly, Maura?” Toby had asked when she had sat down to eat the pancakes he removed from the tray and set in front of her.

When she didn’t answer right away, Max repeated the question.

She wasn’t going to tell them about Tim at first, but after all they had done for her, she couldn’t lie to them. Although talking about Tim was always humiliating, she found she wanted Toby, but most of all Max, to understand why she had been so desperate to be hired.

“I had a boyfriend whom I thought I meant something to, but by the time I found out the truth, he had stolen more than my trust. It’s embarrassing to tell you how stupid I was where Tim was concerned, especially since I had fallen into his trap with my eyes wide open.”

“Jesus,” Toby said. “How much did he take you for?”

“A lot. He also insisted we move into the Park View. It was a much more expensive apartment. One that I can no longer afford. It’s a big mess, but I’m working to get myself back on track. Being at the Den is how I’m doing it. I need to get back to work.”

“When’s your lease up?” Max asked.

“In a couple months. I’ve already been looking around for something cheaper. Luckily I don’t have a lot to move.” She tried to laugh. “The only thing he left me was the bed.”

Toby’s eyes were full of sympathy. “Would you let us help you?”

“You are helping me. You’ve nursed me back to health and given me a job as a bartender instead of firing me. I’d say you two have done more than enough. I’ll never be able to repay either of you for your kindness.”

“So that means you won’t take any money from us?” Max asked, pouring them all another cup of coffee.

“I can’t take your money. It wouldn’t be right.”

“What were you hoping to pay in rent?”

She looked at Max, who she noticed was looking at Toby. Toby smiled back at his brother.

“Well, I could go as high seven hundred dollars a month, but that would probably just get me a studio, but that’s fine with me. Between both jobs, I’m not home that much. Why?”

Toby sat back in his chair and waited for Max to speak.

“How would you feel about living here, with us? As you know, we have an extra bedroom, and the place is big enough for the three of us without bumping into one another. We’d only charge you five hundred a month as long as you didn’t mind doing some of the cleaning and cooking.”

“Five hundred dollars isn’t enough for living in a place like this. I don’t want your charity.”

“I wouldn’t say you’re in a position to worry about that. Besides, you’re only renting the bedroom, and the rest is community. I think it’s a fair price. If you’re really in the bind you say you are, I’d say you don’t have a lot of choices. And if you meant what you said about repaying us, doing some cooking and cleaning for us is one way to do it.”

“I’m not sure the staff at the Den would understand. According to Rhonda they already think the worst of me.”

“We’re not worried about the staff at the Den, Maura. And neither should you. It’s none of their business. So what’ll it be?”

She knew she would never find anything like this for only five hundred dollars a month. But that would mean she would still be living with the two men that she knew she should be running from instead of putting herself in a situation where she would be with them more than she was away from them. Besides, she still had a couple months on her lease. When she mentioned the lease again, Max said he had a friend who was part owner of the Park View and he’d talk to him.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes.” Toby was all smiles. “Just say yes.”

Within a week Max had ironed out the arrangements with the Park View and the move had been completed. They had gone to her apartment with her and cleaned out her belongings. Her bed had been stored in their basement. She couldn’t believe how easily moving in with them had been accomplished. The landlord had even returned her deposit. Again, she was indebted to the brothers.

She made sure she cleaned their house at least once a week and cooked for them when she was home. Max was always polite and thanked her for her efforts. Toby made her feel like she was an honored guest. She was beginning to think he was just flirtatious by nature and didn’t even realize he was encouraging her to fall in love with him. However, at work, Max seemed to be less guarded, which surprised her. She liked it when he came up behind her and whispered in her ear that she was doing a good job, something he had never done before. Instead of driving herself crazy by questioning his erratic behavior, she decided to just enjoy it.

One night when Toby had stayed later with Katie to close, she and Max had gone home together alone. She made them a snack and they sat in the kitchen and just talked like two normal people who liked being in each other’s company. His cheerful banter relaxed her normal nervousness where he was concerned. She found herself asking him questions she would have never normally felt comfortable enough to ask.

“Do you regret leaving medicine to manage the Wolf’s Den, Max?”

“No. It’s been great. I needed it. It’s made me realize how much I really do love surgery. However, when I go back, I’ll do things a lot differently.”

“As Candy says, ‘Living and learning is the foundation of life.’” She smiled at him, and when he smiled back she thought how easy it would be to get lost in that smile.

Max nodded his head. They talked for a while longer until he yawned. She took his cue and said good night.