Men Times Three Read online

  “Leave the sheets; you must be hungry. We can raid the fridge together.”

  She needed no further encouragement and tossed the sheets on the bare mattress before joining him downstairs.

  By the time she reached the main floor, he’d turned his mind back to the Friendly Inn. “When the sign fell over at the end of the drive, I told Jon he shouldn’t bother putting it back up. He never did.”

  “Think it’s still in the ditch? We might salvage it.” She followed him through the dining area.

  He shrugged and she admired his shoulders from the back. Broad and straight, they tapered to a trim waist. “I’ll make you a new one,” he offered.

  “For free?”

  “I’ll include it with the cabins. A welcome gift.” The kitchen was bright and airy with no curtains at the windows. She glanced out to the view. Trees. Nothing but trees starting at about ten feet back of the house. From the wall to the tree line was a well-used, but clean dog run. “No dog?”

  “Beau’s gone. Been three months and, well, I haven’t had the heart to look.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “I’m sorry. They do mean a lot to us, don’t they?” Her apartment was too small and her life too busy for a dog. She had a couple cacti because they didn’t need much care. “Thanks for the offer on the sign; I’ll take you up on it but it’s a shame Grandad’s handcarved sign will rot away.” She leaned over the kitchen sink to take a closer look at the area outside. “You must see a lot of wildlife here.”

  “Deer and raccoons mostly. Birds. We see more bald eagles than we used to.” The fridge door opened behind her. “The raccoons have been bolder now that Beau’s gone.”

  This had to be a dangerous game for her. To see the way he lived, missing his dog, keeping a nice home, caring about a grumpy old man, all things that pointed to TJ O’Banion having a good heart. She wasn’t sure when the last time was she’d met a man like TJ. Certainly not at the club.

  “It’ll be good to see the inn taking guests,” he said as he checked the contents of the fridge. “Since construction costs on the cabins are already covered, you won’t have loans to pay off. Between the cabins and the rooms, you should be able to at least break even the first year.”

  “Someone will,” she said as she turned to face him. “I’m going back to Seattle as fast as I can. I’ve got a club to run and a partner I need to deal with.”

  He stilled with his hand on the open fridge door. “Partner?”

  Her lips split into a grin at the concern on his face. “Business partner. I don’t sleep with him.” She shuddered so convincingly he gave her a ready smile. “Just like I’m not going to sleep with you.” She wasn’t sure if she meant it or not.

  TJ cupped his ear at her obvious lie. “I couldn’t quite catch that. Your eyes speak a different language.” As did her smile, her sway and the way she’d unbuttoned an extra button on her blouse.

  Her cell phone rang and she dashed to her purse to answer it. “Holly? Where are you?”

  The cousin and a partner in the inn. Holly’s feelings about the inn could be different from Marnie’s. She may want to keep the place. He leaned into the room.

  Marnie walked outside to the veranda, looking for privacy. Damn. She paced in front of his living room window while she talked, looking grim. An argument? It wouldn’t be the first time heirs disagreed on an inheritance.

  She used her hands when she talked. He remembered that trait now that he thought about it. In fact, he recalled a lot more about that summer and her than he’d realized at first. Memories flooded back in a rapid wash of images. He’d liked her, enjoyed her company.

  He’d even thought she was smart and had harbored a fear that maybe, just maybe, he’d stumbled on a girl who was smarter than him. At fifteen, that had been a major cut to his ego.

  Now, he was impressed. She had a good head on her shoulders, didn’t wail and ring her hands at setbacks.

  Marnie Dawson also had a body worth waiting for.

  He pulled a beer out of the fridge, thought again and dug into the back for a bottle of wine. He walked to the front window and held them up for her to see. She smiled and pointed at the wine. She held up three fingers to indicate the call would soon wind down.

  He took the next couple of minutes to set out some cheese, crackers and grapes on a platter. She must be hungry; early evening and dinner was still an hour away.

  He wasn’t sure how fast she wanted to get back to the inn, but she didn’t seem like a woman to put off work.

  She walked in on a breeze of fresh air and a vitality all her own. “Thanks, this looks great. I need the wine after that phone call. Turns out Holly was planning on staying for a couple of weeks at least.”

  “Great, so you will, too?” He pictured her in his bed for fourteen long nights.

  “You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

  “Not yet, but it’s definitely on the agenda.”

  She plucked a grape from the stem and popped it into her mouth. The moment the juice sprayed inside her mouth, her eyelashes fluttered. She moved her tongue around the grape inside her mouth. Sensual in every way. Her eyelids drooped as she licked her lips to extend her enjoyment of the juiciness, and his libido cranked higher.

  Lifting her glass in a silent toast, she took a sip of wine. “Very good.” Then she topped a cracker with cheese and munched the snack daintily. “Perfect.”

  She caught him looking, then she took a seat at his sandwich bar, which only gave him a better view of her cleavage. “Where can I get cleaning supplies?”

  The twinkle of humor in her eye sent his temperature to boil. The witch knew damn well she’d stalled him.

  “I’ve got mops and buckets. I’d be happy to call in a cleaning crew. Some of the housekeeping staff at local hotels might want to pick up extra work.”

  “Tempting as it is not to wear myself out cleaning up that mess, I’ll wait for Holly to get here before I spend money for help. We may have inherited the inn, but all of the money and everything else went to the men in the family.”

  “They could come help.” He’d never met her brother. Might be wiser not to. He’d pick up on the scent of lust right away. Not his sweet little sister’s, of course, but TJ’s.

  “Not allowed. Grandad insisted on the three of us working together on the place.” She bit her lip as if she’d said more than she wanted.

  At least he’d avoid a showdown with her brother. “I thought it was just you and Holly.”

  She bit her lip and looked resigned. “You’ll learn about this soon enough I suppose. Our Aunt Trudy had a daughter out of wedlock so Grandad included her in his will.”

  “Kylie Keegan,” he said. He knew about the stormy meeting between Jon and his newfound granddaughter, but he couldn’t bring himself to betray his friend’s confidence. Jon had found his own way to make amends. It wasn’t TJ’s place to judge. Still, he had to say something. “Your Grandad had his own ideas about things and never thought twice about expressing them, no matter how wrong he was.”

  “None of us have ever known her and suddenly Holly and I have to sort out what to do with the inn with a stranger.” She shrugged. “But neither of us are ogres, so if she’s halfway reasonable, it should all work out.” She brightened. “And another pair of hands to work with us will come in handy.”

  “Not my business to tell you this, but you should know that the night she stormed away and Jon pulled out the bottle he told me he said some ugly things to her. She may come into the family with a chip on her shoulder.” He hesitated to say any more. “But, for whatever it’s worth, Jon regretted every word after she left, but she refused to talk to him again.”

  “Great, another stubborn Dawson female.” Blowing out a breath, she said, “Thanks, I appreciate the heads up. Tell me what he said to her.”

  “No. Jon had his regrets about how he treated her, about a lot of things. But if anyone’s to repeat what was said, it should be her.”

  “You’re sure this i
s how you want to play it?”

  What she was really saying was that it was early in the game between them to tick her off. As much as he wanted her, he had a loyalty to Jon he couldn’t ignore. “You’ll get over it.”

  She took a long, very slow scan of his body, from his boots to the top of his head, that had his cock ready, willing and able. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.”

  “Hey, you’re right. You’ll have another pair of helping hands with the inn and time to get to know your cousin. It’s up to you and Holly to work things out with her.” He scrubbed his hair and decided to add, “Anyone would have lit out of here the way she did that night. She had every right to be furious and hurt. Don’t let her reaction to the old man get in the way of family.”

  His own family was almost sorted out after a rough patch. Deke was off the booze and on the hunt for pussy, while Eli still hadn’t said when he planned to return, but he would.

  TJ humped the dusty wing chair to join the other furniture in the right corner of the inn’s large living room. Marnie was behind him tackling the cobwebs all over the lobby desk. She tsked and huffed and stood high enough on a step stool to allow peekaboo glimpses of her fine butt as she stretched to reach the very top of the shelves behind the counter. When she stretched to reach the top shelves, her butt muscles clenched hard as firm melons.

  If he didn’t look away soon, he might approach and slip a hand up her shorts. As it was, his hands were clenched.

  Women in full cleaning mode rarely wanted to stop for a quickie. At least none of the women he knew did. When they got help with cleaning, they showed their appreciation later. He looked forward to it. He slapped on an easy grin.

  “I’ve got everything stacked here,” he said while he admired her trim waist and the flare of her hips. She turned to look over her shoulder. Bright and inquisitive, she smiled when she saw the furniture stacked in one corner. “Will this work for you?”

  “Absolutely. Thanks.” She stepped down to the floor and walked around the counter. Hands on her hips, she blew at a cobweb that hung off her bangs. It fell back into place and he wanted to sweep it away, but she got to it first. “I’ll vacuum the dust off the furniture before we move it back.”

  “We?”

  “You.” She had the grace to flush. “That is, if you can spare some time tomorrow?”

  He considered saying no, but butthead Deke might be tempted to take his place here and they’d have to come to blows. While it might be fun to kick Deke’s ass, it would make working with him all summer a pain. Deke could hold a grudge like nobody else.

  “I’ll be here.”

  “Great. I can get the whole room cleaned before you even have to show up.” She slipped her hands to her lower back and pushed her pelvis toward him as she stretched out her back. “Oh, it’s good to stretch after the drive today and now this.”

  He picked up the coffee table and carried it to the door into the kitchen. “I’ll take this out to Jon’s workshop for a sanding. After it’s refinished, you’ll never see this damage again.”

  “You’re not even winded,” she noted, “while I’m bushed. I’m out of shape for this type of work.”

  He accepted the invitation to skim her figure with his gaze. “You look like you’re in shape to me.” His cock rose at the temptation he read in her eyes, and when he caught her looking at his biceps, he shifted the table.

  She chuckled. “You’re something, TJ, you know that?”

  “As are you, Marnie, as are you.” The push pull between them lightened his day. He put the table on the floor, hopeful.

  She ignored the obvious invitation to step closer and headed for the stack of furniture instead. “I run when I can, but I miss my yoga practice. I haven’t been to class for a year. If I hadn’t given up, I wouldn’t feel so stiff.”

  “There’s a soaker tub in my master bath. I’ll run it for you when we get home.” Another sexy look over her shoulder and he applauded the impulse he’d had to install the tub last year.

  She lifted one corner of her mouth. “Toss in some Epsom salts and I’ll take you up on the bath.” When she picked up her dusting rag, he picked up the table and watched as she dropped out of sight behind the counter to continue cleaning. “Ugh, it’s filthy in these drawers and I think I see—whoa—could you come here please?” Her voice went hollow so he set the table down and moved fast. Thump. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

  She’d landed on her butt in the dust, a look of horror on her face. She’d pulled the bottom drawer all the way out for cleaning.

  “Oh, hell, we’ll have to call an exterminator and the sooner the better, because that’s one big ugly rat.”

  “How long’s it been dead d’you think?” She shuddered again. He reached a hand down to help her up. She took it and he pulled her up fast. Her breasts mashed against his chest as he steadied her.

  He tilted his head toward the drawer. “It’s been dead a long time, but where there’s one, there’s more. I can’t see how it got in, there are no chew marks on the drawer.”

  She leaned against him. “Did the kids just stick it in there to die of starvation?”

  “Not likely.” He slipped his arm around her. “No gnaw marks on the inside either.”

  “I’ll have to disinfect this whole area.” She stepped away from him and he felt the loss. She dropped to her knees in front of him and slipped on rubber gloves. “Why do I get the feeling this makes you happy?”

  She looked up into his face with a suspicious expression. From here it wouldn’t take much to peer down her cleavage or slip his hand behind her head and tug her toward—he cut off the thought. No good could come of rushing her.

  “Me? No, I’m not glad you’ve got a rat problem. It’s gross.” But having rats in the inn would keep her at his place longer than she planned. Which suited him just fine. He opened his hands to take the drawer. “I’ll take care of this.”

  “Thanks, again. Furniture mover, rat remover. You’re a multi-talented man.” She slipped her palm into his, with a sweetly sexual expression that sent a jolt of lust into his gut. He controlled his movements so that when she stood, he didn’t even grab her close. Instead, he played the gentleman and let go of her hand.

  Played was the right term. This was a game they’d entered. A sexual game of thrust and parry and come hither looks that could kill him before he got where he wanted to go.

  Or maybe not.

  She slapped at the dust on her shorts and stepped away with a briskness that showed no interest. Unless dumping a bucket of black filthy water counted. She carried the bucket out to the kitchen and dumped it down the old porcelain sink.

  He picked up the drawer and then walked past her out the back door. “I’ll make sure that cellar door’s secure for the night.”

  “I’ll get a set of security lights with motion detectors first thing in the morning,” she called out after him.

  Another thing for him to do for her. At this rate, he’d be in sweet clover in no time.

  In his pickup truck an hour later, he watched as she buckled her seat belt and released the elastic band she’d used to cinch her hair at the nape of her neck. Her hair fell free and he wanted to run his fingers through it so badly he clenched his teeth to stop himself.

  The air and stillness in the cab filled out, moist and heavy when she turned her half-lidded eyes on him. “Thanks a lot for your help. I appreciate it.” She slid her palm up his forearm and back to her thigh before he could capture it.

  “No problem. I’m here to serve.”

  “Right. Then take me home, TJ. I’m not going to pretend that soaker tub isn’t calling me. I’ll be stiff and sore in the morning, but a hot bath will do wonders for me now.”

  Her phone rang and she fumbled through her bag to get the call. She talked while he drove with half an ear on her conversation. From Marnie’s half of the conversation, it was her cousin Holly saying she was on her way in the morning.

  “Great, see you the
n,” she said and hung up.

  “You didn’t tell her how much work the inn will need before you can put it on the market.”

  She wrinkled her nose and looked endlessly kissable. “I’ve already done that. She’s the one with all the decorating talent. She can make the place look great.”

  “You said she has more time to spend here than you do?”

  “She has her reasons for wanting to hide up here, while all I want is to get back to the city.”

  “You think living here is hiding?”

  “Don’t you? With your talent, you could be anywhere, but instead—sorry—I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “You think I’m hiding here? That I’m not ambitious enough?”

  “I didn’t say that.” But she’d thought it. The guilty gleam in her eyes said so.

  “Or do you think I’m afraid of the competition in the city?”

  Her silence said more than a phoney denial would. It stung, that silence, but he’d be damned if he corrected her assumption.

  He pulled in to his compound and parked the truck beside the bumblebee she called a car and climbed down. By the time he got to her side, she’d landed on her feet. He shut the door. “I would have helped you out.”

  “If you’d held me while I jumped out, I would have collapsed in your arms. You’d be carrying me inside.” A shaky smile accompanied the words. “I shouldn’t have said anything about your choice to stay here.”

  “I chose to come back. It isn’t that I never left.”

  “Where’d you go?”

  He smiled but made no comment. Let her stew about it. It would do her good to wonder. So far, he’d been an open book.

  She sauntered up onto his porch and through his front door without pressing for an answer.

  The mundane details of towels and fresh sheets on the guest room bed and a fresh bar of soap behind them, TJ set the faucets to run into his tub while she got ready for her bath.

  When he turned around, he had to pick his jaw up off the floor. She was in a silky, short colorful robe that barely covered the tops of her thighs. Her auburn hair swayed free at the tips of her breasts, and with her sash drawn tight, the lapels showed a sweet line of cleavage.