Rainier, Heather - Maya's Triple Dare [Divine Creek Ranch 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Maya, I can be there in three hours.”

  “No. I’m a big girl.”

  They spoke of other, safer topics for a few minutes, and then he ended the call, dissatisfied and hungry. But not hungry for supper. The hunger he’d always felt for her burned in his belly. If she knew how her voice on the phone affected him, how her velvety tone caressed his neural pathways, she’d…what? Freak out? Laugh?

  Boone sighed heavily and said what was on his mind. “Bro, how long are you going to torture yourself? If she’s dating again, you need to act on whatever it was she told you before some other unworthy asshole comes along and steals her away permanently. You got mail.” Boone nudged it to him with the heel of his boot on the coffee table.

  Richard shifted quietly behind Kendall and said, “Someone’s giving our girl a hard time?”

  “Yeah. Frank Reeves.” God, how Kendall wished she was their girl. That had been the topic of recent conversation as well.

  “Is he the peckerwood who drives the Jag?” Boone asked, scrubbing a hand over the short beard on his jaw.

  “That’s the one. He tried to take advantage of her last night. She said he’s gotten pushy, wanting more attention than she’s willing to give.” He lifted a letter written on heavy stationery from the stack to open first. The return address was a law office in Austin. “Shit. What now?”

  He sliced open the envelope with his pocketknife as Boone sat forward and Richard hovered nearby with his arms crossed over his massive chest.

  Richard asked, “Is it about the claim on the house?”

  “No, I heard from them this afternoon,” Kendall said as the contents of the heavy envelope fell into his lap. They had been in limbo, waiting to hear from their insurance company regarding the pile of broken lumber that currently sat where the old JWB Ranch house had once stood.

  “What did they say?” Boone asked. “The storm was last month, and they sure are taking their sweet-ass time.”

  “Our policy has a wind exclusion because of the history of storms in our area. It won’t cover the loss at all.”

  “Thank God we hadn’t sunk a lot of money and time into renovating it yet,” Richard said.

  They’d lived on the Rockin’ C Ranch with the other ranch hands after hiring on with Chance and Clayton Carlisle and had only made the ranch house livable enough to move in to a few months before the storms had hit. Their focus had been the land and saving practically every penny they earned for good breeding stock. The house had been in sad repair, and they’d originally planned to fix it up a little at a time while living in it. Between their jobs and caring for the land and livestock, the last two years had been long and hard.

  “And for the fact that we weren’t home when it happened.”

  Home for the last month had been the old foreman’s house on the Divine Creek Ranch. Angel, Joaquin, and Teresa Martinez and their two children had vacated it the year before when their new house was finished. The present ranch foreman, Ash Peterson, his wife Juliana, and their baby boy were living in her home while their house on FM 709 was under construction.

  Grace Warner had come to the guys when she’d heard about the rickety, old ranch house being destroyed in last month’s straight line windstorm and had insisted they live in the unoccupied foreman’s house while they rebuilt.

  Boone added, “At least the outbuildings and livestock were mostly unharmed.”

  Boone and Richard still worked full-time at the Rockin’ C Ranch outside of Divine while Kendall worked full-time on their spread, the JWB or Jack Warner’s Boys Ranch. The JWB butted up to the Divine Creek Ranch along the creek for which it was named.

  Kendall had begun working full-time on their place the year before. Their plan had been to each come back full-time to the JWB as it began to turn a profit as a cattle ranch. It was slow going, but they were patient. The JWB was a beautiful piece of land and well worth the effort.

  Kendall was content in almost every area of his life, save one. The phone call from Maya had only served to bring his loneliness to mind. He could handle having to rebuild their home. He couldn’t handle the thought of rebuilding a house, only to knock around in it alone.

  A cover letter and another sealed envelope with familiar handwriting on the outside fell into his lap. He opened the cover letter and quickly scanned the contents. Trepidation grew in his heart as he slit the second envelope open.

  “It’s a letter from Morgan,” he murmured as the old ache surfaced in his heart for his dead friend. Morgan had been killed in a hit-and-run automobile accident a year and one day ago. Boone and Richard withdrew to the kitchen and left him to read in private.

  Kendall,

  It must feel weird to hold this letter in your hands right now. That means I’ve been dead for a year. It feels weird to write it, too. Sorry for your loss, dude.

  You’re my best friend and Maya’s as well. That’s why I’m reaching out to you. By now, Maya should be moving on with her life, and I needed to make some things right for her sake. Being the nice guy that you are, you have no idea what I’m talking about.

  I know you loved her. I know the day I married her had to be the most painful day of your life. But you stood by me the whole time without a word of complaint. It would’ve killed me if I’d been in your shoes, but you’ve stuck by us and been the kind of friend we’re both grateful for.

  If you’re able, will you go to her? Will you tell her you love her and do whatever you must to get her to admit she loves you as well? I know she loves you. I knew it when I married her even though I was sure she loved me, too. I think she wanted us both and couldn’t ask for what she truly wanted. Do whatever you have to do to convince her and give her what she needs.

  You’re going to think I’m a freak for saying this, but I think you’re the missing part of our marriage. I wish we lived in a culture where poly relationships were accepted. If I had chosen a different, less public profession and lived in a smaller town it might have been an option for us. I’ll never know.

  Worst-case scenario, Frank Reeves will try to get involved with Maya. Please don’t allow that to happen, Kendall. I think he harbors an attraction for her, and something has been off about him lately. Tell her whatever you have to. Show her this letter if you think it will help. But keep her out of his hands.

  Please go after her and take care of her, before some unworthy bastard beats you to her. Love her for both of us. You’ll be a lucky man if you do.

  Sincerely,

  Morgan Daire

  PS: I hope by now you’ve made something of that shithole you call a ranch house. Maya deserves a palace.

  Kendall felt like he’d been poleaxed. There was a date stamp from the law office on the outside of Morgan’s envelope. They’d received it roughly six months before Morgan’s death, evidently with instructions for when to mail it to Kendall, if necessary. He found it unsettling that Morgan’s words mirrored Boone’s of just moments before.

  “Damn, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Boone commented as he handed Kendall another beer.

  “Heard from one is more like it.” Kendall handed Boone the letter. Boone sat down and read with Richard looking over his shoulder. Kendall sat on the couch in shock.

  If he had the chance for a do-over with Maya, would he let her slip through his fingers again? Hell no. Boone handed him the letter, and Richard sat in the recliner. This involved more than just him. It concerned the two of them as well. Maya Daire’s new social status had been the topic of conversation for weeks. Living in Divine and getting to know his cousins had changed the way he thought about relationships, just as it had for his brothers. If she’d loved both Morgan and Kendall was there a chance she could find happiness with the three of them?

  Richard gazed at Kendall through piercing, pale eyes and asked, “You going after her?”

  “Yes.”

  Kendall sensed their reactions in their body language. They both looked ready to charge through the front door and climb in the truc
k.

  The three of them wanted—no, craved what their cousin Jack had with his wife, Grace, and Jack’s distant cousins, Ethan Grant and Adam Davis. They wanted a woman to love and to share. Kendall smiled and looked at them both.

  “Do you think lightning can strike twice in the same place?”

  “Of course,” Boone replied. Richard remained silent on the couch, but nodded.

  “Well, let’s see if it’ll strike three times.”

  Chapter Two

  Maya sat on the couch with the stack of mail in her hand as she laid her phone aside. Something about Kendall’s soothing voice always made her feel better, especially since Morgan’s death, but before then, also. He’d talked her off more ledges than she could recall, some small and some larger than he probably realized.

  She finally reached for the envelope and opened it.

  Another one.

  After helping his mother deal with the sudden death of his father due to a heart attack, Morgan had decided to write Maya a series of letters to help her in the event she had to deal with his death. His mom had been totally unprepared to handle tying up his father’s loose ends and making financial decisions that would affect her livelihood. Maya was grateful for every letter she’d received, both as a tie to him and because she’d been in a fog those first few months and had needed his counsel on many occasions.

  Her heart clenched with the pain of Morgan’s loss for a moment, and she waited for the buried-under-an-avalanche feeling that always accompanied these letters. Each time one came, her emotional response to it was not as bad as with the previous one.

  This time she only felt like skipping supper and going straight to bed. The last time, she’d wanted to stay in bed for a week. Steeling herself, she tore open the envelope. A small key fell into her lap. She lifted the cover letter from Morgan’s attorney and close friend and read it.

  The key was to a safe-deposit box at Hill Country Bank and Trust in San Marcos. In the letter, the lawyer apologized for the delay in getting the key to her. Somehow the key had been placed in the wrong envelope, and she should have received it much sooner. It had only recently been discovered in the envelope with the final letter. Laying the key aside, she carefully opened the envelope and slid the enclosed letter out.

  Lovely Maya,

  This is my last letter. The reason for that is not because I’m tired of writing them. That would be like getting tired of making love to you. If it was the only way I could be there for you, I’d go on for years with letters, but I can’t back up what I’d write with action.

  I want you to do something for me. Live your life. If you’ve already begun to move on, I’m proud of you. But will you do one thing for me? Go to Kendall. Tell him you’re ready to move on. Be the daring girl I married and ask him for what you’ve needed for so long. He’s loved you since the moment he laid eyes on you, and I know you’ve loved him just as long.

  If I could have one wish granted, it would be that we lived in a world where we could’ve shared our lives together. No, Kendall and I aren’t in love with each other, but we are both in love with you. I was the lucky guy who asked first, and being the stand-up guy he is, he let you go.

  I can’t fulfill that wish, but this one I can. Go love him and have the life you wanted and didn’t dare ask for. If you’ve followed my suggestions in previous letters, the house should be paid off and you should be through with your degree. Sell the house. Put the money into your investments or the JWB.

  I love you with my whole heart,

  Morgan

  Her hand shook as she reread the letter. Be the daring girl I married…Could she? She’d never stopped missing Kendall when he’d moved on after they’d gotten married. He’d stayed in touch and they’d visited him, but something had always been missing. No, someone was missing. She looked down at Morgan’s careful script, and a tear splashed onto the page.

  She missed Morgan so much. What she’d wanted, she’d wanted with Morgan. To love them both. Whether that made her a deviant, she didn’t know or care. She knew what her heart had wanted, and evidently Morgan had understood what she desired, as well. Her heart ached with old grief for him at how he’d loved her despite knowing that about her.

  Without bothering to fix supper, she went to her room, undressed, and crawled in under the covers.

  As soon as she was comfortable she groaned. “Shit.”

  She’d forgotten all about calling Frank. After lying there for a few seconds, she decided she was down for the count and he could wait until tomorrow. She closed her eyes and fell sound asleep. It wasn’t even dark outside yet.

  * * * *

  Maya was startled awake by her doorbell ringing. Fuzzy-headed, she crawled from bed, donned her robe and stumbled down the hall. She turned on a light in the dark living room and squinted at the screen on her cell phone as she went to the door. It was half past ten. There were several missed calls and text messages. She must’ve really been out of it to not hear her phone. She gazed into the peephole and gasped. A wave of heat blasted through her torso.

  “Kendall.”

  She fumbled with the deadbolt and flung the door open. His sandy-blond hair looked mussed, like he’d run his fingers through it a number of times. His hands rested casually on his denim-clad hips as he stood there. He must’ve gotten in his truck after their phone call and driven straight to San Marcos from Divine.

  The look in his eyes sent another bolt of heat through her, this time straight to her pussy. Funny, none of the men she’d dated in the last few weeks had inspired any sort of sexual reaction in her at all, including Frank Reeves.

  In another life she might feel guilty for the warmth that pulsated through her body at the sight of him, but she’d always reacted to him this way. She’d done her best to hide it once Morgan had declared his love for her, but where Kendall was concerned she couldn’t help it.

  She leaped into his arms as he whispered, “Babydoll.”

  He smelled of sunshine, hard work, and leather. Breathing his scent in made her mouth water. His muscular arms felt good, holding her securely, and she wondered if he noticed the tremor that rippled through her. She welcomed him into the house, remembering self-consciously when her nipples hardened that she was clad only in her satin robe.

  He looked like a sin waiting to be committed, in denim and leather. Where Morgan had been the tall, dark, and handsome Mister GQ, Kendall was the blond, sexy, and risqué cowboy, and she’d always enjoyed the contrast between the two of them.

  Maya didn’t miss the tension in his jaw and the set of his lips as he looked her over. She was about to excuse herself to go change when she saw the letter he held in his hand, written on familiar-looking stationery.

  “Is Morgan telling the truth in this?” Kendall asked plainly as he handed it to her. That was Kendall’s way, to get right to the crux of the matter from the beginning.

  With a trembling hand, she took the wrinkled letter from him, changing clothes all but forgotten. Her cheeks heated as she read Morgan’s words. Evidently neither she nor Kendall had been very adept at hiding their feelings from Morgan. The letter went on to say Kendall loved her.

  Maya looked into his brown eyes, responding even more strongly to the heat smoldering there. Morgan’s voice whispered to her. Be the daring girl I married…have the life you wanted and didn’t dare ask for. Dare.

  Kendall grasped her shoulders through the black satin of her robe, and moisture pooled in her slit in a lightning-quick response. “Is it true, babydoll? Tell me.”

  Relief that he finally knew, mixed with sorrow for the reason he knew, surged through her, and she bit her lip as she nodded. “Yes.”

  A breath he must have been holding escaped Kendall in a great gust as he crushed her to him. His body shook and he groaned, kissing the top of her head.

  “Will you come back home with me?”

  Struck by the suddenness of his request, Maya stammered, “I–I don’t know. For how long? For what? Kendall, I—” />
  He cradled the back of her head as he gazed into her eyes for a few, lingering seconds. His handsome face radiated desire, and she felt completely right and safe in his arms. Gently, he gripped her hair as he closed the distance between them and kissed her. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, stroking lovingly. He tasted minty and clean, and his day-old whiskers rubbed against her cheeks and chin, making her skin tingle and her pussy pulse with need for him.

  She’d fantasized about what it would be like to kiss him for years and even more so in the last couple of months. As a matter of fact, her fantasies of late had extended to include Boone and Richard. The three of them surrounding her, kissing her, and even loving her. Should she go home with him?

  Kendall released her and looked intently into her eyes. “For how long? Let’s start with a week. If you can put up with us then we’ll see about forever.” His eyes told her he was serious.

  “What about Boone and Richard? You’re living in a small house right now.”

  “Not that small. Boone and Richard have to work in the morning. Otherwise they would’ve ridden with me. They want you to come, too.”

  The emphasis in his statement only gave rise to more questions in her mind, but he chose that moment to lay another bone-melting kiss on her. Maya slid her palms up his solid biceps and wrapped her arms around his neck. The belt of the robe slid loose as she raised her arms, and she felt a draft when the edges parted.

  She released his shoulders and pulled the robe back together, feeling conflicted. His kiss turned her on, and she wanted him. That much was certain. But this was so sudden, and she couldn’t afford a misstep. Not with Kendall.

  Evidently sensing her hesitation, Kendall released her as she asked, “What Morgan told you in the letter doesn’t bother you? That I wanted you both?”