Crossroads 5: Show Me What Love Is (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  He got into the truck and closed the door. Riley watched the lights go on in the small cabin and saw Bethany’s silhouette behind the curtains. He placed the truck in reverse and slowly headed out of her driveway and then down the dirt road.

  “Well?”

  “Well what?” Collin asked.

  “What did you say to her after you kissed her?”

  Collin ran his hands up and down his jeans and then looked at Riley.

  “I told her that I wanted to see her again, and go on a real date, and that date would include both of my brothers, too.”

  Riley swallowed hard. “Both of your brothers? What makes you think that Chancellor would be interested in dating Bethany and sharing her? He’s been pretty self-absorbed, and I just met the woman an hour ago.”

  “Because Chancellor already met her last night at that business function in the city. He made plans with her for lunch, but she said she doesn’t date.”

  “Doesn’t date? I wonder why.”

  “I’m thinking some dick fucked with her heart, but I don’t know. Look where she lives. It’s modest, and she commutes to work every day, and seems very down-to-earth. She has a professional job, yet fears being able to pay for the damage to her car. Doesn’t make sense.”

  “Well, insurance will take care of the car, but what did she say about going out on a date with the three of us?”

  “She wasn’t opposed, but she didn’t say yes. I think I shocked her, especially after that kiss we shared. I like her, Riley. A lot. It was instant. I know the difference, and I know I want to learn more about her. In the past, I’ve fought against trying to feel anything, especially dealing with the shit I dealt with, but with her, it’s like I’m willing to take a chance.”

  “I’m happy for you, Collin, but you need to be sure, and you need to take your time. We don’t know anything about her.”

  “Well, with you and Chancellor, I’m sure you’ll find out everything we need to know before we go any further.”

  “I wonder if Chancellor is home now.”

  “Let’s find out exactly what happened at that dinner party and how he wound up meeting Bethany.”

  Riley nodded, but he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling he had in his gut. He knew from their friends’ experiences in ménage relationships that they’d each met their woman and known she was the one for them. It was kind of crazy to learn that Chancellor had met her last night and they’d met Bethany today and felt an instant attraction, too. Could she be interested in giving a ménage a try, and were he and his brothers ready to do this again? It had been years since they’d made love to a woman together. It was something that brought them together and made them each feel complete. They were close, and they knew they wanted what their parents had, but so many things got in the way.

  Chancellor, with his need to not feel vulnerable and always be in charge and in control, wasn’t an easy personality to deal with. He expected respect and discipline. His hard work ethic and belief that he could never fail at anything he set out to accomplish made him hard and, at times, unemotional and unwilling to show affection, weakness, and vulnerability.

  Collin’s past, and the fact that he’d killed a man in self-defense and lost his best friend to murder, made his brother feel less of a human, and a bad person when he wasn’t. He was heroic, and he could have died, too.

  Then, of course, Riley’s had his own hang-ups. He felt responsible for his brothers, had helped both of them get through some crazy times in the past, and had tried to help them get through their hang-ups in the hope that, one day, they could have a family of their own and love a woman together.

  Where one lacked, the other one prevailed. They would each add something dynamic to a relationship with the right woman. Could Bethany be the one? Could she be the woman that helped Collin to heal and feel like a man, a protector, and a good person again? Could she help Chancellor to see that there was more to life then power, control, money, and being on top? Like maybe helping him to show a little weakness, a little vulnerability to let go, love, and be loved?

  For him, could Bethany be the one to heal them all, connect them together like no one, like nothing ever before, so they could have that family they always wanted, that normalcy and happiness he’d seen their friends around them gain and build upon? Were they ready? Or were they too far gone, too old, too set in their ways and self-centered to give a little, let their guards down, and let a woman like Bethany into their hearts?

  He wondered, as they drove in silence, and he hoped that tomorrow would bring them the answers he and his brothers were hoping for.

  * * * *

  “Are you kidding me? Chicatiro was there and it seemed like she knew him already?” Collin asked Chancellor as they sat at the table the next morning, talking about Bethany and meeting her.

  He was instantly sick to his stomach and pissed-off. They’d finally meet a woman the three of them were attracted to, and she knew the man who’d helped to try and destroy his life and put him in jail for murder when his cousin was the killer and criminal.

  “Fuck!” He slammed his fist down on the table, and his brothers looked just as angry with scowls on their faces as well as disappointment.

  “Calm down and don’t jump to conclusions. I got the feeling that she knew him on more of a business level and that she needs the money. She wasn’t sure she even had a job still once she told off her boss. He had been stealing her ideas and claiming them as his own. Bethany got fed up with it and told him off in front of a bunch of clients and important businessmen.”

  “He’s bad news. We know it. She can’t do business with him,” Collin said.

  “She’s not doing business with him personally. She works for Ross Harris, a total kiss-up dickweed, and his father’s company. Chicatiro owns stock in that company, and apparently more than Ross’s father, because he’s coming in with this deal and a series of restaurants. Bethany is in charge of the advertising and creating ad campaigns for it. I gathered that her salary would increase and give her the job security she’s looking for.”

  “Well, that should make her feel a little better about her Jeep getting demolished,” Riley said.

  “I took care of that situation already,” Chancellor said.

  “How?” Collin asked.

  Chancellor smiled. “I just did.”

  “Jesus, Chancellor, please don’t tell me that you brought her a new fucking Jeep and had it delivered to her front door,” Riley stated.

  Chancellor smiled, and just then, his cell phone rang. He glanced down at it. “Bethany.”

  “Really?” Collin asked, and then Chancellor answered the call and put it on speaker.

  “Chancellor, are you out of your damn mind? I can’t believe that you had the audacity to buy me a new Jeep, have it delivered, and think that this is okay.” She raised her voice, and his brother Chancellor looked shocked, but Riley smirked and shook his head.

  “We just told him the same thing,” Collin said to her.

  “You have me on speaker?” she asked.

  “Yes. I was trying to help ease your mind. My brothers said you were very concerned about not having your Jeep and getting to the bus station.”

  “I have friends, Chancellor. I appreciate the sort of demented thought around you purchasing me a Jeep, but I don’t want it. I take care of myself, and I will not be bought.”

  “Bought? Now wait one damn second. Who said anything about me trying to buy you?”

  “Oh, just think about it, big spender, and about tomorrow and meeting for lunch? Not happening. Your insult and assumption basically lets me know what you’re after.”

  “What I’m after?”

  “Good-bye, Chancellor.”

  She disconnected the call, and Chancellor looked so confused.

  “You’re such an ass,” Collin told him.

  “A big, huge ass,” Riley added and stood up.

  “What did I do? I simply bought the woman a new Jeep because hers was destroyed.”


  “The key words are ‘bought the woman.’ That’s what she thinks that you’re trying to do. Hell, Chancellor, for the ladies’ man you’re supposed to be, you sure are clueless,” Collin said to him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He means that Bethany is not the kind of woman who wants to be bought. She’s down-to-earth, sweet, honest, and very sincere. She doesn’t care about your money or what you have and could buy. She’s attracted to the three of us, and you’ve just made yourself look like a rich guy out for some pussy. You need to make this up to her,” Riley said to him.

  “You need to apologize and realize that Bethany could be the woman we’ve waited for. We’ve never felt an attraction like this before. Never. We all feel it and know it’s special. We want her, and if you can’t get your head out of your ass, then that’s your problem,” Collin said.

  Chancellor ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back in the chair. He was silent, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

  Chapter 4

  “You weren’t joking?” Suzette said when she and Lacey picked her up at her house before heading out to lunch.

  They were looking at the gorgeous new Jeep that sat in her driveway. The sun was shining and sparkling over the snow. They’d wound up with eight inches by midnight last night.

  “I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m so embarrassed.”

  Lacey chuckled. “Chancellor Cummings is a real piece of work. His reputation says a lot about him. The only reason he didn’t play hardball with me over the sale of the storefront in town was because of his friendship with Stone.”

  They got into Suzette’s SUV.

  “Well, he is a very attractive man. I remember that night at the gala we attended. He had every woman, single and taken, in there drooling,” Suzette added.

  “You included?” Bethany asked.

  Suzette gave her a sassy look over her shoulder. Bethany shook her head and then looked out the window form the back seat.

  “Honey, he is drop-dead gorgeous. There is an aura around him that reeks of power, sexiness and überappeal. Let’s be honest here, taken or not, any of us would be lying if we said he wasn’t an attractive man.”

  “Well, aside from that being true and me agreeing completely about the sexiness and good looks, oh, and the power thing, I can’t help but to be pissed off at him buying me a Jeep. I mean, I barely know him. We just met two nights ago, and I only agreed to have lunch with him tomorrow because of the attraction I felt. I didn’t even have sex with the man or do anything remotely intimate, and if I did, right now, I would feel like some dirty slut.”

  “It sounds like you feel that way, despite not doing anything sexual with him,” Suzette said as she headed down the road.

  “I think what has you really upset is that you like Chancellor, and like you said, you felt safe with him and protected, like he was really paying attention to you,” Lacey added.

  “It doesn’t really matter, because I called him and told him off, and cancelled the date.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He had me on speaker, Suzette, so his brothers were there listening in.”

  “And?” Suzette asked.

  “And I said my piece, gave him a piece of my mind, and cancelled the date. He, in return, couldn’t understand my upset or anger for what he did. I think he’s too self-absorbed, and to be honest, I really don’t need that type of man in my life.”

  “I don’t blame you for being upset, especially since hanging out with his other two brothers showed you more likable and acceptable personalities,” Suzette added.

  “Did you think that maybe you have Chancellor so twisted up inside? Maybe he likes you and you’re blowing him off when other women throw themselves at him with no effort on his part, and he just doesn’t know how to handle you?” Lacey asked.

  “I really can’t make an assumption like that. I just want to put the incident behind me and focus on work. With everything that had happened on Friday night at the dinner, and then what is waiting for me this week at work, the last thing I need is some spoiled, rich guy messing with my head.”

  “Or his two sexy brothers, who just so happen to be as attractive and domineering as Chancellor,” Lacey said to her.

  “Whatever. I’ve got enough on my plate, especially needing to leave at five in the morning in order to catch a ride from my neighbor Troy this week because he’s on early shift with the fire house.”

  “Troy, the blond poster-boy for last summer’s sexy firefighter calendar?” Lacey asked.

  “Oh God, not the one with the big—”

  “Muscles and military tattoos.” Bethany cut Suzette off before she could complete her sentence. Lacey laughed.

  “Oh come on, Bethany, the guy was sporting firefighting pants, and even in those, you could see how big his…hose was.”

  Lacey started laughing, and Bethany shook her head and covered her eyes with her hand.

  “He’s a nice guy, and I’ve known him for over a year.”

  “I wonder what the Cummings men are going to think about this new arrangement?” Suzette asked.

  She drove through town and found a parking spot a block from the restaurant.

  “I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. I don’t think any of them are my type at all. Besides, I don’t date, and this whole situation clarifies the reasons why.”

  As they got out of the SUV, Bethany grabbed her purse. She headed toward the sidewalk with her friends.

  The beeping sound indicated that Suzette had locked the car doors as they started walking down the sidewalk.

  “I don’t know if you should give up on them quite yet,” Suzette said, taking position beside her. Lacy was next to her other side as they headed toward the café and restaurant. Molly’s was a great little place that served lots of delicious salads and burgers.

  “Why is that?” she asked her.

  “Because, since I’ve known you, which has been the better part of two years, you have never shown any interest in a guy. Now here you are, meeting three brothers separately and feeling an attraction to all three. I just don’t think that’s something to ignore.”

  She felt that little ache in her gut, a guilty kind of disappointed feeling that she may never talk to the three men again, at least on a more intimate level. Lacey hugged her arm.

  “People make mistakes. Sometimes first impressions go to shit fast because of different reasons. Stone, Louie, and Junior had a lot of positive things to say about their friends, the Cummings.”

  “Yes, and so do Miles and Niko,” Suzette added as she pulled the door to Molly’s open.

  They were greeted by the waitress and taken to a table in the back. Bethany sat down, and they all ordered drinks as they looked over the menu. Suddenly, her appetite vanished.

  She exhaled, and Suzette put her hand on Bethany’s arm.

  “Honey, it’s obvious that you like them. I get the feeling that there’s more going on than you’re letting on. What’s holding you back?”

  She swallowed hard and looked down at the menu, and then at Suzette and Lacey.

  “I appreciate our friendship. I truly do. You’re my family because I really don’t have any at all. You know that. It was only me and my brother. It’s hard to trust anyone, especially after struggling for so long. Things happened in my past.”

  “Oooh, criminal activity?” Lacey asked as she cupped her hands under her chin and gave Bethany complete focus.

  Suzette gave Lacey a tap on her elbow, causing her hands to fall from under her chin. Bethany chuckled.

  “No, nothing illegal. It’s just hard stuff to talk about.”

  “Someone hurt you?” Suzette asked.

  “We had the feeling all this time that some guy might have broken your heart. Either that or you were so worried about not being financially stable that you were sort of a workaholic,” Lacey said, and then smirked and winked. Suzette chuckled.

  “I know you two would under
stand. I know what you’ve gone through, and I know I’ve given little hints of things over the last two years that should tell you that a guy hurt me.”

  “You definitely had an understanding when it came to my shitty, abusive relationship with Jeb, never mind Tye Weathers,” Lacey said, and she swallowed hard and instantly looked upset. That had been one scary situation.

  “Because you were abused at one point, too. Who was he? Does he live close by? Has he been bothering you?” Suzette whispered with concern as she held Bethany’s gaze with an expression of sincere care. It touched Bethany deeply because she wasn’t used to opening up about the abuse to anyone, yet she trusted Lacey and Bethany would understand. It was just that she didn’t like to talk about it. Maybe because she felt stupid for the mistakes she made. She was alone at the end of the day when everyone else in her life went on with their lives and their loves and responsibilities. That was how she saw relationships with other people. There was always that separation.

  “I haven’t seen him in years. Without getting into too many details, I wound up in the hospital for several weeks because of my injuries.”

  “What?” Lacey asked.

  “Jesus, Bethany, why haven’t you ever spoken to me about this? I could help you. If the past, the pain and fear of being abused is holding you back from opening up your heart to people and letting go, I could definitely help.”

  Bethany smiled. “You’re both my best friends. That right there helps me immensely because I never had friends before. I’ve had to grow up and survive on my own for a long time. I can remember living on a meal every few days and living in shelters and just trying to get work so I could get out, make money, and live a normal life.”

  “One meal every few days?” Lacey asked and then wiped her eye where a tear was beginning to fall.