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Chapter Four
Cold fingers of dread gripped Adam’s chest. Already married? He looked up to see the same dread mirrored on his brothers’ faces. He glanced down at her finger, unbelieving that he would have missed a ring. But none shone there.
Ethan’s hands had stilled on her shoulders. Ryan’s grip on her hand had loosened. His own hand had dropped from her chin. Could it be the one woman meant for them was forbidden?
No, he wouldn’t accept that. Couldn’t.
“Who is he?” Adam growled possessively.
Her hand fluttered to her throat, a defensive gesture. Panic flared across her face, quickly running out of control.
“He’s the man you’re running from,” Ryan said, his face stony.
“He’s the man who put the fear in your eyes,” Adam added, tilting her chin up once more.
She closed her eyes and nodded.
Relief poured over Adam. Ethan’s hands once again smoothed over Holly’s shoulders. This was something they could deal with. She would simply divorce the bastard.
“You’re not going back to him,” Adam said simply. “You’ll never go back to him. ”
“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “He’ll never let me go. ” Tears sparkled in her cinnamon eyes.
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Ethan muttered.
“He’ll hurt you, just like…”
Her voice trailed off but Adam understood what she had left unsaid. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me. He had never dealt with such rage as what built within him. It swirled like an out of control storm.
She cleared her throat and continued on. “He’s a very powerful man. He’ll kill you. All three of you. Murder means nothing to him. I can’t let him do that. ”
“And you think you going back to him is the answer?” Ryan asked incredulously.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll never go back to him. Not willingly. But I also can’t stay here. If he doesn’t know I’m here, if I’m somewhere else, he can’t very well hurt any of you. ”
A smile tugged at the corners of
Adam’s mouth. The little spitfire was trying to protect them. He felt a surge of pride. Their mate was proving very worthy indeed.
“I realize you’ve only known us a short time, baby, but you’re going to have to learn to trust your husbands,” Adam said.
Her eyes flew open even wider. “But you’re not my husbands! Weren’t you listening? I’m already married. ”
“A mere technicality,” he said calmly. “One we intend to rectify as soon as possible. ”
She made a sound of frustration. “Did you hear anything I said?”
He smiled. “We heard everything, but your concern is unfounded. We can take care of ourselves, but more than that, we can take care of you. ”
Her hand fell, a helpless gesture that stated she was at a complete loss as to what to do or say. They were pressing too hard, something they couldn’t afford to do if they didn’t want to lose her.
“Come into the kitchen. Let us fix you some breakfast,” Adam said, changing the topic to something neutral. Safe.
He saw the relief in her eyes. She nodded.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, her voice husky.
Adam got up and motioned for his brothers to follow him. A few seconds later, Holly was alone in the big bedroom, her senses reeling from what she had just experienced.
They wanted her. All of them. And damn it, she wanted them too. She desperately wanted to see where this whole bizarre episode would take them. But there were several problems with doing that.
One, Mason would find her if she stayed here. She knew that just as well as she knew he would step on anyone who got in his way.
Two, her longing to be cherished, protected, was what got her into her present mess, and here she was falling under the spell of three gorgeous cowboys. She had to quit looking to others for her happiness.
Their wife. She shook her head, still unable to comprehend what they had proposed. As progressive as today’s society was, she didn’t think it was so forward-thinking as to excuse one woman living with three men.
But then, why should she care what anyone else thought? She sure hadn’t when she had run from Mason Bardwell’s home in the dead of the night. On their wedding night at that.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She needed aspirin and maybe a good stiff drink. Nothing made sense to her, and it hurt to try and sort through the myriad of emotions swimming around in her head.
“Holly,” Ryan said from the door.
She looked up to see the youngest brother leaning against the doorframe, studying her quietly.
“It’s time for breakfast. ”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Not trusting that she wouldn’t throw herself across the room into his arms.
As if reading her mind, he ambled over to the bed and extended his hand down to her.
Slowly, she reached out and took his hand, liking the warmth that spread up her arm at an alarming rate.
He pulled her to stand beside him. His gaze slid over her, heating a path where it fell.
“You haven’t kissed me,” he murmured.
Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to say anything of the sort.
“You’ve kissed Ethan and Adam, but not me. If I was a jealous man, I might take exception to that. ”
Her mouth fell open. What to say to that?
“What do you say we remedy that?” he asked huskily.
He bent down, his mouth hovering a mere inch above hers. Sweet Jesus, how could she possibly resist? His hand slid over her jaw, to the back of her neck. His fingers plunged into her hair and pulled her to meet his mouth.
She sighed against his lips and let herself melt into his chest. The kiss was slow, hot, and thorough. Not as demanding as Adam’s, not as gentle as Ethan’s. Hot. It was the only word she could come up with to describe it.
Her nipples hardened against his chest, her breasts swelling and plumping in desire. An ache built in earnest between her legs, and she felt a sudden wetness. She clenched her legs together, trying to ease the burn, but it only grew stronger.
His big hands traveled down her back and settled on her ass, cupping and squeezing, pushing her against his groin. His cock, hard, big, bulging in his jeans, thrust into the cradle of her pelvis.
“Can you feel how much I want you?” he whispered.
He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he resumed devouring her lips, raining a trail of heated kisses over her jawline and down to her neck.
She threw back her head and moaned when his teeth nipped the delicate curve of her shoulder. One hand still cupping her ass, his other hand slid around to her belly, then underneath her sweater, upwards until he cupped her breast.
Her breath caught in her throat when he thumbed her nipple. Exquisite currents of pleasure radiated in all directions from her breasts. Her pussy pulsed in response. Her clit tightened, ached, strained.
She moved restlessly in his arms, so close to something wonderful. Then he shoved her shirt up and lowered his head. She clenched her teeth together in anticipation. Hot breath blew over her nipple, puckering it, tightening it unbearably. But still he didn’t suck it into his mouth.
