The Promise of Two [Riverbend, Texas Heat] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Riverbend, Texas Heat

  The Promise of Two

  Jill has known CJ and Vernon most of her life but is just admitting her attraction to them. Will it ruin their friendship, though? The men have loved her for a long time and are intent on convincing her to take the chance at a dream come true. When a storm takes out her bedroom, they realize they could have lost her and make it their goal to make her their wife.

  Can Jill put the fear out of her mind that she will come between them and lose their friendship forever? Or will she screw up a chance at a lifetime of love and devotion from the two men who mean more to her than anything?

  Vernon and CJ have until the repairs on her house are complete to convince her of their determination to make her theirs.

  Will she trust that they can share or lose out on the promise of two?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 13,133 words

  THE PROMISE OF TWO

  Riverbend, Texas Heat

  A Siren App Exclusive

  Marla Monroe

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  THE PROMISE OF TWO

  Copyright © 2012 by Marla Monroe

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-492-5

  First E-book Publication: December 2012

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  THE PROMISE OF TWO

  Riverbend, Texas Heat

  MARLA MONROE

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter One

  “So stay with us until they finish the repairs. We have plenty of room.” CJ tossed the dish towel toward her from across the room.

  “My hours sort of suck for being a good roommate, guys. You know that.” Jill smiled, knowing they were two of the most relaxed guys she’d ever been around. They wouldn’t sweat her oddball nursing hours.

  Vernon shrugged. “Not like we haven’t been accommodating them since you started working them anyway. Don’t keep throwing up roadblocks. Stay with us for the few weeks it will take to renovate your house. You were damn lucky not to have been killed when that tree fell through the roof.”

  Being at work had been a blessing for her. Almost a week earlier, a storm had blown a tree over into her house and taken out her bathroom and part of her bedroom—the bed part. Now she was staying in the local hotel, but it was an expense and a hassle she didn’t need.

  “Are you both sure that you don’t mind? I don’t want to be a problem.”

  “I don’t want to hear that again. We’ll help you move your stuff over tonight. You’re not working again ’til Friday, right?” CJ pushed away from the kitchen sink and headed toward her.

  “Unless something happens and they need me.” She was always on call, it seemed like.

  “Good. Let’s make a list of what you need for the next three weeks. There’s plenty of closet space in the master so you don’t have to worry about bringing too much.”

  “Vernon, I don’t need to stay in the master. I’ll stay in the little room at the end of the hall. It’s cute.”

  “It’s too small for you to stay in for more than one or two nights. You’ll stay in the master. It’s got everything you’ll need, especially if you have to get up in the middle of the night or something. You’ll have your own bathroom.”

  CJ chuckled when she frowned at Vernon and crossed her arms. She guessed she did look funny standing toe-to-toe with a six-foot-five-inch ex–navy SEAL. He was built like a linebacker with a surprising grace in how he moved. She could never sneak up on him, but he could startle her anytime.

  Her small frame and short height of five foot four inches was easily lost between the two men. CJ wasn’t small by any means at six foot four inches with broad shoulders and a wide chest. Both men had dark brown hair that grew out just enough that she could see the slight curl in CJ’s while Vernon’s would be straight as a board. Both men had worn their dark brown hair a little long and on the wild side during their teenage years. Then once they had headed off to the navy, they’d shorn their locks and kept them that way even after being discharged nearly six months earlier.

  While Vernon had dark brown eyes that were almost too pretty to look at, CJ’s were a rich hazel with flecks of color that seemed to give them a glowing quality. She loved looking into both their eyes but made it a priority not to after having almost made a fool of herself staring into Vernon’s one night several weeks before the storm.

  She had nearly leaned in and kissed him. It had been a hard wake-up call for her. She had known that she was attracted to both men, but hadn’t realized that she could succumb to them so easily.

  Both men had served together as SEALs and were best friends. She had known them since she had dared them to swim across Stanley’s pond one summer when she was barely twelve. They had been more than happy to show her that they could do it. When she had beat them both to the other side, they had formed a fast friendship there, and it had endured all sorts of trials and tribulations over the years.

  “Don’t laugh, CJ. I’m serious. It’s a waste of space for me.”

  “Nothing is a waste for you, baby.” Vernon frowned at her.

  “Fine. I’ll take the master. It won’t be for very long anyway.”

  “It’s not like anyone uses it,” CJ pointed out.

  “I’ll make a list of what I need and then stop by on the way back from the gym tomorrow. They aren’t going to be working on it until this weekend anyway.”

  “We’ll follow you and help. I don’t like you there alone with the place torn up like it is. Besides, you need us to carry your big suitcases.” Vernon walked out of the kitchen toward the living room of their spacious two-story home.

  The two men had gone in together right out of basic and bought the house, updating and renovating it all throughout their enlistment in the SEALs. The house was a major showplace for men everywhere, with the most up-to-date appliances in a dream kitchen to the audiovisual masterpieces in the living room and outdoors. Even Jill could appreciate the master suite and had hoped to be able to bring some of their decadence into her own little house now that she had to make the updates anyway. Still, it wouldn’t be anything compared to the massive spa they had created.

  If she was truthful, she would argue that some of the updates to their house had been made at her insistence that when they found a wife, she’d want them. So far, they hadn’t even appeared to be looking for one, though. She often wondered about that. They had joked all through high school and then once they had gone into the navy together that they would marry the same woman and live a ménage relationship.

  “We’re too much alike. We’d only fight over a woman if we fell in love with her. Nothing is going to pull us apart,” CJ vowed one late summer evening after a swim party and general barbecue.

  “What makes you think some woman would take both of you up on a threesome?” she’d asked playfully.

/>   “If she won’t, we’ll just chill.” Vernon had seemed to be on the same wavelength at the time as well.

  “You guys going to watch a movie or what?” Vernon’s deep bass voice resonated all throughout the house as Jill walked into the living room.

  It curled around her womb, sending signals to her cunt that she was way past loving time. She hadn’t had a steady boyfriend in nearly four months now. She would no sooner get comfortable with one than he would pop the question of moving in together or even hint about getting married. She wasn’t ready for that. She was only twenty-six and recently finished her nurse practitioner’s courses, so maybe in another year or two, but not right away. Whatever happened to guys who wanted to play the field for a few years?

  “You’re looking awfully serious.” CJ pulled her down to the couch between him and Vernon.

  “Hmm? Oh, thinking too hard about what all I need to remember to do tomorrow. What are we watching?”

  “How about the newest Nicolas Cage movie?” Vernon pointed at the massive TV screen situated on the wall across from them.

  “Cool! I didn’t realize it was out already.” Jill loved action movies as much as the guys. She knew just about every major player in the action-guy realm.

  For the next hour and a half, they cruised through car chases, blown-up buildings, and general mayhem until the credits rolled by at the end of the movie.

  “Awesome flick. I love watching good actors with grit.”

  “You’re just jonesing for Sam Elliott, you little pervert. He’s old enough to be your dad.”

  “I can’t help it. He’s hot.” They always had arguments over who she thought was hot and who wasn’t.

  “It’s just that slow drawl of his. Vernon has that down in spades.” CJ grinned at the other man and high-fived him.

  They argued good-naturedly for a few minutes. Then Jill stretched and headed for her purse and the door. The conversation was heating her up a little too quickly. Her panties were already wet.

  “I better get going if I’m going to get to the gym on time and meet you two at the house by ten.”

  Vernon pulled her off her feet and back into his arms. “You could always spend the night here and get a head start on the gym. It’s a good ten minutes closer to our house than the hotel.”

  “Thanks, Vernon. I think I better head on to the room before you two talk me into it.”

  CJ walked up behind her so that she was trapped between his and Vernon’s hot bodies.

  “Would it take much?” His breath was hot against the back of her neck. “To talk you into staying the night?”

  “Um, guys?” She shivered. She couldn’t help it. Between the heat radiating off their bodies and the slow liquid burn traveling through her veins, she was on fire.

  “Let her go, CJ. She’s spooked.” Vernon backed away but didn’t look at her when he did. “We’ll meet you at your place in the morning and help load up.”

  CJ’s eyes sparkled down into hers when she turned around. Something about how he licked his lips shoved another ounce of fiery heat into her cunt. Moisture dripped down her inner muscles to pool in her pussy. She needed out of there and fast.

  Jill slipped between them and snagged her purse on the way out the front door. She didn’t even bother closing it, leaving it instead for the men to take care of. She didn’t think she would be able to continue if she stopped for even one more thing. She fumbled with her key fob to make sure the door to her SUV was unlocked when she got to it. It was only after climbing up into the cool interior that she was able to stop and breathe. Still, she didn’t look up. Instead, she started the engine and backed out of the drive, intent on making it to the hotel before she spontaneously combusted.

  What had she done? How would she ever be able to live with the two of them for the next three weeks and not ruin their relationship by fucking them? And it would ruin it for sure because they would never split up over her and she wasn’t a ménage-type-relationship sort of woman. She was a one-man sort of woman. There were two of them. Two very handsome, very demanding men who deserved the best a woman could offer. She didn’t think she was that woman, and she sure as hell didn’t want to lose them as her best friends. Besides, love and lust were not the same thing. She lusted after their bodies big-time, but she didn’t love them. Did she?

  Chapter Two

  “Remember, CJ, take it easy. Don’t fucking scare her off. This is our perfect opportunity to get her to totally relax around us while she’s living with us. It’s our only chance at making her see that we’re made for each other as a family.”

  “I still say the best thing to do is to seduce her and then inform her that we love her. Women want to know that they are loved and cherished.”

  “Neither one of us has been too popular in the relationship market, bro. I think we need to stick to the plan and slowly win her over to our way of thinking. Then, if she’s still not quite there by the time her house is ready, we seduce her.”

  “Well, at least you agree that it’s got merit.” CJ piled out of the truck outside Jill’s little, two-bedroom bungalow when Vernon stopped the truck.

  Jill climbed out of her SUV still wearing her warm-ups and gym shoes. Though she was serious about working out, she didn’t exactly adhere to her routine. She’d skipped her extra bottle of water and the shower in favor of getting a quick start on loading up.

  Vernon knew she wanted a little more privacy to go through her stuff than they were giving her. It was part of the plan. She didn’t need to have any privacy with them anymore. She needed to be able to share everything with them. They already dealt with her periods as if they were nothing. She’d finally gotten used to their embarrassing teasing and moved on. Now it was time for whatever else she might have hidden in her secrets drawer.

  “You guys didn’t have to stop short of your workout. I still need to do a little packing before we load anything up.”

  Yep, she was definitely nervous. Vernon had to curl his hands to keep from rubbing them together in glee. He couldn’t wait to learn all her little treasures. He wanted to watch as he and CJ aroused her to peaks of unfathomable pleasure using every one of her little secrets.

  “No reason for you to have to pack up alone. We’ll help.” CJ indicated the boxes in his hands. “Got plenty of boxes. You might as well pack it all up even if you don’t move it to the house. It will be out of the way of nosey, prying fingers.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Like yours?” She unlocked the front door and they all piled into the cramped, little living area.

  With both of the men inside at one time, Jill was forced to stand in the kitchen between the cabinets and Vernon. They were just too big for her place.

  “I’ll help you in the bedroom, and CJ can work on the bathroom stuff. You said there wasn’t much left there anyway.”

  He watched as her pretty, sky-blue eyes flared with panic before easing down into a mildly irritated expression. He loved seeing that blossom of passion. He couldn’t wait to arouse it into full-blown sex. There wasn’t anywhere they wouldn’t take her to see that passion directed at them.

  “Really, there isn’t much room in the bathroom. I’ll deal with everything and you two can wait out here for when I get a box ready.”

  Vernon grinned and shook his head. “I’ll take the closet. I can empty it fast enough. You don’t have much to move in there, just a bunch of uniforms. You really should go shopping more.”

  “Me shop? You know I break out in hives at the thought of shopping.” She didn’t seem to even realize that he had maneuvered her in the back of the closet.

  “Can you hand me that box of stuff off the shelf?” She turned and without thinking lifted her arms to grab for it.

  Vernon stopped her when her top snagged on a hanger. “Hold up. Your shirt’s stuck.” In the process of unfastening it, he rubbed a good number of times across her nipple. The torrid little peak all but blistered the back of his hand through her clothes. He’d picked up on the gasp o
f breath from her before she’d worked to release the material wound around the clothes hanger. All in all it had been a major turn-on. He had to adjust his cock in his jeans to keep from cutting off the circulation. Plus, he didn’t want her to know right away how turned on he was just being around her.

  “Jill! Can you come in here for a minute? I’m not sure what to do with some of this. I think you should trash most of it and get new.” CJ’s voice could be heard throughout the little house.

  “On my way.” He watched Jill’s ass twitch from across the room. Then he concentrated on carrying out her hanging clothes. They were laying them in the back of her SUV on top of a sheet. It was cleaner than their truck bed.

  “CJ! I swear. Of course I’m going to throw them out. I thought I already had. Weren’t they in a garbage bag?”

  “What’s going on over here?” Vernon couldn’t help but see what CJ had stirred up.

  “Nothing. He’s going through garbage instead of what I need packed.” This time Jill sounded honestly miffed. He hoped CJ hadn’t screwed up.

  “Sorry, baby. I really didn’t know you’d already gone through this stuff. It was in a bag next to the garbage can and the can was empty.”

  “Just trash it and let’s get the rest of this packed up.” Jill shook her head, but a small smile appeared to soften the snark. “I’m going to work on my bedroom.”

  “Need some help?” Vernon offered his assistance with a slow drawl he knew would turn her on.

  Her eyes fluttered and she drew in a slow, deep breath before licking her lower lip.

  “Um, no. I can get it. Are you finished with the closet?”

  “Just about. I can help you if you need me to, though.”