Two Good Men Read online

  

  Menage Mountain 2

  Two Good Men

  Caro is tired of controlling men. She’s been manipulated for the last time. Then she meets Phillip and Jasper at the bar where she works. She’s attracted to them, but aren’t two men going to be worse than one?

  Jasper and Phillip want a chance to show Caro that they’re different, but will she give it to them? They can tell that she’s been hurt in the past, but they’re sure that if she’ll just give them a chance they can show her that they aren’t like any of her exes.

  Caro wants to believe in Phillip and Jasper. Really she does, but with her luck in men, she’s afraid they’ll just be double the trouble. When she’s kidnapped, and they save her, she finally admits that maybe she’d found two good men instead of just one.

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 41,733

  TWO GOOD MEN

  Menage Mountain 2

  Marla Monroe

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Two Good Men

  Copyright © 2018 by Marla Monroe

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-497-2

  First Publication: November 2018

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 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.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marla Monroe has been writing professionally for over thirteen years. Her first book with Siren was published in January of 2011, and she now has over 85 books available with them. She loves to write and spends every spare minute either at the keyboard or reading. She writes everything from sizzling-hot cowboys, emotionally charged BDSM, and dangerously addictive shifters, to science fiction ménages with the occasional badass biker thrown in for good measure.

  Marla lives in the southern US and works full-time at a busy hospital. When not writing, she loves to travel, spend time with her feline muses, and read. Although she misses her cross-stitch and putting together puzzles, she is much happier writing fantasy worlds where she can make everyone’s dreams come true. She’s always eager to try something new and thoroughly enjoys the research she does for her books. She loves to hear from readers about what they are looking for in their reading adventures.

  You can reach Marla at [email protected], or

  Visit her website at www.marlamonroe.com

  Her blog: www.themarlamonroe.blogspot.com

  Twitter: @MarlaMonroe1

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/marla.monroe.7

  Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+marlamonroe7/posts

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4562866.Marla_Monroe

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  For all titles by Marla Monroe, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/marla-monroe

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TWO GOOD MEN

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  TWO GOOD MEN

  Menage Mountain 2

  MARLA MONROE

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Caro coasted into town on gas fumes and hunger pains. She had just enough money for one meal and five dollars in gas and nothing more. She parked in the Walmart parking lot near the gas pumps just outside of town and contemplated her current situation.

  It could be worse. I could be completely broke with no gas and no chance of a job. Right now, I have a little gas, a little money, and I’m in a new town where I might be able to find work.

  Even after the positive self-talk, Caro couldn’t stop the panic and discouragement from washing over her so that her stomach cramped. This time it was from more than just being hungry. She was at the bottom of the ravine and no rope in sight.

  “I need a job. Any job.”

  She looked around and the only buildings she could see were the Walmart, and what looked like a bar set back off the road a good two hundred and fifty yards away. It was nearly six, and the sun was going to be setting in an hour or so. She had time to walk over there and see if they needed any help and still get back to the car before it got too dark. She couldn’t waste even a drop of gas at this point.

  Caro grabbed her keys and her purse, and straightened her top before setting out at a fast pace toward the building with the lopsided sign. The closer she got, the more she questioned her decision to try for a job at the place. The sign said The Cougar’s Breath, and the building looked the worse for wear. She settled her nerves and drew in a deep breath before pushing open the door and walking into the dimly lit room. A jukebox was playing in the back of the room, and there were only three patrons sitting in the back at a table. They eyed her closely as she walked over to the bar and set on one of the stools.

  “What can I get ya?” the barkeeper asked.

  He had a long bushy beard that looked scraggly but clean. His bald head was a stark contrast. She couldn’t help but shiver as he narrowed his eyes when he talked. She had the distinct feeling he didn’t approve of her being there.

  “Um, I don’t want anything to drink unless I can have some w-water. I was hoping to find a job here,” she said.

  “And what can you do?” he asked, sliding a glass of water toward her.

  “I’m a good bartender and waitress,” she told him.

  “You ever actually worked at a bar other than some dance club?” he asked in a gruff voice.

  “Yea. I’ve worked at several bars just like this one,” she said.

  He barked out a laugh. “Hon. I doubt you’ve ever worked at a bar like this one.”

  He sat a glass of water in front of her, spilling some of the liquid over the side.

  Caro drank deeply from the glass, then set it down, and looked the man in the eyes. “I have. If you’ll give me a chance, I’ll show you that I can hold my own.”

  “Fine. Only because we’re shorthanded. Otherwise, I’d tell you to keep going. Be back here at nine. I’ll let you work for a few hours to see how you do. If you can handle a Thursday night crowd, we’ll see about putting you on more nights,” he said.

  “Thank you. I’ll be here. You won’t regret it,” she said with a huge smile.

  “I better not. You won’t like me disappointed,” he said, narrowing his eyes even more.

  Caro walked out of the bar feeling slightly more hopeful but a little apprehensive, as well. Though
she’d told him she’d worked in bars like that in the past, she wasn’t so sure now. Instead of letting it worry her, she walked back to her car and pulled out a fresh pair of jeans and a blouse that showed off her breasts without actually showing a lot of skin. She strode across the parking lot to the Walmart and used their restroom to wash up and change clothes. Then she splurged and bought a Diet Coke and a protein bar to tide her over for the night. Maybe she’d actually make some tips that would help her stretch her money.

  For all I know, they don’t tip well there. From the condition of the building, the patrons might be just as derelict as the bar looks.

  She hung around her car for the next couple of hours then walked back to the bar. She didn’t like walking in the dark, but she couldn’t waste gas until she had more money in her pocket.

  “Ya showed up on time. Good,” the man from before said. “You can put your stuff back here.” He indicated the back of the bar.

  Caro walked around and stepped up to find that the bar was slightly higher than the main floor. That would help since she wasn’t all that tall at five feet five. She stowed her purse on a little shelf below the bar and waited on the man to give her more directions.

  “You can call me Curly. You’ll work back here with me tonight. If you work out, you’ll have the bar to yourself tomorrow night and Saturday night. There are three waitresses, so you’ll be busy. Tips in the tip jar are yours, and the waitresses will tip you out at the end of the night.” He continued telling her what the prices were on the beer and other drinks. “We don’t serve sissy drinks here. Nothing but beer, whiskey, tequila, and such as that. Got it?”

  “Yeah. I can handle it.”

  “We’ll see about that. It’s crazy here on the weekends,” he said. “So, whatever you think about tonight, multiply it by ten, and you’ll have the weekends. The crowd here are mostly bikers, truckers, and a few regulars. Don’t take shit off them, and they’ll respect you.”

  “Got it,” she said.

  The next couple of hours were busy. She’d managed to keep up just fine. It helped that she had a photographic memory and could recall what the waitresses ordered without a problem. The tricky part was handling the men at the bar. They proved to be demanding and sleazy. She took Curly’s advice and didn’t let what they said bother her, giving back as good as they gave.

  “Come on, darling. Give me a kiss with that beer,” one of the men said once she’d slid his beer to him.

  “Not in this lifetime, buster. All you’ll get from me is your beer and if you’re not careful, a kiss to the lips with my fist. Fuck off.”

  “Bitch.”

  “That’s Ms. Bitch to you,” she told him with a smile and a wink.

  By midnight, she was pleasantly tired but a little charged up from the fast pace, as well. Curly had left her to the bar all by herself after the first forty-five minutes. He seemed to trust her to be able to hold her own by then.

  The bar closed at one a.m. on weeknights according to Curly and at two on weekends. She tidied up the bar, loaded the dishwasher with another load of glasses, and then counted the liquor to see what they needed for the next night.

  “You’re down three bottles of Jack, one bottle of Jim, and two bottles of Crown. Looks like two tequilas. Not sure how much of each beer you keep in the box. It’s nearly empty right now,” she told him.

  “I’ll fill everything up tonight. Tomorrow night you’ll need to help with the restocking when you get a few minutes. Let me show you where the storage room is.” Curly led the way through a door behind the bar where she found herself in a large storeroom.

  She noted where everything was as he gave her a tour of the place. “Office is back here, as well. I’ll be back here if anything crazy happens. Just open the door from the bar and yell for me.”

  “Do you have a bouncer on weekends?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll introduce you tomorrow. You have any trouble, signal to him first. If he’s busy, then call back to me. Fights break out pretty regular. The waitresses know to get behind the bar when that happens. Watch out for them. If you have real trouble, there’s a bat behind the counter. Use it only if you have to,” Curly said.

  This gave her pause. She’d worked in some dives before, but normally there weren’t that many fights in them. She was going to have to be on her toes at The Cougar’s Breath. She nodded and followed him back to the front where the waitresses had made short work of cleaning the tables and mopping the floors. They were standing by the bar talking waiting on Curly to come back out.

  He passed Caro the tip jar. “Tips are yours.”

  The waitresses handed her twenty each.

  Daisy smiled. “Thanks for keeping our drinks straight and getting them out fast. Makes the customers happy and that means better tips.”

  “You girls ready to go?” Curly asked.

  “Yep. Everything’s done,” the one called Jill said.

  “Let’s go then. Caro, be back here at four tomorrow. You’ll close,” he said as they walked out the back of the bar.

  She nodded and walked off toward the Walmart parking lot.

  “Where you going?” he asked as she set off at a brisk pace.

  “I parked over there.” She indicated her SUV parked under the light of the Walmart.

  “Next time park back here where I can walk you to your car,” he groused. “Ain’t safe out here at night.”

  “I will.”

  She figured she had about a hundred and fifty dollars in tips, so she’d be able to buy a tank of gas now. Her next order of business was to find a place to live. She’d grab a paper at the gas station when she filled up the next day and look over the “for rent” section if they had one. Cozy, Montana, was small, but surely there would be some apartments for rent.

  It didn’t take her long to settle down in the back of her vehicle and fall into an exhausted sleep.

  * * * *

  Jasper stretched before returning to the computer. He wanted to get a little more done on the game he was building. He had a deadline to keep to get it to the company who manufactured his projects. This one was a first-person shooter one that he’d taken right from his history in the Marines.

  “Hey, man. I’m going to call it a day. Want to go out and get a beer after we eat?” Phillip asked.

  “Yeah. I could use a little wind-down. This game is intense. Keeping it real is weighing on me. Think I’ll make the next one a quest to give me time to wind down. I know these sell like hotcakes, but they take a lot out of me, as well,” he said.

  “Should have worked with me on cybersecurity,” Phillip said.

  Jasper often wondered why he’d decided to go the way of developing games instead, but he liked creating them more than he wanted to build programs to keep businesses safe. He left that to his best friend.

  They’d served together in the Marines and done three tours before they’d gotten out after nearly dying in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber blew up right in front of them. They’d lost a man and two others had lost limbs because of it. The worse part though was that it had been a woman who’d blown herself and them up. She’d looked scared to death but pressed the trigger that had devastated everyone in the unit.

  Jasper had scars across his chest and down one arm while Phillip had them all down his back. He’d been yelling back to the men to run when the bomb went off. They’d been lucky, but it had left its mark on them. While he’d left his scars as they were, Phillip had chosen to hide them with tattoos. He had a sleeve of them on the arm with the scars as well as across his back.

  “I don’t have the patience for that. At least with the games I’m always doing something different,” he said.

  “Just saying.”

  “Yeah, fuck you.”

  Phillip laughed and walked out of the room they’d turned into their office. It was slightly larger than one of the guest rooms, but smaller than the living room and the master bedroom. It had plenty of room for their computers and the gaming conso
le he had hooked up to the massive flat-screen TV mounted on one wall. When he was working on a game, he and Phillip often played it to see where the kinks and bugs were that he needed to work out.

  “Don’t feel like Buster’s tonight. Let’s go to The Cougar’s Breath,” Phillip said. “We can shoot a couple of games of pool and burn off some energy.”

  “That place is a total dive, man.”

  “Yeah, but it has character, and I don’t feel like brushing off women wanting to dance.”

  “Sure won’t get that at The Cougar’s Breath,” Jasper said with a chuckle.

  “I’m beginning to think we’ll never find a woman of our own,” Phillip said.

  “Caleb and Austin found Selena. We can find out woman,” Jasper said.

  Their friends lived on Ménage Mountain with them. Once they’d all gotten out of the Marines, they’d bought up all the land on the mountain and renamed it among themselves. They all wanted to find one woman to share between them. There were twelve of them hoping to score that one perfect person who would complete them and pledge herself to both of them. Caleb and Austin finding Selena gave them all hope.

  “We can search at Buster’s another night. I need some time to just lay back and drink,” Phillip said.

  “Hear you.”

  Jasper watched his friend walk out of the room and then return to try to figure out which way to send the group of soldiers on the game next. By the time he’d finished that sequence, Phillip called down the hall that dinner was ready.

  They ate in relative silence without the need to say anything. They’d been working and then living together for long enough that they didn’t need to fill the silence with empty words. Though he wasn’t exactly happy about heading out to The Cougar’s Breath, he did want to unwind with a couple of beers.

  They drove out to the dilapidated building around seven and wasn’t surprised to see the parking lot full of trucks and bikes. They were going to be crowded. He didn’t like crowds. It was hard to keep everyone in sight, and his training kept him always vigilant. With there being bikers there, it would be even harder to relax. They were always causing trouble and fighting. He had a feeling this was going to be a bad night.