A Place in Their Hearts [Riverbend, Texas Heat 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Later that evening, Kenny returned home and found Jay locked in a battle of wills with Chester, their mastiff. It looked like Chester was hogging Jay’s favorite chair and refused to get up.

  “Look, boy. If you don’t get up, I’m going to have to make you get up, and neither one of us wants that.”

  “Ha,” Kenny said. “He doesn’t care if you move him by hand or not. You’re the one who won’t like it with your back.”

  “Furry devil dog. I swear. He was perfectly happy on the couch, but as soon as I walked in after my shower, he jumped up and ran over here. He does it to me on purpose.” Jay settled his hands on his hips. “You tell him to move. He’ll listen to you.”

  “Chester. Give Jay back his chair, or he’ll pout all night.”

  The big dog yawned then slowly got down off the chair and returned to the couch. Jay growled.

  “How are things out in the shop?”

  Jay made furniture and custom cabinets for several contractors in the area. He loved working with his hands and was in high demand.

  “Good. I finished the Harvey’s breakfast table. I’ll work on finishing the cabinets for the big house they’re building outside of Smithville in a few days. I’m glad they weren’t in a hurry.”

  “Thought any more about if you’re interested in the Lexington project?”

  One of the city council members wanted to build a new library. The old one was barely large enough for six to ten people at any given time, and they had nowhere to add books. They wanted Jay to build the shelves and do the woodwork around the new building once it was finished.

  “Yeah. I’d love to do it. I just wonder if I’ll get bored building shelf after shelf after shelf.”

  “Break it up some. Work on the front desk and other things in between shelves. I think it would be neat to have a library with your work in it.”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  “I met someone today at the office. She’s pretty and really sweet.”

  Jay’s head whipped up and around. “You did? Is she new to the area?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her around, but that doesn’t mean she’s new. She lives out on Shiloh Road close to the Murphys,” Kenny told him.

  “Why did she come in today?”

  “She found a momma cat who delivered last night. She wanted to be sure they were all healthy. The momma was very malnourished, but the kittens look healthy.”

  “She’s a good person then. Can’t fault someone who loves animals enough to take them in and take care of them.” Jay sat forward with his elbows on his knees.

  “I was thinking about inviting her out to dinner when she comes back in six weeks.”

  “Six weeks? That’s a long time to wait.” Jay liked to forge ahead and wasn’t one to wait.

  “I don’t have any reason to call her up to ask her out. I’m not sure how else to approach her when there’s no reason for me to see her until then.”

  “Call her up in a few days and ask after the momma cat and kittens. Just follow up to be sure the momma cat is eating well.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Do it. Don’t wait six long weeks. Call her in a week. That should be plenty of time for the momma cat to show some improvement.”

  “All right. I’ll call next Monday and ask her out for coffee. How’s that?”

  “Perfect. Now tell me all about her,” Jay said.

  “She’s got fiery red hair that curls and reaches just past her shoulders. They’re big curls that you can twist around your wrist. Her eyes are summer-grass green, and when she smiles, they light up like a Christmas tree. She’s about five feet, four inches and has the softest curves you’ve ever seen. Man, her ass is drool-worthy. I wanted to squeeze it so badly when she walked out of the exam room.”

  “Fuck, I’m sprouting wood just listening to you talk about her.”

  “She’s got the cutest trail of freckles across her nose. I bet she has them in other places, as well.”

  “What do you think? Is she someone we might see for more than a few weeks?”

  “I don’t know, Jay. She might be.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Don’t go getting your hopes up. You know how tough it is when it doesn’t work out.”

  “I know, I know, but I can dream.”

  * * * *

  Rayna couldn’t stop thinking about the handsome veterinarian. He dominated her dreams at night and her thoughts during the day. She struggled to concentrate while she worked. Checking in on Patches and her kittens didn’t help matters.

  Patches seemed much more relaxed and was eating well. The kittens already looked less like miniature rats and more like furry kittens. She couldn’t wait for them to open their eyes and start moving around more.

  Six weeks. That was a long time until she saw Kenny again.

  I’ve got to stop lusting after the man. He’s bound to have a steady girlfriend. Someone as handsome as he is probably has several.

  Her cell phone rang, startling her as she recorded her latest call for work. She didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, is this Rayna?”

  “Yes. Can I help you?”

  “This is Kenny, your vet. How are Patches and the kittens doing?”

  “Oh, hi.” Rayna’s stomach jumped as if full of baby rabbits, and tiny goosebumps erupted down her arms. “Patches is doing great. She’s eating a lot and really being a great momma kitty. The kittens are fat and roly-poly. I didn’t expect a call to check on them. Thanks.”

  “Actually, they were just an excuse to call you and ask if you’d be interested in coffee sometime.” Kenny’s voice had dropped to a slightly deeper note.

  “You’re asking me out?” Rayna couldn’t believe it. Her.

  “Yes. I’d like to get to know you better. Are you interested?” he asked.

  Rayna wished she could see his face. She could tell a lot about a person when they were talking by looking at their face. It was one of the things she liked least about her job, no face-to-face conversations.

  “Um, sure. I’d like that.”

  “Great. How about tomorrow morning at ten? I don’t have any appointments from then till one that afternoon.”

  “Okay, sounds good. Where should I meet you?”

  “How about the diner? They have great coffee and pie.”

  “Pie?” Rayna laughed. “You must have a sweet tooth.”

  “I sure do.” Again his voice deepened. It tickled along her nerve endings.

  “Okay. See you tomorrow at ten.”

  “I look forward to it. Bye, Rayna.”

  Before she could say good-bye, he’d ended the call.

  A date. She had an actual date with Kenny. Sure, it was only coffee, but it was still a date. Now she had to stress over what to wear. Did she even have anything nice enough without being too dressy for a coffee date?

  Rayna had to stifle the urge to run and check her closet. She had to concentrate on work and do her job. She needed to put Kenny out of her mind.

  Right.

  As soon as she could cut off her calls for the day, she updated her log and files then raced to her bedroom and the closet. Choosing an outfit wasn’t her strong suit. She’d never been a girly girl and collected dressy clothes like her sister, Amber. If it had been Amber going on the coffee date, she’d have had to choose between lots of nice-looking outfits. Rayna only had three to choose between. None of them really appealed to her, but he’d seen her in her jeans and a sweatshirt only days before. Surely anything better would be in improvement.

  She finally settled on a forest-green pair of slacks paired with a green and tan blouse. It was the best she could do.

  Rayna pressed the outfit and hung it on the back of the door to be ready for her ten o’clock meeting. Date. It was a date.

  When was the last time I’ve been on an actual date? Has it really been a year?

  Well, working from home didn’t offer many opportunitie
s at meeting men. Mostly she met them at the grocery store or department store. Now she could add meeting one at the veterinarian’s office to the list. It was an improvement, right?

  Thoughts of the man’s trim body and capable hands had her body softening and her pussy quivering. She could just imagine what those strong hands might feel like on her body. Would he get hard just being around her as she got wet from being around him?

  God, she sure hoped so. Rayna wanted him to like her. She sure liked him. He had to be kind and giving to be a vet. She wanted a strong man who was able to give her the hard, dirty loving she craved while still being sensitive to her feelings. Would he have both qualities? Could she find herself falling for him?

  Hell yeah, she could. Already her heart beat fast just thinking about him.

  I’m in trouble. Thinking along those lines when I haven’t even been out with him yet is dangerous.

  But Rayna liked a little danger with her man.

  Chapter Three

  Kenny checked the time for the tenth time. He’d arrived early and secured a table toward the back to give them some privacy. He’d already ordered his coffee but wasn’t going to presume to order hers yet. Another five minutes and she’d be there. Unless she was one of those women who were always fashionably late.

  He grinned. Nothing like waiting for a woman. He’d gladly wait for Rayna. She would be worth it. He was almost sure of it. Something about her sweet cooing over the momma cat and kittens appealed to him.

  The waitress checked on him again. “Still waiting?”

  “Yeah, but I’m early. She probably won’t get here for another five or ten minutes.”

  “Never seen you nervous before. She must be something else.”

  Evelyn had waited on him most every time he’d been in the diner for lunch. Sometimes, when business was slow, he’d go in for a piece of pie and coffee, as well.

  “She’s really nice. I haven’t seen her around before, so I’m thinking she might be new here.”

  “Maybe. What does she look like?”

  Kenny described her, and Evelyn smiled. “I think I’ve seen her in a few times. Don’t think she’s too new though. I know I saw her around Christmas last year.”

  The bell over the door rang, and Rayna walked in, hesitating just inside the door as she looked around. Her face lit up when she spotted him. Kenny rose to meet her when she reached the table.

  “It’s good to see you. I love that blouse you’re wearing.”

  “Thank you.” She allowed him to hold her chair as she scooted into the table.

  “It brings out the green in your eyes.”

  She blushed so that her cheeks turned a rosy pink. He loved that she blushed. The freckles across her nose stood out with the heat in her face. He could imagine that her chest would turn pink, as well, since the blush seemed to creep down her neck.

  “Would you like coffee?” Evelyn appeared at the table seconds later with a winning smile across her face. She winked at Kenny, but he was sure Rayna hadn’t noticed.

  “I’d like a Diet Coke instead of coffee, please.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t order your coffee now,” he told her.

  “I don’t drink a lot of coffee. I normally drink Diet Coke when I go anywhere.” Rayna’s eyes sparkled with laughter.

  “Thanks for meeting me here. I wanted to get to know you without it making either of us uncomfortable like a first full date might.”

  Rayna thanked the waitress for her drink and took a sip. “Thank you for asking me. I was a little startled to hear from you.”

  “Why? You’re a lovely woman, and I’m single. I would have asked you out sooner if I’d known you. Are you new in town?” Kenny asked.

  “No. I’ve lived here about six years. I don’t get out much. I work from home.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I field calls from customers who have insurance and billing questions concerning their health care. I work for a company that contracts out the services all of the country to people who work from home.” Rayna smiled. “I already know what you do.”

  “Do you like your work?”

  “Love it because I can do it from home, or even if I wanted to travel somewhere else.”

  “I love my work, too. I like animals and have always wanted to be a vet.”

  “Do you have pets outside of your business?” she asked.

  “Two dogs and four cats. Then there are the two office cats.”

  “Office cats?”

  “They live at the office and serve as greeters and the occasional blood donor if need be.”

  “I guess I have a part-home, part-office cat now, as well.” She grinned.

  “I’m glad Patches is doing well. Don’t expect her to gain much weight for the first three or so weeks. Everything she’s taking in is going to feed those babies. She’ll plump up once they get to be five or so weeks old.”

  “She’s so sweet. She purrs and purrs for those kittens.”

  “What do you like to do when you’re not working?” he asked.

  “I like working in my yard. I have a small garden every year, and I like to read.”

  “I like cooking and hiking. My roommate keeps a garden for us. I’m not always home enough to look after it. As for reading, I only seem to read articles concerning work.”

  “I’ve gone hiking before and enjoyed it, but it’s not safe to go by yourself.”

  “We’ll have to go sometime.”

  As they talked, Kenny couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. She was so pretty with her hair held back with some kind of pen or something. He could easily imagine running his hands through her hair as he kissed her. Jay would love holding it as he took her from behind. Yeah, he was already fantasizing about filling her with his cock as his friend took her sweet ass.

  Rayna had luscious curves and a rounded belly. He’d love to rest his head there and take a nap. There was nothing as appealing to him as a full-figured woman who wasn’t ashamed of her body.

  “Are you the only vet in your clinic?” she asked.

  He snapped out of the trance he’d been in and smiled. “Yep. Makes for some long days sometimes, and I’m on weekend call for emergencies. There’s a vet in the next town who sometimes fills in for me if I want to go somewhere and can’t be accessible.”

  “That’s nice. I would think always being on call would be stressful.”

  “It can be, but I love my job, so it’s usually not a drudge.” Kenny smiled as he held his coffee cup for the waitress to refill it.

  “Would you guys like a piece of pie?”

  “I’d love a piece of your pecan.” He nodded toward Rayna. “What about you?”

  “Not for me. I ended up eating a late breakfast. Thanks.”

  “So, I’m thinking a second date. How about dinner at my place Saturday night?”

  * * * *

  “And she agreed?” Jay asked.

  “She did. She hesitated though. I think she was unsure about jumping right into the more intimate atmosphere of our house, but I wanted to include you without it being uncomfortable in public this early.”

  “How do you think she’ll take it that there are two of us and we come as a pair?” Jay asked.

  “I’m not sure. She hasn’t been out much in public from what I can tell, so I’m not sure if she even knows about the threesomes here in Riverbend. It might be sticky, but I really like her, Jay. She’s sweet but has a wicked sense of humor.”

  “I tried to find a Facebook page for her, but either I don’t know what she calls it or she doesn’t have one.”

  “Not everyone has social media like we do, man.”

  Jay shook his head. “It’s almost laughable that she wouldn’t when she makes her living working from home and on the computer.”

  “There are firsts for everything.”

  Jay shrugged. He couldn’t wait to meet Rayna. Now he had to think of something good to cook for her. He loved to cook, and if he hadn’t loved working with h
is hands as much as he had, he might have thought about being a chef.

  “Any preferences that you picked up on for food?” he asked.

  “No, I should have asked her about her favorite food. Sorry, man. I was having a really difficult time listening and not drooling all over her. She’s so perfect for us.”

  Jay chuckled. “Falling hard isn’t a good idea, man. You know how you get over a woman. Take it slow.”

  “This from the man who can’t stick with one woman long enough to really know her.”

  Jay sighed. His friend was right. After four or five dates he normally lost interest in the woman. He despaired that they’d ever find the perfect one for both of them. They preferred sharing a woman since their personalities complemented each other and pleasuring a woman was so much fun with two of them. Seeing the woman you loved explode with pleasure when you weren’t overcome by your own from time to time really was a rush.

  “Maybe she’ll be the one, and I don’t get bored. She sure sounds perfect from what you’ve described so far.”

  “I think if this dinner date works out, we should all go hiking the next weekend,” Kenny suggested.

  “Great idea. I’ll pack a picnic lunch I can carry in a backpack. You should carry the blanket and all of the water we’ll need. I don’t want her to have to carry one.”

  “I like that idea. I’ll pick out an easy trail that will show her some good sights but not be too difficult for a beginner. I don’t think she’s hiked in a while.”

  Jay sat back on the chair and thought about the possibilities dating would bring to them. He wanted a family one day. Maybe a son to teach woodworking but then he might want to be a vet like Kenny. He didn’t mind one way or another. He wasn’t in a hurry for children. Getting to know their woman and making her feel wonderful would fill up several years he was sure.

  He wished he knew more about what she looked like. His cock was already hard just at the thought of a luscious woman to seduce and tempt with all of the pleasure he and Kenny could give her.