Maya's Triple Dare (36 page)

* * * *

“Maya, I’m so jealous right now,” Grace said as they walked up to the nondescript but clean-looking storefront in the old downtown district of Morehead. They’d just had lunch at Nikolai’s Café, and Maya was anxious to get started at their next destination, Desired Ink Body Art. Grace had wanted a tattoo since getting a look at the one on her hip.

“Having to wait until after the baby comes will give you time to design the right tattoo. You don’t want something generic that came out of a book, do you?”

Maya chuckled when Grace whined as she said, “No, but…”

“This will also give you a chance to see what it’s like to get a tattoo. You may change your mind.”

“Doubtful, but you’re right. Ethan said he would help with the art, and I do want it to be completely unique.”

They walked into the cool, dry air of the tattoo studio.

After confirming her appointment, Maya handed him her drawing, and they got started. The artist, Jim Durbin, pulled up a chair for Grace to sit in when she told him she was a writer and wanted to observe Maya getting a tattoo as research for a book. Jim took one look at Grace’s rounded abdomen, smiled, and pulled a surgical mask from a box on the counter. She hooked the mask behind her ears and settled quietly.

Maya got comfortable on his table and exposed her left hip.

He tucked drapes into the waistband of her yoga pants and said, “I don’t normally recommend including names on tattoos. I know we talked about this when you visited the shop last week, but are you

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sure
you want to add names? You can always think it over and I can do them later, if you really want them.”

“Jim, I’m positive. I want you to add the names.”

He nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“One hundred percent sure.”

He sterilized the area and went to work. Jim embellished the existing tattoo, crafting a third rose. He deepened the shade of red on the existing roses then added swirling ribbons where the roses were bunched together. Jim replicated Maya’s design then tattooed the wording along the ribbons.

Maya settled in as he worked with the tools of his trade. She breathed through the rapid, microscopic pinpricks, gradually settling into a place where the pain was exceeded not by her will to ignore it, but by her excitement at the thought of how her men would respond to the new tattoo. By the time Jim was done, she was euphoric and

“floaty,” as though she was in subspace.

“It’s perfect, Maya,” Grace said, as Jim cleaned the area and covered it.

* * * *

“Couldn’t you just trust me to keep my eyes closed?” Maya asked later that afternoon as Richard tied the blindfold at the back of her head. They were seated in the backseat of Boone’s truck about to go she knew not where.

Boone chuckled and said, “Maya, the blindfold is sexy on you and you might as well get used to wearing one.”

“That’s right, babydoll,” Kendall said as he climbed into the truck.

“We plan to have one on you regularly for playtime.”

She didn’t put it past them either. They were constantly surprising and amusing her. Just that morning, she’d caught them while they were in the bathroom brushing their teeth. They’d grinned at her with devilment in their eyes before going back to their daily hygiene ritual.

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Kendall lifted his toothbrush to her, and she laughed so hard she snorted. They were all brushing their teeth with the battery-operated toothbrushes they’d used as vibrators on her.

The month of May and the beginning of June had gone by quickly between her convalescence from her injuries and the guys finalizing the plans for the new house, for which they were breaking ground that weekend.

Ace and Kemp were still working the investigation into the Divine Morality blog with limited success. Maya prayed they would find the culprit soon because she could tell how much it troubled her men.

They’d had several leads in the club and were still working to find the connection. They had their hands full with the attacks that kept occurring at Discretion which was disquieting for all the men. Kemp and Ace were devoting part of their time to watching over the ladies, which Maya didn’t think they minded very much. Summer seemed pleased about it, too.

They journeyed down the drive and turned onto the state highway.

Her excitement rose as she realized they headed in the direction of the JWB.

Finally, the truck slowed, turned, and pulled to a stop. She heard murmurs, and then gentle hands released the blindfold as Kendall spoke. “This is the first surprise.”

Maya blinked and opened her eyes, squinting them as they adjusted to the bright afternoon sun. All three men gazed at her, and she smiled then looked around, wondering where the surprise was.

Boone pointed out the windshield. She leaned forward slightly and gasped.

“You changed the name!”

They had taken the old ranch emblem down from the pipe arch entry, which had been the JWB brand logo with a circle around it. In its place was the new brand, MWTD, within an oval. Welded to the pipe underneath was the name of the ranch spelled out, “Maya Warner’s Triple Dare.”

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“Oh, my God,” she whispered in a rush.

With one voice, they spoke quietly, their hearts in their eyes.

“Marry us, Maya.”

Maya’s heart was bursting with love for them as she replied,

“Take me down to the creek, and I’ll give you my answer.”

The men grinned and looked curiously at her when she didn’t say more. They parked at the homesite, which had been completely bulldozed and cleared of all debris. All that remained was bare dirt where the footprint of the house had been, in preparation to start the new house that weekend. Boone parked the truck and helped her down while Kendall and Richard gathered the blanket and the picnic basket. They had packed a romantic picnic supper and had even brought along a bottle of wine.

Laughing playfully, she allowed Boone to talk her into taking a piggyback ride for part of the walk to the creek. She waited patiently until after the blanket was spread in their secret little spot and then said, “I want to take advantage of the lovely evening and the privacy down here by eating naked. Anyone interested?”

Maya chuckled as her sexy, handsome lovers doffed their clothing with speed and agility. They were naked and seated in a semicircle around her before she even got started disrobing.

She bit her bottom lip as she gazed at them. Their eyes were on her, waiting, and her heart lurched at the love she saw there. Slowly she removed her shirt and bra and gave Richard a crooked little grin when he groaned appreciatively. He made her feel so beautiful. They all did.

“I want to show you something. Then I’ll give you the answer to your proposal.”

“Babydoll, if you need more time—” Kendall began, but she brushed a fingertip against his lips and shushed him sweetly.

Carefully, she shimmied out of her soft yoga pants and thong together, careful to keep her hip away from their view as much as possible. She tossed the garments aside and then gingerly peeled back
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the plastic wrap taped over her hip. She looked over her shoulder and giggled when she caught them staring at her ass.

“I did something special for the three of you, and I hope you like it.”

When she had their full attention, she turned so they could see her left hip. All three men gasped.

“Maya!”

“What does it say?”

“I’ll be damned!”

On her hip, written on the ribbons festooning the three red roses, were the words “Dare to Live” and then each of her men’s names.

She smiled at the surprise, approval, and awe on their faces and answered their earlier proposal. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

THE END

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