* * * *
Stacy didn’t know what came over her. Was he telling the truth about what he liked, or was this some kind of a game? She hoped it wasn’t a game and dreaded the possibility that Max could lie so well. But in her experience, men lied. Her entire body hummed with need as Max continued to kiss her, drawing more need from deep within her. Could Max and Eric really be interested in her? His large palm moved from her cheek to her neck, then under her shirt, and around her back. She felt him lift her, and instinctively she straddled his hips. She heard the ladder creak against the side of the house as he pressed her against it. It was so erotic. Everything about the moment, from his tongue exploring her mouth to his hands exploring her body, made her feel like she was on fire and getting hotter by the second. The feel of the steel ladder rungs against her back applied pressure, causing her to push her pelvis against his crotch. Despite his jeans, she could feel his hard cock press against her covered mound, and it felt so good. His hand roamed over her hip then across her ribs to her breast. He massaged and pulled her nipple as he sank his body harder against her. She rubbed her pelvis against him, and he gave a small sequence of thrusts in return. This surely was the hottest kiss she had ever experienced.
He finally released her mouth and trailed kisses over her neck then shoulder where the bruise was. Reality began to sink in with a feeling of embarrassment at her easy acceptance of his dominance.
“You’re so beautiful.”
She moaned softly, and he kissed her again.
“I think we should stop. Someone might see,” she whispered, shocked at how aroused and sexy her voice sounded.
“I don’t want to,” he stated then gave her lip a little nibble as he teased the bottom.
“Please, Max, this is too much too soon. I don’t know you.”
“Get to know me, Stacy. Get to know Eric and I. We won’t push you, but we won’t hide our affection toward you. With lips like yours, it’s just impossible,” Max told her then kissed her again.
He slowly let her feet down to the ground and ended the kiss. It shocked her that her legs actually felt wobbly and unsteady. He looked at her so seriously, and she felt his desire and saw a look in his eyes that stirred her feminine intuition and just knew that he was serious. It scared her and made her think about things she had no right thinking until the New York issue was resolved.
“Am I interrupting something?” Eric asked, causing Stacy to look toward Eric as he approached while Max remained holding her and staring at her. It was as if he knew his brother was coming around the side of the house. Could he have?
“We were just discussing Stacy’s lips,” Max teased as he caressed her lower lip with his thumb. She could feel his hand on her waist under her tank top and against her ribs. His fingers caressed her skin, sending tiny goose bumps along their path.
“Hmmm, that’s a topic I am definitely interested in,” Eric added then placed his hand against her cheek to turn her face toward him. She hesitated until she felt Max’s hand against her skin giving her a tug toward Eric. Eric lowered his head and kissed her lips. She was caught up in the sensation of being touched by two men at once. It overwhelmed her, but before she could pull away, Eric slowly released her lips.
“Delicious. Makes a man want more and more though,” he added with a wink as Max stared at her.
“You should get used to this, Stacy. It seems my brother and I are both fixin’ to get real familiar with these lips.”
Her heart hammered in her chest, but before she could give a verbal response, Marie was calling Stacy’s name from the other side of the house.
“Sounds like lunch is ready,” Max stated then took her hand and began leading her away from the ladder.
Chapter 6
“Did you hear back from her yet?” Investigator Jim Morton asked his partner Sam Pellot.
Sam shook his head.
“Fuck! She’s probably scared. Did you explain the situation to the friend?”
“No. That’s what I don’t understand. Maybe she just wants to put the incident behind her,” Sam stated.
“That could be. I mean, that asshole Weiner wasn’t successful in his attempt in the office. She fought back, even broke his nose. I’d say she’s pretty damn tough and exactly what we need to get Clara to give her testimony in the rape.”
“What I don’t like, Sam, is the way Weiner had been stalking her and sending those items. He even broke into her home and set that stuff up. He may have been acting out a fantasy, but that detective Belogio screwed up the crime scene,” Sam stated, sounding concerned.
“It left me sick to my stomach, too, but he probably figured that he got away with the other assaults and rapes so he could get away with this, too. The fact that Belogio was working the case was just luck for Weiner.”
“There’s wasn’t anything dirty about him from the Internal Affairs investigation?”
“Nothing. They just said he’s a real asshole. They did find out he’s been hooking up with some prostitutes while clocked in on the job. That was a real surprise there. They also got him on a few other minor offenses, but he pissed them off so much during questioning that they’re throwing the book at him and making Belogio an example.”
Pellot chuckled.
“How about the murders though? Remember, he’s our number one suspect in those whether he committed the act himself or hired someone to do it. How are Tom and Frank coming along with their leads in those murder cases?”
“I haven’t heard from them. Last I knew, they were looking deeper into some lead on a connection between a secretary that worked for Weiner his first year at Mercer and her connection to the first victim, Shelly.”
“Okay. Keep me posted. In the meantime, I’m going to call Stacy Porter’s friend Millie another time and put the pressure on. If she doesn’t cooperate, then we go to the next step. I already know that Stacy left for Texas. It shouldn’t be too difficult to pick up a trail,” Sam Pellot stated.
“Sounds like a plan. I hope she’s as tough as we think she is because what we are going to ask of her is going to be a lot to digest. Maybe doing it in person may be best?’ Jim suggested.
“We’ll see how it goes. It would be in her best interest to work with us. It just might save her life.”
* * * *
Stacy had listened to everyone talk about the town of Pearl and the numerous events that took place over the spring and summer months. It sounded like a lot of fun, and she wondered if she would still be around for the ones they mentioned that took place in the winter. As she ate the cold cut sandwich that Ron had made, she watched and listened to Max and Eric. Now that she was past their super good looks…sort of, she could focus on their personalities. They weren’t too similar after all. Eric seemed a bit more rugged and outdoorsy than Max. She would probably always remember the way he looked sitting atop the saddle of the large black stallion. That image would be branded in her mind forever. He was the perfect male specimen of cowboy and wild. She could imagine him really being wild and sassy when it came to women. Her belly tingled as she took in the sight of him talking to Ron about wrestling cattle and mending fences. Sighing, she glanced at Max, the more authoritative and clean-cut-looking cowboy. He kind of reminded her of a Texas Ranger. Reserved, yet ready to roll around in the dirt if that’s what it took to bring down an opponent. He had a deep, Texas voice that gave her the chills. She couldn’t imagine him angry or upset and yelling in that deep voice of his. She would be shaking like a leaf. Then again, she was already shaking like a leaf just from their attention toward her.
Could there really be something brewing between her and two men? Was this normal or her subconscious trying to find safety from the lack of good male figures in her life? She did take psychology in college, and the fact that she was contemplating getting involved with two men at once surely raised red flags. She hoped that she didn’t just enter some form of a cult. She’d rather go take her chances with Barry than succumb to being handed around like fresh meat to a bunch of backwoods cult members who were into polygamy. Although looking at both of these men, she could see the benefits outweighed the morality of it all. Thoughts of Barry and New York took precedence over entertaining the possibility of having a relationship with Eric and Max. Immediately she felt the tugging in her stomach as she placed her sandwich down. Having only taken three bites, she felt her stomach ache. Why would an investigator from the DA’s office want to track her down so badly? Sexual harassment suits were long, drawn-out cases where she would have to remain in New York to pursue such a case. In a matter of weeks she already enjoyed living in Texas, and it had little to do with two very sexy-looking cowboys.
She took a sip of her drink then caught sight of Max staring at her with his eyebrows nearly pressed together. His concern both warmed her heart and made her nervous.
“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked her, and she shook her head then rose from the chair before he could push further. He had warned her that he always got answers to his questions, and she believed him. Neither Max nor Eric were men to reckon with or challenge. She wasn’t stupid, and living in New York had taught her a lot about people and especially men.
She stood near the counter, and Marie approached her. “Come with me a minute,” Marie told her, and Stacy followed as Marie led her to the front porch.
“You got a lot accomplished in one day, that’s real impressive,” Marie stated before she leaned against the porch railing. Her blonde hair showed a lot more gray in the sunlight and was cut short to her neck, and she was tan. Her expression showed that of concern and discomfort. Stacy wondered what was going on.
“I’m glad I had Max and Eric to help me, or I would be way behind right now,” Stacy added more out of nervousness than to try and dictate the direction of the conversation. It was clear from the moment she met Marie that Marie was boss and she meant business.
“They’re good men and they will treat you well.”
“Treat me well? What are you talking about? I just met them.”
Marie raised her eyebrows, and Stacy wasn’t sure if it was in response to her abrupt tone with Marie or her own denial to what Marie was inferring. Shit.
“You can tell me to mind my own business, but I don’t care either way. You didn’t call that investigator from New York yet, did ya?”
“Shh. Please, Marie, don’t talk so loudly,” Stacy begged as she looked toward the screen door. It had become awfully quiet inside the house, and she hoped the men hadn’t heard.
“You’re right. This isn’t any of your business. However, I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me. I will call the investigator and find out what he wants later tonight. Right now I am working on this house, and I plan on finishing the outside of it by tonight so I can begin working on the inside of it tomorrow.”
“Millie said there were multiple women who filed suits of sexual assault against that scumbag boss of yours. Why didn’t you file one?”
“No one would have believed me.”
“So you don’t bother to try,” Marie retorted, sounding angry and, damn it, disappointed. Stacy hadn’t had that feeling of guilt placed upon her since before her father had died.
Tears stung her eyes, and in the background, Stacy could hear the phone ringing.
“You weren’t there!” Stacy began to say in a raised voice, and then she repeated herself in a softer tone. “You weren’t there, Marie. You didn’t see the way they looked at me. It’s a different world than this place,” she stated, waving her hand toward the house and the fields.
Stacy heard someone clear their throat, and when she looked up, she saw Ron.
“It’s Millie,” he told them. Marie looked at Stacy before she headed inside the house.
“I’m getting to the bottom of this. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Marie stated before going into the house.
Max and Eric appeared as Ron followed Marie. Stacy ran her hand through her hair and tightened the ponytail holder.
“What’s the deal?” Max asked, and Stacy shook her head and raised her palm toward him indicating for him to say no more.
“Don’t. There’s nothing to know. There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied as she began walking away.
Max grabbed her hand to stop her, and she froze in place.
“Honey, something is up, so talk to us,” Max stated.
She couldn’t move. She felt his hand squeeze her hand and loved the feeling of support and male comfort. She had been focusing on keeping busy and occupying her mind with forcing a new life and starting over. Every time Max or Eric touched her, kissed her, or pressed their bodies against her, they slowly broke her down. They were making her feel vulnerable and weak. That was something she couldn’t allow to happen. She tried to pull away just as Marie came to the screen door.
“You need to take this call,” she stated firmly.
One look at Max, and she could tell he was concerned. Then she felt Eric’s hand on her shoulder. “Take the call and then we’ll talk,” he told her.
She swallowed hard. This was stupid and getting blown way out of proportion.
“It’s no big deal. I’ll meet you over at the house, okay,” she stated, trying her hardest to act confident and blasé. They looked at her knowingly, and she hurried to take the phone from Marie.
Marie held the receiver as her eyes remained locked with Stacy’s gaze. “This is not something to take lightly, New York.” She let go and walked outside, giving Stacy the privacy of the kitchen.