County Sheriffs 1: Conquering Adversity (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Misha pulled her cell phone from her pocket, brought up Clay’s number with her thumb hovering over the call button, and quietly walked through the small cabin. The kitchen, dining, and living area was one open space so all that was left to investigate was the bedroom and adjoining combination bathroom/laundry. She crept toward the entrance to her room, glad she’d worn her flat shoes instead of the heels she’d debated over that morning because if there was anyone in her temporary home, hopefully they wouldn’t hear her coming.

  Her heart slammed rapidly against her ribs and she paused just outside the open door trying to garner up some courage and calm her panting breaths. She took the step that brought her close to the edge of the opening and quickly peeked around the corner. She nearly sighed out loud in relief but caught herself before making any noise. There was still the bathroom to check out and she didn’t want to alert anyone to her presence. She tiptoed across the carpeted floor and glanced about, sagging against the door jamb when she saw that the bathroom was empty. Her racing heart and heavy breathing began to slow and Misha wondered if she was becoming paranoid. She mentally laughed at herself and set about packing a bag for the weekend. Her hand hovered over the sexy purple teddy and then she snatched it up and placed it on the bed next to her bag. After she had what she needed, she took a quick shower and dressed in fresh clothes, the purple lace teddy feeling silky against her skin. She shivered with an awareness she’d never felt before and knew it was because of the two sexy sheriffs. For a moment, she wondered if she should take the teddy off and replace it with something less alluring but she mentally shook her head. Even if no one else saw it, it gave her an added boost of confidence and she had feeling she was going to need that while on her date.

  Since she had no idea where Clay and Spence were taking her for dinner, she went for the neat casual look of black jeans, low heeled boots, and a dressy aqua top. After giving a final look at herself in the bathroom mirror, Misha grabbed the small bag and headed out.

  The second she set foot out on the small porch of her cabin, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She glanced about, searching around the other cabins, shadows, and amongst the trees, and though she didn’t see anyone, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had their gaze locked on her.

  If she hadn’t agreed to a date with Clay and Spence, she would have turned tail, gone back inside her cabin, and locked the door. She shook her head and tried to tell herself she was being paranoid because of the serial killer on the loose, but she just couldn’t make herself believe no one was watching her. She didn’t breathe easier until she was in her small compact car with the doors locked and the engine running. With one more perusal of her surroundings, she backed away from the side of her cabin and drove away from the resort.

  The uneasy feeling wouldn’t desist even while she was singing along with the radio as she drove. Though she kept her eyes on the road and glanced often in the rearview mirror, tremors of anxiety continued to skitter up and down her spine, but thankfully she didn’t spy anyone behind her or encounter anyone on her way to Clay’s and Spence’s ranch.

  When she pulled her car to a stop in their driveway, she took a moment to get her racing heart and nerves under control. She’d just opened her car door when the front door to the house opened and Clay and Spence hurried down the steps toward her.

  Clay got to her first and frowned before asking, “What’s wrong, baby?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Then why are you frowning and so pale?” Spence asked as he opened the back door to her car and grabbed her bag.

  “I’m a bit unsettled with everything that’s going on,” she replied honestly and felt a little guilty for not coming clean about her feelings of being watched.

  “That’s understandable, Misha, and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to catch this bastard.” Clay took her hand in his and led her toward the house.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I know that, but it is our job, and at the moment, we all feel so fucking useless.”

  Misha stopped just inside the front door and turned to face Clay, meeting his gaze before glancing at Spence as he stopped beside his friend. “Don’t. I know you are all doing everything you possibly can to get this killer off of the streets. It may take you longer than you want, but I know in my heart and soul that you’ll get him in the end.”

  The frown left Clay’s face and he smiled at her. “Thank you for your confidence in us.”

  Misha smiled and nodded.

  “Let me show you to your room.” Spence moved closer to her and placed his hand on her lower back. “You look sexy, by the way.”

  Misha blushed when he winked at her.

  “Gorgeous,” Clay said in a deep husky voice and when she glanced his way, she caught him giving her body the once over.

  She sucked in a breath when her nipples pebbled and her pussy creamed and hoped like hell that neither man noticed her body’s reaction. When Clay met her gaze with a heated one of his own and then looked toward her chest, she knew that they were aware of the effect they had on her.

  Spence nudged her forward and she glanced about their beautiful home again, loving the color schemes and polished hardwood floors. He led her down the long hallway to the room at the end and nudged the ajar door wider.

  Misha walked into the room and caught her breath when she saw the beautiful bedroom. The walls were a light off-white neutral color, but it was the bed and the furniture that mesmerized her. The bed was one of the biggest she’d ever seen. It was even larger than a king and had to be custom made. There were the normal pillows, as well as several cushions in contrasting mint green, mauve, and light blue which matched the blending colors of the quilt cover. There was an oak colored varnished wood dresser and matching side tables. The room was about as big as her whole cabin. There were also two doors on the other side of the room. One she suspected was an adjoining bathroom, but the other she had no idea about.

  “What do you think?” Spence asked and then cleared his throat.

  Misha could tell that her answer was important to him for some reason, and since she was in love with the space, she answered honestly. “I love it. This is amazing.”

  “Good,” Clay said from behind her.

  Misha glanced back at him over her shoulder, and smiled at him.

  “Come check out the bathroom, honey.” Spence grabbed her hand again and led her over to one of the closed doors. He opened it with a little flourish and sidestepped to let her into the room.

  “Oh. Wow!” Misha sighed as her eyes moved over every inch of the massive en suite. “This is…” She was too in awe to complete whatever it was she’d been going to say.

  There was a raised square spa bath in one corner that looked big enough to seat up to four to six people. Next to that was the shower which was open on one side but enclosed with a glass partition and it had a recessed shelf for bottles of shampoo, body wash, and such. It had a large square shower head over the middle of the cubicle and numerous spigots coming out of the tiled walls. There were three sinks and a huge mirror along the wall with spotlights above it. “Amazing.”

  “The toilet’s enclosed over there.” Clay pointed toward the closed door.

  “Did you buy the house like this?” Misha asked.

  “No,” Spence answered.

  “So you renovated it?”

  “We did,” Clay replied.

  “It’s beautiful. You have great taste. Your house could grace any of those vogue housing magazines.”

  “Glad you like it, honey.” Spence winked at her.

  “Like isn’t the word I would use to describe your home. You could probably make a living by buying up rundown houses and doing them up.”

  “We don’t have the patience to do this all the time,” Clay said. “We like being sheriffs, and while we enjoyed making our house into a home, with the help of our other friends, we don’t want to make a living from it.”

  Hi
s eyes were so sincere. She knew that being an officer of the law was a calling to him and Spence which would always be a part of them. The two men lived and breathed being able to protect others and while she knew their job could be dangerous, she wasn’t worried that they would get hurt. They were retired Rangers. Elite trained Special Forces soldiers and could take care of themselves as well as anyone around them. Although she hadn’t spent a great deal of time in their company, she fell a little more for them. They were both so big and handsome and they had good hearts. The thought of another woman being with them, touching them, kissing them, and making love with them was a thought she never wanted to entertain. Just doing so now sent pain searing deep into her heart and soul and she knew in that moment that there was no way in hell she could walk away from them. No way she wanted to look back and ask herself if only. Misha didn’t want to have regrets, and while she’d used the excuse the last time she’d been here at their home that she wouldn’t be able to handle any nasty comments from others being judgmental if she took the final step and agreed to have a relationship with them, she’d lied. She’d lied to herself, and to them, and that made her feel all kinds of bad. She didn’t give a fuck what anyone else thought of her and never had. She’d been running scared. Scared about how quickly she was beginning to care for them. Scared over what had happened to Janice, Lucy, and the other women who’d been found dead.

  Misha had just been plainly terrified out of her mind.

  However, now that she admitted to herself why she’d walked away, the fear abated and in its place she became determined. Determined to grab hold of what was on offer and hang on tight.

  She was going to accept whatever they offered her and stop being a coward. If it didn’t work out, she would be able to look back without any regrets and hoped that if that were the case, she would walk away with her heart intact. But she had a feeling it was already too late.

  Chapter Eight

  Spence sighed with repletion and leaned back in his chair as he watched Misha take the last bite of her steak.

  “That was delicious. Thank you.” Misha picked up her wine glass and took a sip. “I’d heard this place had the best steaks in Cody, but never had the chance to come here.”

  “We’ll bring you as often as you want,” Clay said.

  “I don’t go out much.”

  “What do you do with your spare time?” Spence asked.

  “Not that much. I like to read, but the resort was in a bit of a mess before I came onboard and since I didn’t really know anyone at the resort or have any family, I spent most of my off time working.”

  “What happened to your family, baby?” Clay took a slug of beer as he waited for Misha to answer.

  She swallowed audibly and blinked a few times as if trying to quell tears. “My parents died in a house fire.”

  Clay reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Spence hooked his arm around her shoulders to offer her what little comfort he could.

  “I’m sorry.” Clay frowned. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories or make you sad.”

  Misha shook her head. “You didn’t. I’ve come to terms with my parents’ death, mostly.”

  “You still aren’t sleeping much,” Clay murmured.

  “No.”

  “Is it because you’re still grieving?” Spence asked.

  “Yes and no.”

  “What do you mean?” Clay shifted in his chair.

  “Yes, because Janice was my one and only friend,” Misha said in a soft voice.

  “And no?” Spence asked.

  Misha frowned as if thinking about what she was about to say. She drew in a deep breath and started to explain. “I keep getting this feeling I’m being watched.”

  Spence removed his arm from around Misha’s shoulders and maneuvered in his seat until he was looking at her more directly. “For how long?”

  “Since Janice was…”

  “Why didn’t you come to us?” Clay snapped.

  “Because I can never find anyone watching me when I look. This could all be in my mind, for all I know. Maybe I’m just paranoid because there’s a serial killer on the loose.”

  “I don’t think so,” Spence said. “You don’t strike me as someone who is suspicious.”

  “I’m not normally, but since the killings started, I’ve become distrustful of nearly everyone. I look at my work colleagues and wonder if it was them that killed those other women and my best friend. Everything’s changed and I don’t know how to see my co-workers as I did when I first started at the resort. I’ve even contemplated that my boss could be the killer and he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, honey.” Spence laced his fingers with hers. “It’s human nature to become distrustful with what’s going on.”

  “That may be, but it’s not fair of me to look at everyone I work with mistrustfully.”

  “I understand why you think you’re being unfair, baby, but being paranoid isn’t a bad thing,” Clay said. “We want you to be wary. Make sure you aren’t wandering around alone at night. You need to make sure you aren’t putting yourself in danger.”

  “I know.” Misha sighed and covered her mouth when she yawned.

  “Do you want anything else, honey?” Spence asked. “Another drink? Dessert?”

  “No, thanks. I’ve had more than enough.”

  “Then let’s go,” Clay said as he stood.

  Spence helped Misha to her feet and guided her out to their truck while Clay took care of the bill. He had a really good feeling that their date had gone well. Something had changed in Misha and she’d opened up to them without any qualm at all. He just hoped that she would consent to be their woman. All night, he’d been half hard with desire for her. She was so fucking sexy, but it wasn’t only her beauty or her body that drew him. She was as smart as a whip and he loved how her mind worked. He and Clay hadn’t even thought about some of the people she’d put on her list who worked at the resort and he was glad to have her aid in that matter. She had a pure kind soul, and though he’d figured out she’d kept herself closed off after her parents had died, he hoped that she would take a chance on him and Clay. He was already half in love with her and didn’t even want to contemplate spending the rest of his life without her in it, but he wasn’t sure how to convince her that they weren’t playing games with her, or that they had no intentions of hurting her in any way.

  Words were cheap and actions were more telling, but hopefully, as she got to know them better and became more comfortable around them, she would realize that they were in this for the long haul.

  He smiled at her when they reached the truck, and before he could unlock the doors, she turned to face him and placed her hand on his chest. His heart beat wildly behind his ribs, and though he wanted to grab hold of her and haul her into his arms, he remained still.

  She gazed deeply into his eyes and as he watched her pupils dilated and the blue of her irises became deeper. She licked her lips, fisted his shirt, and tugged him toward her. Spence didn’t need instructions on what to do next.

  His mouth covered hers as he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his body. He groaned as her softness melted into him and as her tongue met his in a passionate duel. When he heard Clay clear his throat, Spence knew he had to put a stop to their kisses or he might just end up taking Misha against the truck. With a groan of desire and disappointment, he slowed the kiss down and finally raised his head. He leaned his forehead against hers as he tried to get his breath back, but was pleased to see her gorgeous blue eyes glazed over with passion. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips full and shiny.

  “Let me help you into the truck, honey.” Spence drew back, gripped her waist, and lifted her onto the front seat. He waited for her to scoot into the middle and climbed in after her.

  Clay got into the driver’s seat and, without saying a word, started the engine and drove out of the lot. The air in the truck was thick with t
ension but not because any of them were uncomfortable. It was because they were het up with desire and Spence hoped that Misha would be willing to pick up where they’d left off when they got back home, but it was her decision and he wouldn’t pressure her in any way. He wanted her to come to him and Clay willingly, not because she thought that’s what they expected or she felt that she had to.

  * * * *

  Misha shifted on the seat and swallowed back the moan building in her chest. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten so carried away kissing Spence in the parking lot to the restaurant, or that she’d forgotten where they were. If Clay hadn’t made a noise, she might have just ended up climbing the sexy sheriff’s body as if he was a tree.

  “You okay, baby?” Clay asked, his voice deeper and raspier than normal.

  Shivers traversed her spine, goose bumps raced over her skin, her nipples hardened even more, if that was at all possible, and her pussy clenched, releasing cream onto her already soaked crotch each time her clit throbbed along with her heartbeat.

  Misha cleared her throat and nodded at the same time she said, “Yes.” She cleared her throat again when her voice came out sounding all breathy and sultry.

  Spence shifted beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders before pulling her up against his side. He was so big and warm and muscular, and he and Clay smelled so good. She had the weirdest urge to lick them and find out if they tasted as good as they smelt.

  “You’re shaking, honey,” Spence said in a quiet, deep voice, his warm breath sending another paroxysm of shivers through her body.

  Misha was having trouble breathing sitting between the two sexy sheriffs and hoped that neither man realized the effect they were having on her libido. Although she gave a mental shrug because she wasn’t really sure she cared. They’d already told her that they wanted her so she shouldn’t be embarrassed that she wanted them, too.