Darla's Three Troublemakers [Love in Stone Valley 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  The decision he’d made hadn’t been taken lightly. He, Ryan and Jon had agreed to make their move on Darla at the time. When he’d learned the shit storm Derek had created, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. Derek was a crook, but the bank had been willing to loan Luke the money based on who he was. It had been a gamble for him to take out such a loan. Thankfully, he’d gotten the loan, paid the dues on the bar and then gone earning back the money to pay the loan.

  It was the longest four years of his life, and he hoped never to live through that kind of crazy again.

  “Everything is fine now, Darla. You’ve got nothing to fear. Derek is gone and we’re more than happy to deal with our lives.” He kissed the top of her head. “Are you going to take an online course or what?” he asked, changing the subject. Thinking about his stepfather always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  Chapter Five

  Three days later

  Darla stared at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a black cocktail dress with a modest pair of stiletto heels. The dress had a plunging neckline, highlighting her ample cleavage. Running her hands down her hips, she turned this way and that. The fabric molded to her body, showing off her tiny waist and full hips. She liked the dress. In fact, she loved it. The fabric was so soft and silky, she couldn’t help but touch herself. She was going on a date with Jon tonight. He’d come home carrying the bag with Ruby’s label on the side.

  Luke and Ryan had smiled encouragingly at her. She was going on a date with one of the Willis brothers. The thoughts running around her head was driving her wild.

  “Stay relaxed and calm. It’s just a date.” Clipping her hair up so that some fell down her face in waves, Darla took one last lingering look at herself before opening the door. She gasped at the sight of Ryan and Luke waiting for her. “What are you doing?” She stopped to admire them. Both men always wore jeans but there was something about watching them at home wearing them. Neither of them was wearing any shoes. Ryan was walking around without a shirt on and Luke had a white vest on. Their muscles were defined and their hair was messy.

  Heat pooled in her core, spilling into her panties, which were black lace. How would she face Ruby again? The other woman had to have been the reason for such an extravagant purchase. Underwear, dress, shoes…she was thankful nothing had come from the Pleasure Palace, the local sex shop in town.

  “You’ve been in there over an hour. Jon’s waiting for you downstairs. We were worried in case you were going to try to hide out here,” Ryan said.

  “I promised to go on a date with him and I will.” She rubbed her hands down her side.

  “You’re nervous.” Ryan grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the comfort of the bedroom.

  “Hell yeah, I’m nervous. How can I not be? I’m about to go on a date with Jon Willis. I’ve heard how the girls loved him.” She tensed as Luke moved the hair from off her shoulder, exposing her neck. He’d come to stand beside her while Ryan was to her front. They surrounded her with their masculine scent and knowing smiles.

  Luke kissed her neck. He’d not shaved, so the roughness of his lips brought her out in goose bumps.

  “Think about it, baby. Jon has taken girls and women out on dates, but none of them ever held his attention. He’s been craving you for so long. Seeing you in this dress is going to make it hard for him to keep his hands off you,” Luke said, whispering the words against her ear. She whimpered, crying out as Ryan stroked her nipple.

  Pleasure assaulted every single one of her senses all at once. She couldn’t make out a single thought or feeling other than the rapture of being between them. The only person missing was Jon. Opening her eyes, she shook her head.

  “I’m not going to back out. I promised him a date and he’ll get one,” she said, feeling a new wave of determination. All of her fears could go to hell. She was having her date with Jon.

  “Tomorrow night,” Luke said. “We’re going to work together at the Dancin’ Donkey.”

  “That’s not a date.”

  “We’ll see. We’ve had too much time logged together. I want to take you out in public where there is no chance of getting you naked.” He stepped back.

  “What’s happening at the bar if you’re here?” she asked.

  “Ryan’s on babysitting duty. I’m going to go to the bar tonight. I’ve hired Tate for the night shift. She’s cutting back some of her hours at the diner and offered to work with me,” Luke said.

  “Okay, cool.” Darla frowned. Her friend never mentioned anything to her about cutting back. Tate loved to work.

  “The carpenters are bugging her at the diner and there’s no chance for her to tell them where to fuck off. I’m doing her a favor,” Luke explained.

  “I think we’ve kept Jon waiting long enough,” Ryan said, escorting her downstairs to find Jon sitting on the sofa, flicking through the channels. She paused in the doorway, shocked when he stood. Not once in all of her twenty-three years had she seen him in a suit. His shoulders were broad and the expanse of his chest made her mouth water. Jon’s hair was slicked back and he looked every inch the gentleman. She’d never thought he could pull off the suit after seeing him in jeans most of the time.

  “What do you think?” he asked, buttoning the jacket.

  “You look amazing. Very beautiful.” She wanted to cross her legs to create some friction to her clit. At this rate, she was going to be attacking her men to fuck her before they got the chance to date. She never thought from simply looking at her men, she’d want to have sex.

  “You’re the one that’s beautiful. Me, I’m passable.” He tugged her into his arms, surrounding her with his warmth. Glowing, she smiled up at him. All of her nerves vanished at the look in his eyes.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “We’re going to Fabio’s. The Italian restaurant that has just reopened,” he said.

  Darla gasped. She loved Italian food and had never gotten the chance to eat at Fabio’s. The owner, Fabio Green, was a mixture of Italian and American heritage. He’d closed the restaurant down to go visit Italy. At least, that’s what she’d heard.

  “I take it you like the thought of eating Italian.”

  “I do.” Turning back to Ryan and Luke, she saw both men were smiling widely. “What?”

  “Nothing.” They both spoke in unison.

  “We’re going to go, otherwise our reservations will be cancelled.”

  He placed a hand on her back, leading her outside to his waiting truck. She accepted his help and took her seat as he went around to the driver’s side. Ryan and Luke stood watching them.

  “What’s wrong with them?” she asked.

  “They’re plotting ways to make their dates better. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, I’m really looking forward to our evening,” she said, moving closer to him.

  “Me, too.”

  * * * *

  “Will you be okay being at home all by yourself?” Luke asked.

  Ryan glared at his brother. He wasn’t a kid anymore, and staying at home wouldn’t harm him at all. “I’m not a baby.”

  “I know. None of us has been alone on our own since Mom and Derek. I don’t like the thought of leaving you.”

  Luke had a point. Even when his oldest brother left to go touring Europe, he and Jon stayed to keep each other company. They were never alone in the house.

  “I’ve got Nathan.”

  “He’s sleeping. He’s not much comfort. I can phone someone to take over my shift if you need me to stay here,” Luke said.

  Shaking his head, Ryan refused. He wasn’t a baby, and staying at home was not going to hurt him, regardless of what his brother thought.

  “I’m going to see about decorating Darla’s study area. I might add in some color to make it better for her. Sometimes I don’t feel she’s got enough space.”

  “Okay, well, call me if you need anything.” Luke left the house seconds later. The silence made him nervous. He hadn’t been alone in a long time. After dealing with Derek by himself, he’d learned to keep his thoughts occupied.

  Crap, the house started to creak and instead of freaking out, he grabbed a towel from the closet and went to their indoor gym. None of them saw the benefit of paying for a gym and they’d installed their own in the basement.

  Switching the light on, Ryan moved downstairs to where a running machine, weights and several other fitness items lay.

  Tugging off his jeans, he donned some shorts and started to do some warming up. His thoughts kept straying toward Darla and their potential date. Through high school, he took her out to the ice cream parlor and for pizza. They’d sat at the bleachers during a game. He’d never been into football, preferring to run or lift weights. Sticking to rules was not something he liked.

  If Luke was taking her to work, then where the hell could he take her? Jon took the Italian restaurant as well, which left him with nothing.

  After finishing his stretches, he went to the running machine, starting off with a nice, leisurely walk. Working out helped to ease his thoughts. Also, he was begging to be inside Darla’s pussy. The “no sex” rule was a lot harder than he first thought. It was all right for Luke, he’d been with her already.

  But was Luke better off?

  His brother knew what it felt like to be intimate with Darla, so Luke knew what they were missing.

  Crap, he was getting ahead of himself. To him, it felt like a lifetime of yearning to be with her.

  Clicking some buttons on the machine, he increased the speed to a fast walk. When that wasn’t good enough, he started running.

  His thoughts were full of Darla, and then the sound of a door slamming closed upstairs startled him. Frowning, he turned the machine off, listening.

  Grabbing a bottle of water from the supply in the fridge, he headed upstairs. There was no sound and no one had entered the house. Closing the gym door, Ryan took a look around. There was no sign of anyone in the kitchen or sitting room. The television was on mute. He must have forgotten to turn it off. Ryan took the remote from the chair and turned the screen off. The room went dark.

  Figuring he’d heard something that wasn’t actually there, he started upstairs to check on Nathan. Opening the kid’s door, he took a swig of water and sighed. He really was a beautiful little boy, and was curled around a pillow and Teddy bear.

  Closing the door, Ryan froze as he heard the sound of creaking floorboards. Another door slammed shut. Going to his room, he grabbed the baseball bat one of his fathers had given him when they thought he’d be into sports.

  “Hello,” he said, calling out.

  Great, Ryan. Your first time alone and you’re talking to yourself.

  His heart pounded. Memories of other creaking noises and the subsequent pain assailed him. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to keep moving. Nathan was in the house and he needed to protect that little boy. Going downstairs, he saw the trail of dirt prints on the wooden floors.

  They hadn’t been there when he’d walked past them. Staring at the prints, Ryan tensed, gripping the bat firmly. Whoever was in the house was not an invited person.

  You’re stronger than this. Protect.

  Stepping away from the stairs, he followed the prints leading into the sitting room. The television was back on and he knew he’d turned it off.

  Suddenly, pain exploded in the back of his skull and everything went black.

  * * * *

  “This is amazing,” Darla said. “I’ve never been inside here at all.”

  Jon smiled. Her excitement rid him of any nerves he felt prior to their date. He was twenty-eight years old and had never once doubted his decision on where to go for a date. Darla was different. He was trying damn hard to get to know her. The more he thought about them together, the more he couldn’t help but be nervous. They’d been friends growing up, and he remembered enjoying her company. However, they’d never gotten the time to really get to know each other.

  When they’d discussed taking Darla as their woman, he’d finally realized how he felt about her. She’d been the one person he considered untouchable. The one woman he’d fallen in love with and the only person he wished to settle down with.

  He liked the fact they always had something to discuss.

  “Have you been here before?” she asked, picking up the menu. He made sure to keep the menu with the prices to himself. Nothing was going to spoil tonight. The paying of the meal would come down to him.

  “No, I’ve never been. I was friends with Fabio and he invited me and my mom. In fact, I think everyone is friends with Fabio.” He chuckled, and so did Darla.

  “Yeah, he was one of those guys who you always liked no matter what.” She rested her chin on her locked fingers.

  “So, erm, how did you know Fabio?” he asked.

  “He’d come into the library when Mom worked. Sometimes he’d keep me company or he’d help me with something I was stuck on. He was a great guy.”

  Fabio was working in the kitchen. When Jon told the other man about his feelings for Darla, Fabio had agreed to make their meal for tonight. He wanted everything to be romantic for Darla.

  Reaching over the table, he took hold of her hand, wanting to touch her. “I’m really pleased you let me do this.”

  “Jon, are you nervous?” she asked. “I understand if you are. I was nervous, but it’s just you and me and we’ve got nothing to be afraid of.”

  “This is our first date. We’re not close like you, Ryan and Luke. You’ve all got something in common, whereas I feel like the fourth wheel.” He stopped, biting his lip as his words registered. “Now, I sound like a pussy.”

  Darla giggled. “You don’t sound like a pussy.” She squeezed his hand tightly. “You’re over-thinking everything. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

  She kept staring at him and he stared right back.

  “Do you remember the time when I accidently walked into a lamppost?” she said.

  Her words caught him off-guard. Laughing, Jon nodded. He remembered calling her name. She’d been too busy looking inside a book to watch where she was going. He’d seen the danger before her. Even shouting her name, she’d not looked up. She couldn’t have been more than seven at the time. It was during the final year when his two fathers and mother were together, the last real happy time he recalled from his youth.

  Darla had walked straight into the lamppost, dropping her book at the same time as taking several steps back. A car was approaching and she was too dazed to see the danger in front of her. Faster than he ever recalled moving, Jon had caught her before she was in a further accident.

  “I dragged you away from the road.”

  “It wasn’t just that, Jon. You held me for an hour afterwards. It was late, and instead of getting someone to rid yourself of me, you stayed. Do you remember what happened after?”

  Returning his mind back to the time and day, he nodded.

  “Yeah, I remember. I got you an ice cream.”

  “And you took me to the park. Don’t forget the park. My head hurt like hell. I didn’t want to tell you how much pain I was in. When we were on the swings, I thought I was going to throw up.”

  Jon chuckled. “You should have told me. I’d have stopped.”

  “Exactly, you’d have stopped and so would have the fun. Regardless of what people think, I like to have fun.”

  Silence fell between them. He held her free hand, needing to touch her completely.

  “See, you’re not a fourth wheel. You’re a part of my life as much as I’m part of yours.”

  “Okay, your point will be taken. Now, how about we eat and then talk some more?”

  “I’ll have whatever you order,” Darla said.

  He signaled the waiter and gave an order for their food. Jon declined wine and settled for water. He noticed Darla did the same.

  “Do you drink?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve never developed a taste for it.” She wrinkled her nose.

  Unbuttoning the jacket, Jon tried to get comfortable. His dick was rock-hard. Every once in a while, he found himself gazing down at her breasts. The dress was pure sin and there was no way he’d be able to focus on the rest of his meal with her white flesh on display.

  “Why, Jon Willis, you’re checking out my breasts,” she said, sipping some water.

  Jerking his gaze up in horror. He saw the humor in her eyes.

  “This once, I won’t take offence. Out of curiosity, do men always stare at a woman’s breasts on a first date?”

  “Not always. I’ve seen yours naked, and now I’ve got a fascination with them.” She choked on some water and he watched her dab at her lips with a napkin.

  “We have to be the strangest couple in the history of couples.”

  “Nah, I think we’re just about on target with the rest of the couples out there.” He paused as the waiter brought over their food. He’d ordered a steak with some pasta side dish. The scent was amazing and he knew Fabio would have gone to extreme lengths to make the dinner look and taste lovely.

  She pulled her hand away to pick up a knife and fork. He was once again met by silence. Thankfully, the dinner was the best excuse to be silent.

  “I want to get naked with you as well,” she said rather suddenly.

  He worked to chew on the beef. It was succulent, but after her statement, it suddenly tasted a little dry.

  Her gaze was on him, open and vulnerable. “I’ve never been this way with anyone. I don’t know how to be playful or tease. I’m telling you rather bluntly, I know,” she said.

  “Actually, I’d say you were being rather teasing but that’s just me.”

  “Thank you for putting my mind at ease.”

  The rest of the meal went by without any hitch at all. He finished his water and they shared a chocolate torte for desert. At some point, Fabio wandered out to talk with them. Jon made sure to compliment him on the food and the evening being perfect. In return for good seats at the restaurant and dinner cooked by Fabio himself, Jon had to play a game of football at the Stone Valley fair in a couple of months. His name was already down on the form, along with Luke and Ryan. Jon would have to tell his brothers the bargaining he’d done to make for the perfect first date.

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