Their Proposition Read online

  “You know damned well—” Pete’s face became beet red.

  “No, Pete, allow me.” Nick smiled as his liquid green eyes

  sparkled. “I think what my buddy is saying is, we both share a mutual interest in you.” The Italian pointed at her. “And we’d like to set up a monetary agreement.”

  “Monetary agreement?” Melanie crossed her arms when a

  waitress came over, taking their drink order.

  “Ladies first,” Pete said.

  “I’ll just take a large cranberry, no ice,” she said with a sigh.

  She was eager to get back to the conversation, because now, her interest had been piqued. She patiently waited until the guys ordered their drinks.

  “First things first. Next weekend is the conference. This

  weekend, I think the three of us need to get reacquainted—and see if we still mesh.” She watched his Adam’s apple move as he continued talking. “I promise, there won’t be any arguments between us.”

  “Agreed,” Nick added. “I’m interested to see how the three of us will get along after all these months.” He stroked his goatee in a way that made her hot all over. “People change, Melanie. Let’s hang out at the Harbor, we’ll take you to Schuyler’s, or McCormick’s & Schmicks, and then go back to Pete’s place.”

  “Just come on out and ask her, man,” the big blond insisted impatiently.

  “Ask me what?” Melanie demanded. They had something up

  their sleeves—she could feel it. Both men fixed their gazes on her, making her squirm. They specialized in making her wiggle in her seat, and they loved it, she knew. She was an open book, and they read every damned page.

  “Well,” Nick said nervously, while scratching his head. “We both decided we’d pay you for your time.”

  “What!” she exclaimed, capturing the attention of several

  passersby. “You’ll pay me?” Bile formed in the back of her throat.

  She wasn’t sure if she should knee Nick in the balls with her high heels, or connect her elbow with Pete’s temple, or just leave both their asses in the restaurant. They’d done it now, the bastards.

  “Yeah, you know, a no-strings-attached kind of thing,” Pete said in a low voice. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

  Melanie blinked several times. Hurt brewed in her chest. Did they really think of her as a lowly prostitute? Just then, she had to smack herself back into reality. Had she misjudged them in their relationship, cutting them loose in error? What the hell. After all, if they wanted her body, then why shouldn’t they pay? She silently chastised herself for even admitting the feeling she’d experienced for them was love.

  “Do I have to give an answer now?” she asked, as

  disappointment singed her insides. “I mean—”She closed her eyes and shook her head. Once again, things were becoming difficult.

  She opened her eyes. They both held solemn looks on their faces. “I don’t think I can do this again,” she insisted. Now, her heart was heavy. “There’s a ton of women in the company—I’m sure you two clowns can find someone else to take my place.” She hated to admit it, but a pang of jealousy reared its ugly head at the thought.

  Pete gently placed a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. “That’s the dilemma, sweets. We don’t want anyone else, if you can believe that,” he said with snort.

  “Bullshit!” Melanie said, pushing his hand away. “You guys are lame. What do you take me for, an idiot?”

  “No, of course not! We’ve been with other women since we’ve been apart, but somehow, it’s just not the same,” Nick admitted, despite Pete’s frozen look. “I mean—I’m all for good sex, but—”

  Pete cleared his throat and arched a brow. Immediately, Nick grew silent. He smiled nervously beneath her interrogating gaze.

  Something was definitely up.

  ”Oh, bullshit!” she exclaimed. His words echoed inside her

  head, “Nothing more, nothing less.” “You both are a couple of jerks, and furthermore—”

  Pete rudely interrupted. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Who was the one who called things off?” he said, looking at her with intense eyes.

  “I—”

  “Uh uh,” Pete said, holding up a hand. “Don’t deny the fact that you still want to be with us. See, Melanie, you’re always doing that. Why can’t you own up to the truth?”

  Uh-oh—they were calling her bluff. Were they ganging up on her or something? “What the hell made you knuckleheads think I still want the both of you?” She’d hope they didn’t see right through her. She had to sport this tough facade, just to protect her heart.

  “By the way you look at us,” Nick said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. “I’d take you right now, if I could,” he said in a low voice.

  She closed her eyes at his familiar touch. As much as she

  wanted to, she could no longer deny the powerful feelings they held over her. She just wished they felt the same, but it was all physical to them. Why was it possible for her to be in love with both men?

  She knew this was just their way of passing the time, until they found someone else they clicked with. So, why not take them up on their stupid monetary offer? Another lucky woman would. Melanie shuddered as Pete’s hand crept into her lap, and began stroking her thigh.

  “Don’t do that,” she murmured. She truly didn’t mean what

  she said, and the blond knew it. He slipped his hand on her leg, inching her dress up.

  “Umm,” he murmured. “Come over tonight, and we’ll treat you to some Chinese,” he said. His blue eyes had softened and were now filled with lust. His breathing intensified, and his grip tightened on her thigh. She looked over at Nick, who had the same lust-filled look in his green eyes, and she swooned. An electric-like aura graced them, and she parted her lips.

  “Ahem.” All three jumped at the sound of the waitress clearing her throat. “Shrimp tempura, Beef teriyaki, and sashimi,” she said, holding a large tray in her tiny hands.

  “Yes, thank you,” Nick said, clearing his throat. His face had turned three shades of red. Once the waitress delivered their food, the conversation continued.

  “I don’t know about this,” she said with a laugh. She was

  excited, but deep down, something told her this experience would probably blow up in her face if she wasn’t careful.

  “You know you miss us?” Pete said, arching a blond brow. “It’s been awhile, and I want things they way they used to be,” he scowled.

  “Ditto,” Nick replied, before stuffing his face with sushi. “Plus, he can’t stop talking about you,” he continued.

  “Shut the fuck up, Nick,” Pete said in a low voice. “You’ve got a big fucking mouth, man.”

  She studied them both. There was something they weren’t

  telling.

  “See what I’ve gotta put up with?” Nick joked.

  Melanie intervened. “This is how arguments always started

  between you two, and then, I’m dragged into the middle. Been there, done that!” she insisted and looked at them both. Now she was playing hard to get. “I mean, if you two can’t act like men, then I don’t want anything else to do with you.”

  “Fine,” Pete said, glancing at Nick with a cold stare. “We can manage. But, I have a request for tonight.”

  Melanie frowned. “Tonight? I didn’t say anything about

  tonight, remember?”

  “Okay, okay, what about Friday?” Nick insisted, holding his hands up. “Tomorrow night, we’ll come by your house and pick you up. I’ll drive. We’ll go out, eat, have a nice time, and come back to one of our places,” the handsome Italian said with a boyish grin.

  “It’ll be a blast!”

  “Okay, dammit!” Her cheeks flushed. If it wasn’t for her mocha-colored skin, they’d known she was blushing.

  Truthfully, she was ecstatic, and could relate to what they were talking about. She’d dated other men, but they always fell short of her
expectations. Nick and Pete knew her likes, dislikes, exactly where to touch her, how to make her feel, mentally, as well as physically. For her, it was all or nothing. She’d rather not have sex at all than to have it and be disappointed. Everyone else seemed like robots. There was no warmth and no feeling in their caresses.

  Plus, no others jumpstarted her heart the way they could. Was it possible that these two men were her soul mates?

  “So, you’ll go out with us?” Nick asked with a smile.

  She couldn’t help but get a kick out of his twinkling green eyes. By his facial expression, she’d made his day. It was so hard to believe this man, who was a die-hard executive, was like putty in her hands—or was she putty in theirs? Well, Pete wasn’t so much like putty, but more the master while she was the submissive. She turned to see Pete scowling. He was definitely keeping a secret, but what?

  “What’s wrong with you?” Melanie asked, before taking a bite of her food.

  “Nothing,” the blond mumbled. His hand shot to her thigh and he squeezed. “Make sure you get plenty of rest.” He glared at her with intense blue eyes. “You’re gonna need it tomorrow night.”

  Rendering her breathless, he released his grip, and continued eating the rest of his lunch. She smiled as a gush of cream flowed from her pussy. Pete meant business, and she knew it.

  Chapter Two

  Friday seemed to whiz by. After leaving work, she strode into the house and headed for the bathroom, eager for a hot shower, and for the evening that lie ahead with her handsome suitors.

  Earlier, Nick had called to confirm they’d be picking her up at seven o’clock sharp. She swore, if either one of them got on conference calls while in her presence, she’d bust their balls.

  After her shower, she toweled herself dry and sauntered naked into her bedroom. She threaded her fingers through the braids and contemplated whether she’d pin them up or let them flow freely.

  She turned to the side, admiring her thick thighs and generous derriere. Both men used to give her nonstop compliments on her curvaceous, muscular legs. She smiled as her hands slid down the front of them. Nick praised her on many an occasion, saying how her curves made him crazy. She jiggled her breasts, knowing their tongues would drop to the floor. They were almost as big as cassava melons. Yeah, she’d have some fun with them tonight, she thought with a smirk.

  Immediately, a negative thought crossed her mind, and her

  heart sank. The snakes in the grass wanted to pay her. Sure, a girl could use a lil’ extra cash. She’d bank some, and invest the rest, she decided. Maybe she’d save it all for her hair salon, but hell, that would take years for her to accomplish at the rate she was going.

  Something bubbled over in her chest, causing her heart to ache.

  Was this a game to them?

  Pushing the emotion away, she stormed into her walk-in

  closet, choosing the black sweater dress with a plunging neckline.

  Feeling adventurous, she donned a pair of black fishnet thigh-highs and her black leather thigh-high boots.

  Feeling like the ultimate vixen she glanced at the clock. It was almost seven. Time seemed to flit on past her when she primped.

  They’d be here soon, with bells on. Wasting no time, she grabbed her medium-sized suitcase with an extra change of clothing, travel toothbrush, and other necessities. Originally she planned on returning home Saturday. However, knowing the power the men

  held over her body, she’d probably stay the entire weekend. Yeah, she was that weak, and they were that good.

  She paced the floor a few times while contemplating the

  evening. Part of her was nervous as hell, but another part was excited, and couldn’t wait for their touch. Suddenly, her phone rang. She rushed out to the living room and retrieved it from the dining room table.

  “Are you ready?” Pete asked impatiently.

  “Why?” she shot back. She hated rushing—the ass knew that.

  “Is there a problem? Sounds like you need an attitude

  adjustment,” he said. “See, I had something for you. Don’t think you’ll be getting it, since you have problems controlling that ’tude of yours.”

  “I’ll live,” she sneered into the phone. She wanted to throttle him. He knew damned well how much she loved getting gifts; now he’d make her wait until he’d get good and ready to give it to her.

  “Are you ready?” he asked again, with urgency in his voice.

  “Yeah, ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Good, because we just turned into your driveway. Get your

  ass out here, now,” Pete demanded before hanging up.

  What the fuck? Okay, she’d have to put his ass in check. Why he was acting like a dick was beyond her comprehension. Cussing out loud, she shoved her phone in the black leather purse, swinging it over her shoulder. As soon as she heard them pulling into her driveway, she scurried to the bedroom and scooped up her suitcase.

  Still grumbling, she turned all lights off in the house, with the exception of the light above her stove.

  As soon as she headed for the exit, the horn started honking, causing her to become utterly annoyed. She knew it had to be Pete.

  He was slowly but surely working her last nerve. Slamming the door and locking it, she walked slowly to the black SUV.

  Pete emerged and approached her, with a stern look on his

  face. “I don’t like to be kept waiting,” he scowled.

  “You told me seven o’clock, and it’s only six fifty by my

  watch,” she shot back, before shoving her suitcase in his arms. With a flip of her braids, she hopped into Nick’s black SUV.

  “How’s it going?” Nick asked with a wink.

  “Going fine, but Pete’s an ass,” she blurted out as the blond man put her suitcase in the seat behind her and slid next to her, causing her heart to race. “I thought you were sitting up front?” she asked, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. The cologne he wore was intoxicating, and aroused her senses.

  “I’ll ride back here, just to keep an eye on you,” Pete

  murmured.

  She glanced up and saw Nick looking in the mirror at them.

  He chuckled to himself before pulling out of the driveway. “Ladies and gentlemen, shall we all try to get along? Allow me to lay down some simple rules to follow while riding in my vehicle.” Nick cleared his throat. “There shall be no hair pulling, eye gauging, or brazen vocabulary. If you feel the urge to fight, let me know, and I’ll pull over so you can take it out on the side of the road. Please, refrain from bringing open containers of alcohol into my vehicle after leaving the restaurant.” He glanced in the mirror.

  “What?” she asked. “Why are you looking at me?”

  “Yeah girl, I remember the stunt you pulled at Schuyler’s

  Steakhouse the last time we went out. On the flip side, I don’t mind ass slapping, titty grabbing, hair pulling, and cock riding. I have no problems with finding a secluded area to pull in and join you both.”

  With that said, the Italian smiled.

  Melanie folded her arms across her chest and sucked her

  teeth. “I’m no child, Nick,” she mumbled and glanced over at Pete, who seemed to be amused, but he didn’t laugh. He just kept looking at her with those searing baby blues of his. She felt her nipples tighten and her pussy moisten. This was going to be a long night, she thought with a sigh.

  *

  They entered the restaurant and stood there for only a few

  moments before Thomas, the host, greeted them and took their coats.

  “Right this way, Mr. Ferguson,” Thomas said with a smile.

  “Long time, no see.” He glanced back at Melanie. “Ah, Ms.

  Carruthers, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t get out much,” Pete grumbled. He smirked

  when she shot him a venomous stare.

  “Thank you, Thomas, it’s good to see you too,” she said with a smile. “I’ve b
een busy, and I do get out, often,” she said in a low but firm tone, rolling her eyes at the Viking. A flash of anger ignited in his blue depths, causing her lips to curl into a smile. She couldn’t help but revel in the satisfaction that she was finally getting under his skin. One for her team, zero for Ferguson.

  As they sat at the table, he glared at her with hard eyes. She slid in the booth next to Nick, eliciting even more of a chilled glare from the big blond.

  Nick tried his hand at breaking down the tension. “Haven’t

  been to this place in a long time,” he said, looking around the restaurant.

  “Yeah, been quite some time since I’ve entertained customers here,” Pete said with a flat smile. He fixated his eyes on her as he spoke.

  Just then, their waiter approached, introducing himself. “I’m Jonas; I’ll be your waiter for the evening. May I start you off with a bottle of wine?”

  “Whatever the lady wants,” Nick said with a smile.

  “Yup, that sounds good,” she said with a nod. “But I would

  also like a Bloody Mary, to go with my steak,” she said.

  “We’re ready to order,” Pete said with persistence. He glanced over at Melanie furrowing his brows. “I don’t plan to spend the entire night here.”

  “Yes, I’ll have the Surf ’n’ Turf, but with the Filet Mignon,” she insisted while trying to maintain her cool. Pete liked trying to make her buckle under pressure. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

  “What will your sides be?” Jonas asked.

  “Oh, asparagus and mashed potatoes,” Melanie said. She

  couldn’t wait to dig into the tasty meal. This restaurant was one of her favorites.

  “Mmmm. Sounds good, I’ll have the same,” Nick said.

  “I’ll take a rib-eye, fries, and green beans,” Pete said, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “What type of wine would you like?” Thomas asked.