Read Online Mallory's Bears by Jane Jamison - Free Book Online Page A

and higher. Whether it would last, she didn’t know. But if that was what had drawn them together so quickly, she’d welcome it to stay.
    Gunner eased her onto her feet, holding her until she was steady. She leaned against him and put her face against his strong chest.
    “That was great, baby. Better than I imagined and I imagined a lot.”
    Rick was next to her, his hands running over her body, soothing her while sending the need for them rising. “That was amazing. You were amazing.”
    She struggled to find the right thing to say. “I don’t know what came over me.”
    “It’s okay. We were swept up in it, too.”
    Embarrassment swamped her. “I never do this kind of thing. Never.” What would they think of her? Even though she wasn’t staying long, how they viewed her suddenly mattered more than she could say.
    “Baby, it’s okay. It’s only natural. We’re drawn to you and you’re drawn to us.” Rick brushed her hair back and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.
    “I can’t believe this.” She wanted to stay, wanted to feel their hands all over her again. Failing that, just listening to their voices would’ve been enough. Yet how could she? She’d already made one mistake. No. She had to get away from them. Only then would she be able to think straight.
    “Stay.” Gunner took off his shirt, leaving himself totally naked, and put it around her, tenderly, lovingly.
    “No. I’ve got to get back to my room. It’s okay. I’m okay. Just let me go.” She didn’t bother to gather the shreds of her clothing. Instead, she darted inside the house and raced up the stairs to her bedroom.
    By the time she reached her room, she was in tears. Nothing made sense. Tomorrow she’d be gone and the brief time they’d had together would only be a memory. One she would treasure.
    But wasn’t that the problem? Leaving them behind on the porch had been hard enough. How could she leave them behind forever?
    Wracked with sobs, she threw herself onto her bed.
     
    * * * *
     
    Rick snagged Gunner’s arm, keeping him from running after Mallory. “Leave her alone.”
    “But she’s crying. That’s not how sex with us should end, man.”
    Rick’s gut twisted. How had things gone from so great to so fucked up so fast? “I know, but it’s not going to do any good to talk to her now. Give her the night. Once she calms down, the connection will bring her around again. Until then, she needs the space. Otherwise, we’re going to overwhelm her and that might send her packing.”
    Gunner yanked on his jeans and Rick started doing the same. Like his brother, he wanted to comfort her, but if he did, he was afraid he’d want her again. She didn’t need another romp of sex right then. That would only make her more confused.
    “We need to tell her. Now that we’ve had her, we can do that, right?”
    He considered it and wanted to tell her, but the time wasn’t right. And the thought of telling her? That put a churning in his gut that was born of fear. If they told her so soon, would she run?
    “Not yet. We still have the problem of the stock getting killed to deal with. Plus, if having sex this fast threw her for a loop, can you imagine what it’d do to her if we told her what we are? Naw, one thing at a time. Let her get used to feeling the connection, then we can tell her the rest.”
    “What if she leaves before then?”
    “She won’t. We won’t let her.”
    Gunner groaned, then flopped onto a chair. “It’s the real deal. She’s the real deal. You know that, right?”
    “Yeah. I do. And after this, there’s no doubt that she feels the connection.”
    “Then why do you razz her so much?”
    Rick smiled and wondered if he could explain something he couldn’t get a grip on. “I don’t know. Remember the Cursons?”
    “What the hell do they have to do with this?”
    Don and Mary Cursons were a couple who lived in Shatland and were infamous for their screaming matches and public arguments. “Remember