Carter, Beth D. - Lawless Hearts (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free Page A

behind a hand as she bent her head and rubbed her forehead to ease the sudden tension that gripped her.
    “So you think we’re going to be here for a while,” she surmised.
    “I think it’s possible.”
    “You’re a teacher, right?” Garrett asked, but continued before she could answer. “It might take a few days, but when you don’t show up for school, someone will come investigate.”
    She let out a breath and rose to her feet to join them, examining the cellar as well. She also kept it for storage, so there were various items down here, like extra lamps, extra cooking items, dolls and clothes she had outgrown, but luckily extra blankets and tools she needed for winter.
    While Cassidy built the latrine, Garrett made them a lean-to for sleeping. Scharlie’s heart thudded when she realized he had only made one big bed for all of them instead of individual pallets.
    She organized the food and water supplies, trying very hard not to let the circumstances overwhelm her. Her hands shook, but she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves.
    Scharlie couldn’t imagine what she would have done had she been alone when the storm hit. She liked to think she would have been smart and done all the things that Cassidy and Garrett were taking care of, but then she remembered her actions with the door. Had she gone outside to try to save her animals, there was a good chance she wouldn’t have survived.
    She peeked over her shoulders to the two cowboys. The situation of being alone with two men suddenly dawned on her, and she couldn’t help her mind flashing to her book. The stories poured through her head, causing her skin to flash hot and cold. Her heart thudded, and an ache pulsed between her legs that begged for her hand to slide in and tease her clit until an orgasm brought relief. But she had to settle for crossing her legs against the throb that wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.
    “Why don’t we all settle down, get comfortable, and catch some sleep,” Cassidy said as he wiped his hands on a rag.
    Scharlie looked at the pile of blankets that would protect them from the cool ground.
    “Sleep. Together?”
    Cassidy crooked an eyebrow. He shot a glance over to Garrett, and Scharlie followed it. The two men exchanged a look that she couldn’t exactly identify.
    “We’d never hurt you, Scharlie ,” Garrett murmured as he came to her side.
    She swallowed thickly, her heart racing. “How do I know that? How do I know everything you’ve told me hasn’t been a lie?”
    “Perfectly good question,” Cassidy said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a locket. He held it out to her.
    Scharlie knew that locket. It had belonged to her mother. With shaking hands, she took it, her thumb rubbing over the gold filigree lid. Carefully, reverently, she opened it and saw her baby portrait, as well as Harlow ’s, side by side.
    “He once told me that you had been the most beautiful baby,” Cassidy said in a soft voice. “And that you rarely ever cried. All he had to do was pick you up, and you’d laugh.”
    Tears streamed down her cheeks. He had said that to her once as well, teasingly, of course. He was always teasing her. She couldn’t imagine he would share information like that unless they were really close friends.
    “Thank you,” she whispered and closed the locket.
    “ Harlow wanted me to give that back to you,” he said.
    She cleared her throat and wiped at the tears with the back of her hands. “Um, right. Let’s get some sleep. Maybe someone will come in the morning.”
    She ignored the knowing look that Cassidy flashed to Garrett.

Chapter Five

    The dream was delicious.
    They were dancing, she and Cassidy. As the music wore on, Scharlie lost her cares, and she gradually noticed that his moves and her moves settled into one rhythm of hips moving in sync, dipping and swaying to more than just the rhythmic beat of the instruments.
    She looked into his eyes and saw he was