whispered.
“But you want us,” Ethan persisted.
She hesitated but then gave a slow nod.
Adam frowned. “Then why can’t you?”
“Because I’m already married,” she choked out.
Chapter Four
Cold fingers of dread gripped Adam’s chest. Already married? He looked up to see the same dread mirrored on his brothers’ faces. He glanced down at her finger, unbelieving that he would have missed a ring. But none shone there.
Ethan’s hands had stilled on her shoulders. Ryan’s grip on her hand had loosened. Could it be the one woman meant for them was forbidden?
No, he wouldn’t accept that. Couldn’t.
“Who is he?” Adam demanded.
Her hand fluttered to her throat, a defensive gesture. Panic flared across her face, quickly running out of control.
Ryan’s expression grew stormy. “He’s the man you’re running from.”
“He’s the man who put the fear in your eyes,” Adam added, tilting her chin up once more.
She closed her eyes and nodded.
Relief poured through Adam. Ethan’s hands once again smoothed over Holly’s shoulders. This was something they could deal with. She would simply divorce the bastard.
“You’re not going back to him,” Adam said simply. “You’ll never go back to him.”
Tears sparkled in her cinnamon eyes. “You don’t understand. He’ll never let me go.”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Ethan growled.
“He’ll hurt you, just like…”
Her voice trailed off but Adam understood what she had left unsaid. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me . He had never dealt with such rage as what built within him. It swirled like an out-of-control storm.
She cleared her throat and continued on. “He’s a very powerful man. He’ll kill you. All three of you. Murder means nothing to him. I can’t let him do that.”
“And you think going back to him is the answer?” Ryan asked incredulously.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll never go back to him. Not willingly. But I also can’t stay here. If he doesn’t know I’m here, if I’m somewhere else, he can’t very well hurt any of you.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Adam’s mouth. He felt a surge of pride. The little spitfire was trying to protect them.
“I realize you’ve only known us a short time, baby, but you’re going to have to learn to trust your husbands,” Adam said.
Her eyes flew open even wider. “But you’re not my husbands! Weren’t you listening? I’m already married.”
“A mere technicality,” he said calmly. “One we intend to rectify as soon as possible.”
She made a sound of frustration. “Did you hear anything I said?”
He smiled. “We heard everything, but your concern is unfounded. We can take care of ourselves, but more than that, we can take care of you.”
Her hand fell, a helpless gesture that stated she was at a complete loss as to what to do or say. They were pressing too hard, something they couldn’t afford to do if they didn’t want to lose her.
“Come into the kitchen. Let us fix you some breakfast,” Adam said, changing the topic to something neutral. Safe.
He saw the relief in her eyes. She nodded.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, her voice husky.
Adam got up and motioned for his brothers to follow him. A few seconds later, Holly was alone in the big bedroom, her senses reeling from what she had just experienced.
They wanted her. All of them. And damn it, she wanted them too. She desperately wanted to see where this whole bizarre episode would take them. But there were several problems with doing that.
One, Mason would find her if she stayed here. She knew that just as well as she knew he would step on anyone who got in his way.
Two, her longing to be cherished, protected, was what got her into her present mess, and here she was falling under the spell of three gorgeous cowboys. She had to quit looking to others for her happiness.
Their wife. She shook her head, still unable to comprehend what they had proposed. As
“But you want us,” Ethan persisted.
She hesitated but then gave a slow nod.
Adam frowned. “Then why can’t you?”
“Because I’m already married,” she choked out.
Chapter Four
Cold fingers of dread gripped Adam’s chest. Already married? He looked up to see the same dread mirrored on his brothers’ faces. He glanced down at her finger, unbelieving that he would have missed a ring. But none shone there.
Ethan’s hands had stilled on her shoulders. Ryan’s grip on her hand had loosened. Could it be the one woman meant for them was forbidden?
No, he wouldn’t accept that. Couldn’t.
“Who is he?” Adam demanded.
Her hand fluttered to her throat, a defensive gesture. Panic flared across her face, quickly running out of control.
Ryan’s expression grew stormy. “He’s the man you’re running from.”
“He’s the man who put the fear in your eyes,” Adam added, tilting her chin up once more.
She closed her eyes and nodded.
Relief poured through Adam. Ethan’s hands once again smoothed over Holly’s shoulders. This was something they could deal with. She would simply divorce the bastard.
“You’re not going back to him,” Adam said simply. “You’ll never go back to him.”
Tears sparkled in her cinnamon eyes. “You don’t understand. He’ll never let me go.”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Ethan growled.
“He’ll hurt you, just like…”
Her voice trailed off but Adam understood what she had left unsaid. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me . He had never dealt with such rage as what built within him. It swirled like an out-of-control storm.
She cleared her throat and continued on. “He’s a very powerful man. He’ll kill you. All three of you. Murder means nothing to him. I can’t let him do that.”
“And you think going back to him is the answer?” Ryan asked incredulously.
She shook her head. “No, I’ll never go back to him. Not willingly. But I also can’t stay here. If he doesn’t know I’m here, if I’m somewhere else, he can’t very well hurt any of you.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Adam’s mouth. He felt a surge of pride. The little spitfire was trying to protect them.
“I realize you’ve only known us a short time, baby, but you’re going to have to learn to trust your husbands,” Adam said.
Her eyes flew open even wider. “But you’re not my husbands! Weren’t you listening? I’m already married.”
“A mere technicality,” he said calmly. “One we intend to rectify as soon as possible.”
She made a sound of frustration. “Did you hear anything I said?”
He smiled. “We heard everything, but your concern is unfounded. We can take care of ourselves, but more than that, we can take care of you.”
Her hand fell, a helpless gesture that stated she was at a complete loss as to what to do or say. They were pressing too hard, something they couldn’t afford to do if they didn’t want to lose her.
“Come into the kitchen. Let us fix you some breakfast,” Adam said, changing the topic to something neutral. Safe.
He saw the relief in her eyes. She nodded.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, her voice husky.
Adam got up and motioned for his brothers to follow him. A few seconds later, Holly was alone in the big bedroom, her senses reeling from what she had just experienced.
They wanted her. All of them. And damn it, she wanted them too. She desperately wanted to see where this whole bizarre episode would take them. But there were several problems with doing that.
One, Mason would find her if she stayed here. She knew that just as well as she knew he would step on anyone who got in his way.
Two, her longing to be cherished, protected, was what got her into her present mess, and here she was falling under the spell of three gorgeous cowboys. She had to quit looking to others for her happiness.
Their wife. She shook her head, still unable to comprehend what they had proposed. As