Maybe she’d always feel like she belonged to them and they belonged to her. And maybe, just maybe, she could somehow figure out how to make it true.
* * * *
“Draegan?” Serena’s weak voice filled his ears. He held the sofa pillow against his chest and searched his dreams for the woman behind the sweetest voice he’d ever known. “Draegan? Are you awake?”
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” he muttered, holding the pillow closer and imagining what it might feel like to hold Serena in his arms.
She was so damned pretty, so kind, too. She was a genuine lady, one of those what you see is what you get kind of women. Draegan appreciated that in a woman. He liked “real” people and when it came to women, he wanted the girl next door.
He wanted Serena.
“Draegan. I’m sorry to wake you.” The sofa gave a little and Draegan dreamt of Serena sitting beside him. Her hip was against his hip. She was so close he could almost smell her strawberry-colored hair. She wore it pinned up, but he’d give anything to run his hands through her long strands and bury his face in those silken locks. “You said I could always come to you with anything. I’m here, Draegan and I need to talk.”
Draegan rolled to his back and threw one arm over his head. He rested his hand on his gut, aware now of the rise in his boxers. If he could wake up enough, he’d reach down and stroke that thing. He was having a hell of a dream. He could even hear her smooth as silk voice.
The light flickered above his head. “Damn it, Draegan. I’m sorry but I need to talk to you and I can’t sit here and pretend you aren’t holding your cock while I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you!”
Draegan sat up abruptly and shook off sleep. “Serena?”
“Yes, it’s me. Who did you think it was?” She nodded at his crotch. “Do you mind covering up?”
Draegan glanced down. His prick had a mind of its own and was pushing its way through the small opening in the front of his shorts. He reached behind the sofa and pulled down the afghan. And that’s when it occurred to him.
He’d fallen asleep in the office and someone—one of his henpecked brothers no doubt—hadn’t shown up for their watch. His next thought was one that he voiced too abruptly. “What are you doing here, Serena?”
“I saw your truck out front. You once said if I ever needed to talk to someone, I could come and talk to you.”
He rubbed his eyes and tried to wake up. God, he was tired. He was tired, sporting a hard-on, and Serena looked like a little china doll dressed in her white gown and robe. Even her fuzzy little bunny house slippers turned him on.
Hey, he mused. Bunnies were beautiful. His lips twitched as he stared at the gorgeous playmate in front of him. It was the middle of the night. She must’ve have sought him out for an illicit purpose.
“What do you want to talk about?” He leaned forward, grabbed his watered-down soda fountain drink and after a sip, he added, “What time is it, anyway?”
“About midnight,” she replied. “And I came to talk to you about you…and me.”
He shifted his weight and grinned. “Well if that won’t wake a fella up, nothing will.” His cock even twitched. Yeah, buddy. He was wide awake now.
Apparently unaware of what her confession had stirred, she traipsed across the rug in front of the rectangular coffee table. “As I was walking tonight, it occurred to me. Your brothers have someone special in their lives. You don’t. Why?”
“I’ve never really thought about it.”
That was an outright tale. Lately, the only thing he’d thought about was hooking up and unfortunately, the hookup he wanted was with the innocent woman in front of him.
“Do you feel like you don’t deserve to be happy?”
Who was this woman and what had she done with the shy little waitress from the café? He stuttered and stammered all over the place before she walked around the table and sat next to him again. She placed her fingertips over his lips. “Draegan, I came here to say something and you need to be still and let me say it.”
“Okay.” Considering she’d rendered him speechless, that shouldn’t be a problem.
“If you’re attracted to me and Markie, it’s okay. I can deal with that.” Her big brown eyes widened. “I can deal with sharing you. Look around us. Everyone here in Trouble shares someone with somebody else. It’s not abnormal. Not in our culture.” She placed her hand over his an
d gave him a gentle smile.
“Markie?” Really? Markie?
“Shh,” she whispered. “Let me finish. What I can’t handle, Draegan, is not having you at all. I know we’re only supposed to be friends or professional acquaintances or—”
Draegan saw opportunity and took it. Before she could say another word, he bracketed his arm around her waist and drew her against him. Then he kissed her like crazy, praying she wouldn’t utter another word until he’d had enough time to memorize everything about this moment—her soft lips, her loving touch, and more importantly, the way she arched in his arms as he took her to the brink of passion and refused to do much more than kiss her.