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  “You’re not trying hard enough, Nora,” the man behind her admonished with a grin. “You’re more concerned with getting yourself off than with Ashe’s pleasure. Suck a little harder now, sweetheart. Let me see those cheeks and lips working.” The next lash landed on the under curve of her buttocks, eliciting another moan from the woman as she pressed her mound against the footstool in an obvious attempt to seek release.

  Somewhat detached interest and lingering shock kept Sophie rooted in place, replacing her fear of the inclement weather raging outside. The woman’s knees were spread wide, her crotch openly displayed and completely devoid of hair, revealing her swollen labia and obvious arousal. Sophie had only gone down on one man and recalled the experience as pleasant, but nothing that had increased her own arousal. Watching this man move in and out of the woman’s mouth with such slow, deep precision while keeping her head still, made her question why the woman would allow him such control.

  The man behind her laughed and struck her again while releasing his cock into his other hand. Sophie’s mouth went dry when he stroked his large penis, smearing the seeping fluid from his slit. She wasn’t a prude, and she didn’t read much but had caved to curiosity and watched the Fifty Shades of Grey movie when it had come out, but she’d never been a voyeur. Though uneasy with standing there gawking, she couldn’t seem to walk away. Maybe it was a combination of tiredness, stress from the weather, and traveling so far from home that kept her mute. The woman rubbed her crotch against the footstool again then screamed around the invading cock in her mouth as she climaxed, the entire scene warming Sophie despite her damp clothing chilling her skin.

  She had never witnessed anything so erotic, but even so, it didn’t penetrate the numb state she’d lived in for months, which might also account for keeping her from turning away. Her own buttocks clenched as the snap of leather echoed again, followed swiftly by the woman’s aching cry that could have been from pain or a need that went deeper than anything Sophie could fathom. Looking at those red cheeks, she couldn’t imagine the other woman would want more abuse heaped upon them or understand how such pain could lead to pleasure.

  The dark-haired man with gray-blue eyes increased his thrusts into the woman’s mouth, his ejaculation coming on the heels of her orgasm. The other man dropped his belt and went to his knees, entering her just as the man in front pulled his spent cock from her mouth. The woman cried out as he took her with a deep, hard thrust then slipped an arm under her breasts and lifted her torso from the stool, holding her up as he continued plunging into her.

  “Give my girl’s pretty breasts some attention, Ashe,” the other man said, his voice deep and laboring.

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Ashe, whom Sophie now recognized as her boss’s cousin, reached out with one hand and cupped Nora’s right breast then bent forward and drew her left nipple into his mouth. Nora threw her head back as the men worked her nipples and pussy, her red-striped buttocks clenching as she thrust back against the cock invading her from behind and pushed her breasts forward toward Ashe’s hands and mouth. It wasn’t until they drove her up one more time that the man fucking her from behind let go, his hoarse shout mingling with Nora’s keening cry.

  Sophie expected to see sated contentment reflected on Nora’s face as the men released her, but instead she avoided looking at either man, her mouth turned down at the corners, as if she was unhappy about something. There was no mistaking her physical response to the ménage, so something else must be bothering her.

  She stepped back, not forgetting why she was here, just glad Adrian Coultrane hadn’t been involved in this scene. It would be very awkward starting this job after seeing her boss in a threesome.

  “Well, it looks like the new housekeeper has finally made it.”

  Sophie’s face burned with embarrassment as the auburn-haired man rose and casually zipped up his pants, a small smile softening his dark, weathered face. “Uh, I…I’m sorry,” she stammered, mortified at getting caught watching them. “No one answered the door, and it was raining, then I heard voices and…” Sophie took a step back from the three people now focused on her only to bump against a rock-hard body behind her. Whirling around, she looked up, way up, into a chiseled face darkened by a five o’clock shadow and lowered Stetson. Adrian Coultrane would have been handsome if not for the silver slit of his cold gray eyes glaring down at her.

  Hard hands reached out to steady her before dropping just as quickly. “Ms. Turner, I presume?”

  His deep, rough voice rumbled from his chest and did strange things to her insides, or maybe her quivering abdomen was due to mortification. “Yes, I’m Sophie Turner. I’m here for the…”

  “You’re late.”

  She frowned at his brusque tone. “I apologize. I took a wrong turn out of Boise, then the storm slowed me down. No one answered when I knocked.”

  “Cut the girl some slack, Adrian. She’s new around here.”

  Sophie faced the auburn-haired man, relaxing when she saw all three were dressed. Nora’s soft gaze shifted from her partner to her as she held out her hand.

  “We didn’t mean to shock you. I’m Nora.”

  Sophie shook her hand. “Sophie, and again, I apologize. That was rude of me.”

  Ashe snorted. “Wait until you spend time around big cousin, then you’ll know rude. I’m Ashe Coultrane, and that’s Jessie Shields.”

  “Welcome to Idaho, sweetheart.” Jessie winked at her, and Sophie couldn’t miss the way Nora’s shoulders slumped and she shifted away from him to pick up her boots.

  “If you three are done with the pleasantries, maybe you can find something constructive to do so I can talk to my new employee about her job before it gets any later or she freezes in those damp clothes,” Adrian drawled with evident sarcasm. “Come with me, Ms. Turner.”

  Sophie turned to face her boss again, only to get a view of his broad back and wide shoulders as he pivoted and strode back down the hall. Following him, she wished they hadn’t gotten off to such an awkward start. He didn’t appear happy to see her, and she couldn’t blame him for being put out with the circumstances of her late arrival. Still, it wouldn’t hurt him to be a little more welcoming.

  He paused to hang his hat alongside the others and glanced at her jacket with a suffering sigh before looking at her. “Please tell me you packed clothes more appropriate for Idaho weather than what you’re wearing.”

  Taking umbrage at his snide tone, she fisted her hands on her hips and cocked her head, replying in the same cool tone he used. “I can assure you, Mr. Coultrane, I’m smarter than your first impression of me down the hall might have led you to believe.”

  “Good to know,” he returned, unfazed by her refusal to shy away from what she’d witnessed or his surly attitude. Waving a hand toward the open door into the office, he said, “Have a seat, and we’ll go over a few things before I take you up to your room.”

  Well, I wanted a challenge, something to take my mind off Kasey. It looks like I got it in spades.

  “I’m curious,” he said before she’d even settled in the wide leather armchair facing his desk. Upon taking his own seat, he eyed her with a serious, gunmetal gaze that resembled the storm clouds out the window behind him. “What prompted you to give up a lucrative job running a bed-and-breakfast in New Orleans to take a more menial position halfway across the country?”

  A shiver went down Sophie’s spine, either from the chill of her damp clothes or his focused stare, or both. That look, coupled with his obvious displeasure, put her on edge, but she wasn’t about to run away after just arriving. His attitude made her suspect he was anticipating her to do just that. Losing Kasey might have left her an emotional wreck, but her backbone remained solid, at least for now.

  “I believe I mentioned my desire to relocate for personal reasons. Now I’m curious. I passed through or near several small towns as well as Boise. Why would you advertise so broadly for a menial position you could likely fill with someone lo
cal?”

  Adrian leaned back, placed his elbows on the chair arms, and steepled his hands under his chin, his eyes never losing that direct look. She fought the urge to squirm in her seat when he didn’t answer right away, refusing to show the unease his commanding air instilled in her. Just as she was about to lose that battle, he nodded, as if coming to a conclusion.

  “The job isn’t eight to five, once a week, due to the size of the house. While only my cousin and I live here, we often have guests for meals, friends who sleep over. I’ve found it easier getting those needs met with live-in help, which is hard to get from anyone who has a residence nearby.” He lowered his arms and leaned forward to open a drawer. “Here are the keys to the front door and your bedroom. As stated in your contract, you’ll have Saturday and Wednesday afternoons off and aren’t responsible for any meals other than dinner. Ashe and I make time for breakfast and lunch but often get tied up with work, so fix evening meals that can stay warm in the oven or we can heat up on your half days, and don’t plan on us at a certain time. Sundays you’re off all day.”

  Sophie reached for the keys he slid across the desk. “That makes it easier for me as cooking isn’t my strong suit. I did my share of time in the kitchens at a resort hotel while working my way up, but I’m not a gourmet chef.” Her degree in hospitality management had gotten her in the door at the Chateau Manor, but she’d worked there for several years, rotating between departments before landing the assistant manager’s job. She left there after two years and had been running the B&B for three years before making this drastic change.

  “If I want a gourmet dinner, I’ll go out, as will Ashe. Now, shall we address the elephant in the room? You don’t appear shell-shocked from walking in on that scene down the hall.”

  Adrian’s look and tone conveyed curiosity but no censure. Her tardiness must have been a bigger offense in his view. Rubbing her chilled hands over her thighs, she said, “I grew up in New Orleans, Mr. Coultrane, and learned young how it earned the nickname Sin City. While I’ve never entered the more risqué establishments where you might see such an open display, trust me, after attending a few Mardi Gras, I don’t think there’s too much that will shock me.”

  “That explains it, then,” he replied with a nod before coming to his feet. “I’ll show you to your room. After you get into dry clothes, come back down and either I or Ashe will show you around. You can start tomorrow.” Coming around the desk, she noticed he stayed a respectable distance from her, but his eyes never wavered from that unnerving stare as he gestured toward the door. “You’re on the second floor; my suite of rooms take up the third floor. We’ll walk up, but there’s an elevator if you ever prefer a faster way.”

  Translation: Her new boss liked his privacy. Sophie wondered what his cousin thought of Adrian’s private quarters then figured it was none of her business if she wanted to stick around for a while. “This place has all the amenities, doesn’t it?” she asked, pushing to her feet. His jaw hardened, and she remembered his wife.

  There were no photos on his desk or anywhere on the walnut shelves lining the walls. She learned during grief counseling sessions some people found having photos displayed of their deceased loved ones too painful. Sophie kept her favorite picture of Kasey with her always, couldn’t bear to go anywhere without it tucked into her purse. But not everyone grieved in the same way.

  “Some would think so. Come with me.”

  She followed him out of the office, wondering at the shuttered, cold look that had settled over his face.

  Adrian ushered his new employee ahead of him at the stairs, questioning his reasoning for hiring Sophie Turner. Initially, he’d sought someone from a different area for the reason he told her, believing it would be easier having an employee in charge of the house living on site. He and Ashe entertained potential buyers for their thoroughbreds quite often, and given the miles separating the ranch from any of the nearest towns, it made sense they would bring their clients up to the house after their travels. Given the haunted look in her eyes, she carried a wealth of emotional baggage he wanted nothing to do with.

  Between work, the preparations needed for the upcoming winter months, and continuing to search for Nicole’s journal that he was sure held the proof of which one of his friends was responsible for her death, he didn’t have the time or patience to replace her if she couldn’t handle the job. Maybe he should have checked out her personal background before making his decision, but he preferred hiring someone based on their credentials, not online gossip. To be fair, Sophie had handled coming upon Ashe’s scene with admirable nonchalance instead of storming out in a huff of moral outrage. Her calm indifference was what made him look closer at her, take notice of her grief-stricken, extraordinary lavender-blue eyes and stark expression. Whatever, or whoever had caused her such pain was none of his business or concern, even if he did admit to an uncharacteristic hint of curiosity.

  He wasn’t happy with his cousin and Jessie for enacting that impromptu fuck fest. Nicole had enjoyed sexual submission, but when she had expressed no desire to attend Spurs, a private club he used to belong to, he’d caved to her wishes and changed the small den into a playroom. Jessie, Wyatt, and Ashe were all for hosting smaller, intimate play parties, but too often Adrian would return to the house to find them taking advantage of the easy access to the BDSM equipment to ditch work for a quick scene.

  It annoyed him more now that he suspected one of them of murdering Nicole. Things had been tense between him and his closest friends for over eight months, ever since he’d learned of his wife’s affair, her death coming on the heels of their biggest fight that was overheard by all five. As soon as he found Nicole’s journal, the book she wrote everything in, he would have his answer, and God help the person who was responsible for sending her over that cliff. His feelings for her might have eroded by then, but she didn’t deserve to have her life cut short, and especially not at the hands of someone so close to her.

  “I should have grabbed my suitcases before coming up,” Sophie said when they reached the second floor loft area.

  Adrian flipped on the lights to dispel the gray gloom dimming the upper den from the two windows on either side of the white-painted brick fireplace. He didn’t much care for Nicole’s updating this area to the cookie-cutter white trim and gray walls, preferring the original natural wood tones, but it hadn’t been worth another argument at the time.

  “Ashe probably brought them up already,” he told her, counting on his cousin to do his part in settling their new employee regardless of his irritation with him.

  There were dark circles under Sophie’s eyes, adding to her bruised, pinched appearance and emphasizing the shadows in her gaze. He had too many of his own demons riding him to concern himself over hers. As long as she did her job and heeded his rules, he could refrain from any other involvement with her. The others would bear watching though, considering their interruption today after he’d warned them of her impending arrival and to keep their extracurricular activities under wraps for now. Before Nicole’s suspicious death, he had also taken advantage of the playroom and enjoyed an occasional, impromptu break from work by making use of one of the apparatus in that room. His self-imposed celibacy that had started months before Nicole had died didn’t plague him near as much as wondering who had betrayed his friendship in the worst way possible.

  Adrian started down the wide hall. “I’ve assigned you the green room. There are six bedrooms on this floor. The two on the other end are the largest suites with attached baths. Ashe occupies one of those suites, which is why I’ve put you at this opposite end of the floor and in the only other one with an accompanying bathroom. You’re closer to the elevator here also. Any guests staying over in one of the other three rooms will use the hall bath. Unless we have an overnight guest, they’ll only need a light cleaning once a week.” He pointed to a door at the far end by Ashe’s room. “That’s the stairwell to the third floor and my rooms. This is your room.” Opening the sec
ond door on the right, he stood aside to let her enter, spotting her suitcases at the foot of the double, four-poster bed.

  “Oh, this is nice.” Sophie looked around the room, her face conveying appreciation for the mint-green carpet and bedspread and drapes adorned with pink rosebuds.

  “My wife redecorated all the bedrooms in different colors.” Nicole had also extended the gray wall paint and white woodwork into the bedrooms.

  Sophie faced him with empathy shining in her eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss. I read you were recently widowed.”

  Not my loss, he thought with muscle tightening bitterness. Nicole’s death had saved him from a messy, expensive divorce and spared him months more of arguments. No, it was Nicole’s loss, the cutting off of a young life and end to the vibrant young woman he’d befriended for fifteen years before making the mistake of fucking then marrying her. He didn’t mourn the death of his marriage, or even his wife, only what could have been and what was.

  Ignoring her comment, he didn’t try to soften his clipped tone as he said, “Get changed and settled in, then come down to the kitchen. If I know Jessie, he and Nora will return with food.”

  Adrian walked out without another word, feeling his new employee’s curious gaze boring a hole in his back.

  Chapter Two

  Note to self—don’t mention wife to surly employer. Sophie shook her head at Adrian’s obvious cold rebuttal of her sympathy. Hefting her largest bag onto the bed, she unzipped it and pulled out the five-by-seven framed photo of Kasey, her eyes welling with tears. She told herself she didn’t care about his grief, or lack thereof, only about coping with her own. Wasn’t that the purpose of taking this job and moving? But she wasn’t sure that was entirely true.

  Adrian Coultrane intrigued her. Most would find his cold attitude that bordered on rudeness off-putting. She viewed it as a challenge, the man as a puzzle that might be worth solving, if for no other reason than to give her something else to dwell on besides Kasey. Sophie brushed the back of her hand over her cheeks, wiping away the tears as she placed the photo on the bedside table, wondering if anything could keep the heart-wrenching memories from overwhelming her.