The Trouble with Holly [Merricks, Montana 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  “I have been helping your mother like this all week,” she said, exasperated. Golly, what a fuss. Holly had been looking after herself for a long time. She didn’t need to be coddled now.

  “Don’t tell him that,” Chase cut in. “Are you trying to get a spanking?” The look that Jarrod sent Chase could have frozen water.

  “Give me a break. I’m fine.”

  “Put the knife down, Holly,” Jarrod told her. “We thought you might like to go for a ride, now you are feeling better. We will discuss matters of your safety along the way.”

  Holly chose to ignore that last statement and focus on the fact that she was going to get out of the house. She had been cooped up for days and was busting for some fresh air.

  Then a thought struck her.

  “I’d love to go riding, but how am I going to ride one-handed? Especially if I can’t even use a knife.”

  “Don’t get sassy, little girl,” Jarrod answered, smiling. “Don’t forget I’m keeping track of all your transgressions.”

  “I’m not your sub and you are not spanking me,” Holly protested, but her body was telling her otherwise. Her nipples hardened and her clit throbbed, and all Jarrod did was threaten to spank her. God help her if he ever tried it.

  “Don’t challenge me or you’ll find out how serious I am sooner than you’d like.” Holly shivered at his deep tone, and gave up arguing. Jarrod was a stubborn man, and Holly knew that she could protest until the cows came home and he’d still insist that he was going to spank her.

  She’d let it go for now, but they were defiantly going to hash out this whole sub thing. It didn’t matter that the thought of being naked over his knee made her want to throw herself in his arms and beg him to do it. Holly wasn’t submissive and she couldn’t see herself calling them master and kneeling at their feet.

  Maybe if she was giving one of them head, but that was a fantasy for another time. No, she was happy being the boss of her own life, as bad a job she was doing. She didn’t need a man telling her what to do and what to wear and whom she could talk to.

  But then again, Sarah and Kate were both submissives and they had control over their own futures. Kate more than Sarah, but she liked James’s demanding ways. Sarah thrived under Blake and James’s dominance, and was a stronger, more confident woman because of it.

  Maybe she should give this submissive thing a chance and see where it led. She certainly wanted Jarrod and Chase. If she had to be in a D/s relationship to be with them, surely it was no skin off her nose. She had a safe word and knew they would respect it.

  Holly followed the brothers out of the house and down to the stables. Jarrod seemed almost too pleased with her sassy response. Maybe he was into bratty subs. Kate had said some Doms were.

  Jeepers, Holly was really going to let the brothers top her. If that was the correct term. She really knew very little. She would have to ask Sarah and Kate more about it. She was too shy to ask Chase and Jarrod, she didn’t want to embarrass herself. Any more than she already had anyway.

  When they arrived at the stables, Holly noticed two stunning horses saddled and ready to go. They were tied to an old wooden fence post and happily waited munching on the grass.

  “There are only two horses,” Holly said. “Is one of you not coming?” Holly was disappointed. She wanted to spend the afternoon with both of them.

  “Don’t look so disappointed, baby,” Chase told her. “You are going to ride with Jarrod.” Holly looked at them in surprise.

  “You mean on the same horse?”

  Holly took a step back as Jarrod stalked forward. He reached out and grabbed onto her good arm, dragging her toward him. When she was plastered against his front, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” he whispered. “On the same damned horse.” He then lowered his head and captured her mouth. Holly shivered as his lips rubbed hers gently, teasingly, before he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

  Jarrod sucked on her bottom lip and bit down then soothed the bite with his mouth. Holly felt consumed by him, surrounded by him, as the world fell away and it was only the two of them.

  When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, Holly moaned and felt her juice leak out to wet her panties. God, the man knew how to kiss. His mouth mated with hers, and she poured everything she was feeling back into the kiss.

  Holly lifted her arm up to wrap around his neck, careful not to smack him with her cast. Her senses were on overdrive, consumed with everything Jarrod. He tasted like coffee and mint and the combination was one Holly would always know as his.

  Jarrod grabbed her legs and lifted her to wrap them around his waist. Her crotch rested against his hard length, his hands cupping her ass cheeks. He used his hold to squeeze her tighter and grind her along his jean-covered cock. She was so aroused. She was moments away from orgasm. Just a bit more pressure and she would be flying.

  “I don’t think your mother would appreciate you making her grandbabies outside by the stables,” a deep voice said, cutting through her lusty haze and Holly lifted her head, breaking the kiss. “You might want to retire to your room or find somewhere more private.”

  Holly buried her head in Jarrod’s neck mortified. She knew the voice belonged to Jarrod and Chase’s father Jason. To be caught kissing was one thing. To be caught dry humping was totally another.

  Why hadn’t Chase said anything? Warned them or something. The man just stood there and watched the whole thing unfold.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Jarrod said. “We were just about to go for a ride.” Holly almost clocked him one with her cast arm for that one.

  “On a horse!” Holly all but shouted. She lifted her head to glare at Jarrod. “You can put me down now.”

  “No.” It was all Jarrod said, before turning back to his dad. “Don’t embarrass Holly.” Jason snorted in reply and Jarrod stared daggers at him.

  “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Sex is a natural part of life. Why, I remember when Helen first moved in—”

  “Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth,” Chase cut in.

  “Don’t let your mom hear you say that. We’ll all be in the doghouse. Anyway, we used to chase her all over the ranch, making love wherever the mood struck us. Helen was an adventurous woman, too, Holly.”

  “Can we please go riding now?” she asked. “On the horse, I mean,” she added quickly when all three men laughed.

  “Damn, woman,” Jarrod said, smiling. “You make me happy.”

  * * * *

  Chase rode next to Jarrod and Holly on his big black gelding. She had been quiet since Jarrod had told her that she made him happy. She wore a stunning smile, but hadn’t said anything back and Chase didn’t know how to interpret that.

  They rode across the ranch toward a cliff that overlooked a large lake. It was a beautiful spot and one he hoped would become a special spot for the three of them.

  Chase and Jarrod certainly had plans for their woman. He had bought along a blanket in his saddlebags. The kiss Jarrod had given her was just a preview of things to come.

  “This is really a gorgeous ranch,” Holly said. They had already been riding for a good half hour, and Chase wondered if her butt was getting sore. It would be on the way back. “I never knew. I so rarely left town. The few times I visited Kate or Sarah, we stayed in the house.”

  “We are more than happy to explore with you,” Chase said. “There is a lot to see. Not only on this ranch, but on others as well.”

  “The Jacksons,” Jarrod added. “Have an old log cabin on their property that was built when the place was first settled. It hasn’t been touched and still looks the same as it did back in the 1800s.”

  “That is amazing. I love history and old buildings.”

  “We know, baby,” Chase told her, smiling. He loved to watch the blush that appeared on her smooth silk cheeks and along her neck. He wondered how far it went down.

  They rode for a while longer in a comfortable silence, before they came t
o the cliff face. Chase halted his horse and dismounted. He tied off the reins, knowing that the horse wouldn’t stray.

  Walking over to Holly, he reached up and plucked her from her perch and gently lowered her to the ground. Chase placed a gentle kiss on her lips, before leading her over to the cliff face. It was a sheer drop to the bottom, but had a spectacular view.

  “Wow,” she said. “This is amazing.”

  Chase wasn’t looking at the view. He was watching Holly to see the wonder and joy that she wore on her delicate little face. His heart swelled as he looked at her and he had to hold back from blurting out how much he loved her.

  He held back though. He didn’t want to scare her or rush her into something she wasn’t ready for. Chase was ready for the whole damned shebang, but Holly had scars. Not physical ones, but emotional ones, left to her by her thieving ex.

  Chase knew this and knew he had to tread lightly. She wasn’t going to be wooed by words. She needed actions to show her that they were honest in their affections for her. They also needed time to build trust. Only then would love grow into something that was meaningful and strong.

  They were going to start that process now. Jarrod intended to deliver her first spanking. She would balk at the idea, but it was something they needed to move their relationship forward.

  The trust they built today would strengthen their bond and help Holly heal from the pain her ex had caused. She needed to see they were different, and Chase and Jarrod needed to let her know she was going to be cared for and loved.

  Spanking her was a lesson, and not just in trust. She couldn’t put her health at risk like she did the night she got blind drunk. Anything could have happened that night. She wouldn’t have been the first person to get seriously hurt or die because of too much alcohol.

  “Come and sit on the blanket, baby,” he said, gesturing to where Jarrod had laid the blanket on the grass. “We need to discuss something important with you.”

  “That sounds ominous,” she replied, but followed him over to the blanket anyway.

  When she had settled herself down, cross-legged in front of them, Chase opened his mouth to explain what was coming when Jarrod blurted out, “We have decided to spank you here.”

  “Excuse me?” Holly looked more confused to Chase than upset when she asked that.

  “What my brother is very badly trying to say is,” Chase added. “For our relationship to move forward on the right path—”

  “You need to let us spank you.”

  “Jarrod, shut up. As I was saying, to move forward on the right path, we need to build trust. By placing yourself in our hands, we can start to form a bond necessary in any D/s relationship. We know you aren’t experienced in the lifestyle, but we hope you will let us teach you.”

  “But why?” she asked. But why what? What wasn’t she understanding? Chase pressed on.

  “We want to start our relationship out as we mean to go on and to do that, we are going to get your first spanking out of the way.”

  “You really want to have a relationship with me? A sexual one?”

  “Yes, a damned sexual one,” Jarrod snapped. “I’ve been so damned hard for months now, waiting for you to let us close.”

  “I just don’t understand,” Holly said. Chase could feel his frustration rising. Why was Holly’s self-esteem so damned low? Why couldn’t she see herself through his eyes? She was a damned beautiful woman and she already held his heart in her tiny little palm.

  “Because, woman,” Chase shouted. “I think you’re the next best thing since sliced bread. I think the sun shines out your ass. I think—”

  “I get the idea,” she snapped back.

  “I don’t think you do,” he said. “Holly, Jarrod and I want to be more than friends. We want you in our life—”

  “And our beds,” Jarrod added.

  “All right,” she said. It was Chase’s turn to feel confused.

  “All right, what?” he asked.

  “All right, she’ll let us spank her,” Jarrod said. He was really starting to get on Chase’s nerves. Why was he acting this way? Jarrod was a mean-ass Dom. He was usually cool, calm, and indifferent. Now he was acting like a puppy about to be given a toy.

  “I have a question first,” she said. “After all is said and done, what happens if I’m not into BDSM and I decide I don’t like it?”

  Chase smiled at her and took both her hands in his. She was worried that she would lose them if she weren’t into their lifestyle. They would make sure that never happened. They weren’t sadists or even close, so Chase was sure that they would find a medium to suit them all.

  “Like I said,” Chase told her. “It’s all about building trust. You have to trust us not to push you beyond your limits and we have to trust you to speak up if you are uncomfortable or hurting.

  “It is mostly about pleasure, not always and there will be things you don’t like, but that is the same in every relationship. Either way, baby, if it turns out it’s not for you and D/s relationships aren’t for everyone, we will discuss it and decide together.”

  “It is part of our jobs as your Doms to help you set your limits and explore the things that turn you and the things that don’t,” Jarrod said. That was more like the Jarrod Chase knew.

  “Okay,” she said. “I trust you. Let’s do this.”

  Chapter Nine

  Holly was nervous and excited all at the same time. Chase and Jarrod wanted her sexually. Oh, they wanted to spank her first, but Chase was talking relationships and future and exploring the lifestyle with her. Her! The clumsy, chubby, and somewhat of a loser, her.

  Not that she would say that to them. Even back when she thought they only wanted to be friends, they had threatened to spank her for calling herself what they said were derogatory names.

  She just had to get through this one spanking, and then they could move forward in their relationship. She could do it. She wanted to do it. If spanking her was something they needed, then she would bend over and let them go to town on her ass.

  Maybe she would like it. Sarah and Kate certainly did and they had a bond with their men that Holly could only dream about. Chase said it was all about trust. Did she trust these men with not only her bottom, but with her heart?

  Holly knew the moment these men touched her she would be lost. If they got bored with her and they broke up, she would be crushed. And after the heartbreak she had felt when Steve had run of with all her money, Holly didn’t know if she could go through it all again.

  But she wanted Chase and Jarrod with a force that was so much stronger than anything she had felt with Steve. Chase was right, and she needed to trust them. It was just that Holly had looked after herself for so long that it was hard to give up control to someone else. Even for only a little while.

  “Are you sure, Holly?” Chase asked. “It will mean you are ours. Not just for today, but forever. We are playing for keeps.”

  “I think I should be asking you the same question,” she answered. “Are you sure?”

  “We couldn’t be more sure about anything,” Jarrod said. Holly stared back at Jarrod, each holding the other’s gaze. His crystal-blue eyes were sharp and serious, and little by little, Holly felt the walls she built to protect herself crumble into dust.

  “Take off your clothes,” Jarrod whispered, not once breaking eye contact. Holly tilted her head and continued to stare back.

  “What happens if someone comes along?” she asked. She didn’t want to be caught outside in her birthday suit.

  “No one will come along,” Jarrod answered “And if they do, we will make sure you are covered.”

  Holly knew that no more words were needed, as she slowly removed her flannel shirt and then pulled her T-shirt over her head. She was wearing a plain cotton bra and panties, but she wasn’t worried about that. She was worried about the sagginess of her breasts and the roundness of her tummy and hips.

  When Jarrod and Chase both crossed their arms and stood waiting, Holl
y quickly kicked off her boots and stripped her jeans down her legs. She folded her clothes and stood waiting.

  “The bra and panties, too, Holly,” Chase told her. There was a hitch in his breath, and Holly wondered if she was the cause. She shook off the thought. Maybe she had misheard the need in his voice.

  She closed her eyes as she removed her bra and followed with her panties and turned her head to the side. She waited for the comments about her body.

  She was incredibly insecure when it came to her size, and Steve hadn’t helped with the constant put-downs and sarcastic remarks. When the men didn’t say anything, Holly opened one eye and peeked out at the brothers.

  “Holly,” Jarrod said. “Look at us.” His voice was gentle and soft. Almost the way you spoke to a spooked horse. When she didn’t move and continued to peek at them from one eye, Jarrod’s sigh could be heard clear across the clearing.

  “Now, Holly,” he said, and his voice was now stern and full of authority. Holly’s head whipped in his direction and her eyes snapped to his.

  “Don’t hide from us, baby,” Chase said. “You are a beautiful woman and have an amazing body. When we are together like this, you will hold your head high and look us in the eye.”

  “Always knowing that our dicks are hard and we are almost crazy with need for you, Holly, not anyone else,” Jarrod added.

  Holly smiled at them. They sure were good for a girl’s insecurities. She wasn’t ready to believe them yet, despite the fact her heart was singing with joy. Her head was still telling her otherwise. It wouldn’t be long before they got bored and the name calling started.

  “Come here, baby,” Chase said. “Let’s get this done.”

  Holly walked over until she was standing in front of Chase. Only inches separated him from her nakedness and she shivered with need, excitement, and a huge dose of nerves.

  He moved like lighting and pulled her into his arms, crushing her body against his and lowering his head to meet her lips. As Holly let the kiss sink into her system, lust fled through her body, causing her insides to tingle.