Page 46 of Three

“Listen, Velma, we aren’t the slutty Scooby-Doo gang. Tell us what the fuck you want and then scram.” The rude one sounds bored. The trio is standing in front of me in a defensive, fan-shaped stance, sending out unfriendly vibes. Like that would scare me. I could take them in my sleep.

“Hey, I’m more like a Daphne than a Velma,” I pout. “I mean I have the red hair and the hot bod.”

The hefty dog suddenly jumps on my leg and starts humping it. When I wanted my senses back, this wasn’t what I had in mind.

Hollywood blond can barely contain the humor in his voice. “He does like your hot bod.”

“He likes anything he can rub his dick on,” the rude one retorts, after spitting more seeds, this time dangerously close to my shoe.

And I hope the hardthingagainst my calf is only a tactile hallucination. “Are you trying to grow a vineyard out here?” I raise a derisive brow at him, earning a hateful glare and more spitting.

I’m still trying to shake the plowing machine off me when Hunter emerges behind the trio like an obsidian demigod.

“What’re you doing here?” He doesn’t sound angry. The morning light illuminates his handsome face and turns his dark eyes chestnut brown. He’s still just as hot and rugged as before, and so much more.

I want him. So fucking much, shooting pains rush from my stomach down to my balls.

Desire flashes for a second in his eyes, making me think Grizzly might be happy to see me. Then his hands fall on Hollywood’s shoulders in an overly familiar gesture, and my thoughts veer to red and punishing whips.

What’s with my fifty shades of kink? Is this jealousy? I’m not sure how to process it. I can’t just toss the competition away like I did when I took Art’s phone number from Hunter’s pants last night. Can I?

And I’m feeling nervous as well. What the fuck is going on with me? Nothing has changed, and at the same time, everything has.

“What do you think? I’m stalking you again,” I reply with annoyance. Sweat rolls down my spine, turning cold in the spring chill.

“A-gain?” Hollywood slowly repeats.

“Couldn’t call me?” Of course, Bear doesn’t make it easy on me.

“Need to talk to you. Alone,” I tell him, glancing at the trio.

“Velma here thinks we are your side bitches,” the rude one mumbles around a piece of grape.

There’s a moment of silence. The brunet, the silent one, makes a disgusted face and then loud laughter fills the front yard.

I can’t take my eyes off Hunter, though. His laugh is at my expense, I get it, but I’m mesmerized by his carefree smile. His brown pools are filled with joy, those juicy lips stretched over pearly white teeth, and his head tilted slightly back showing his smooth, thick neck and the mark I left there. The hand lifting in front of his mouth is trying to hide it all, but there’s no use. His happy face is forever imprinted in my brain.

Meg is wrong. I’m not interested in Hunter. I’m fucking fixated on him.

When they stop laughing I shrug unapologetically. “What was I supposed to think? The wicked trio didn’t offer any explanation.” But the truth is that a wave of relief hits me.

“Who are you?”The silent one speaks!The squirrel slides down his shoulder, and he catches it in his arms before it falls on the hard ground.

“I’m Grizzly’s…partner,” I reply, still staring at the weird animal.

“Grizzly?” Hollywood blond likes to repeat what I say. He sends a dubious glance at the rude one.

“He doesn’t do partners,” the silent one lets me know, pointing his thumb back at Hunter.

“Are we talking work or private?” I ask, not giving Grizzly the time to say anything.

“Both,” the blonds say together, and Hunter sighs with exasperation.

“I suddenly feel like I’m on the set ofThe Shining. I’m in, if Jack makes an appearance.” I look around dramatically. Then I hear a long bleat followed by a couple of oinks. “Are we near a farm?”

Hollywood blond opens his mouth, but Hunter’s firm “enough” shushes him. His bossiness is so damn hot. He steps around the trio and out on the porch. “We have some animals. Come, we’ll talk in the backyard.”

“But we have questions and no fucking answers!” The rude one looks like a frustrated child.