Butch hopped on the bed, obviously giving up on a late-night romp. He put his head down and closed his eyes. Not a guard dog.
“Can’t remember?” James asked, crossing his arms over his sculpted chest. Despite the fact that her hands were still shaking, she couldn’t help but notice that both men looked even better than they had in her dream. James’s chest was perfectly cut and tapered from broad shoulders to a lean waist. Noah’s pajama bottoms rode low on his muscled hips, revealing the glorious notches that pointed straight toward what Hope suspected was a really nice man part.
She didn’t have to suspect about James. His poked out of the hole of his boxers. She knew she shouldn’t look but couldn’t turn away. James was built on big lines, and his cock wasn’t any different. Her voice came out in a breathy whisper. “I don’t remember.”
“Dude, how can she remember a damn thing when your junk is practically pointing her way?” Noah asked.
James flushed, his tan skin turning the sweetest shade of pink. He tucked himself back in. “Sorry. I was having a dream of my own.”
“Yeah, I bet.” Noah’s mouth formed a flat line. “Do you know what I was dreaming about? I was dreaming about being warm because my own damn brother didn’t bother to give me a blanket. He told me to sleep on the couch and then he turned off the heater.”
James had a shit-eating grin on his face. “Well, you didn’t exactly call to let me know I needed to set up another guest bedroom.”
“If you two are going to fight, go to another room.” She was pleased that her voice sounded halfway steady. She could still see Christian standing there. She wouldn’t sleep the rest of the night. She would lie in bed and wait for dawn. It was the way it had been for a solid week. She thought about asking Noah to let Butch stay with her.
“We’re not going to fight.” James strode right to the bed and pulled back her quilt.
“What are you doing?” Hope asked as she scooted to the middle of the bed.
James climbed in, crowding her. “If I leave you alone, you won’t sleep a wink. I’m not stupid, Hope. You remember everything about that dream. It’s going to haunt you all night, and I would bet this ranch that you’ve been having the dream or something like it for weeks. You’re tired, baby. You have to get some rest. Noah, turn the light off as you go. You can take my bed.”
Noah snorted. “Not happening.”
The light went out as James pulled her close. She could feel his heat. He was better than any electric blanket. She knew it was a dumb idea, but her arms wound around his body, and she laid her head on his chest. The strong rhythm of his heart beat against her ear, a safe sound.
“I have to protect Hope. God only knows what you would do to her.” Noah climbed in on the other side. “Besides it’s way warmer in here.”
“Well, if you’re going to stay, you better stop complaining and go to sleep.” James sounded sleepy. His arms curled around her shoulders.
Noah’s arm draped over her waist. He sighed as he settled in behind her, pulling the quilt up. “I’ll stop complaining now. Now I’m happy.”
She should protest. She should force them both out, but her eyes were already closing as though her body knew to be grateful even when her brain held on to stubbornness. Her body was winning. Noah cuddled up against her backside. She was surrounded by warmth.
She slept for the first time in weeks, safe in between them.
Chapter Seven
James drove into town, a frown on his face. “Do we have to take that dog with us everywhere we go?”
“I think he’s sweet,” Hope said, grinning as she turned slightly to acknowledge Butch’s presence.
“He’s not kissing you,” James grumbled. He was going to need a shower after this little trip into town.
“He likes you,” Noah said. “He’s just a big old lover, aren’t you?”
“He needs a bath.” James sighed as the damn dog’s head came to rest on his shoulder. Butch was sitting in the back of the cab, and since they had taken off for Bliss about twenty minutes before, Butch had shown him a whole hell of a lot of doggy affection. Noah had always had a heart for big, ugly mutts. Ever since they were kids, he was a stray magnet.
The trouble was James didn’t want doggy affection. He wanted Hope. He’d woken up with a wretched hard-on, and for the barest moment in the minutes between waking and full consciousness, he’d thought about just rolling over on top of her and kissing her. He could make them both happy. He could make love to her while she was still sleepy and vulnerable, before her reason came back, and by the time he’d slid inside her, there wouldn’t be any going back. He wouldn’t have a choice if he made love to her. She wasn’t like his other women. If he made love to Hope, it would be a commitment, and while he was still half-asleep, that had seemed like a fine idea.
And then his goddamn, interfering brother had sat up and started talking about plans for the day. Plans. All of James’s plans were blown, and now the only kisses he was getting came from a mutt with doggy breath.
And to top it all off, there was traffic. Traffic. He was stuck at one of the two damn stoplights in town behind a dilapidated RV. James hung his head out the window, trying to get a sense of what was going on. There was a line of vehicles but not what he was used to seeing. People in Bliss tended to drive trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. These were what he would term city cars. Outside of the RV, there was a Volkswagen Beetle that had seen way better days, and several sedans. The Beetle had a sign on the top of its dome proclaiming that someone named Madame Valentina provided expert palm readings.
God, it was starting. The crazies were coming to town, and given where James lived, that was saying a lot. When Mel was one of the saner people in the area, James preferred to hunker down. By the time the first snow fell, Bliss would be back to normal. Apparently snow killed the “vibes.” He’d also noticed a lot of the psychics, warlocks, or whatever they called themselves tended to prefer warmer climates.
The light changed, and James was finally able to move.
“You guys can really just drop me off. I know you’re busy.” Hope spoke briskly as she looked out the window, carefully avoiding glancing at either James or Noah.
James turned to her. He noted Noah did the same thing. They were both simply staring at her.
She looked between the two of them. “Fine. But don’t complain later when you’re bored waiting around for me.”
What exactly did she think he was going to do? Did she think he was going to wait in the truck? “I’ll handle it.”
Noah laughed.
“What?” James asked.
“Good luck with that, brother,” Noah muttered.
“Handle what?” Hope asked, her voice tight. She was back in dowdy clothes this morning. He’d preferred the pajamas. She’d looked young and sweet with her hair around her shoulders and her eyes soft with sleep. He really wanted to take her hair out of that ponytail. He sort of wished Trev hadn’t retrieved her clothes from her car. Then he could find something pretty for her to wear. He liked the idea of buying her nice clothes, like she would be wearing them just for him. But since he hadn’t had the chance to buy her clothes, the least he could do was handle her car.
“I’ll handle Long-Haired Roger. I know a little something about cars. I also know Long-Haired Roger will try to keep the cost to a minimum by using crap-ass recycled parts.” He knew that because Roger had fixed his truck more than once in the last couple of years, and he’d worked hard to make sure James could afford his bill. Roger was a fine man, but James didn’t want Hope driving around in a car that had been fixed with parts someone had found at a junkyard. In fact, he intended to see if Roger wouldn’t just tell her to get a new one. He hated the way her car always shuddered when it started or stopped.