Elizabeth, Peyton - Not So Common (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Not So Common
For over a year, Cannon O'Neal and Ryder Conti have loved Amber Warren from afar. Much to their dismay, a tragic accident caused Amber to lose her family at the tender age of seventeen and she's refused to let anyone near her heart since. Amber uses her permanent leg injury as an excuse to keep them at arm's length, but when the two ranchers come to her rescue, their loving touch convinces her to have a temporary affair.
Events unfold, causing Cannon and Ryder to share with her that they never intended for their relationship to be fleeting. Amber abruptly ends their affair, causing heartache to all three. Things go from bad to worse when tragedy strikes again and threatens to take her ranchers' lives. Will her fear of losing her men override the love they are offering?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length: 27,208 words
NOT SO COMMON
Peyton Elizabeth
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
NOT SO COMMON
Copyright © 2012 by Peyton Elizabeth
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-597-4
First E-book Publication: June 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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Regarding E-book Piracy
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This is Peyton Elizabeth’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Elizabeth’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
To my wonderful son, who has given me immeasurable support. You have taught me to live life to the fullest and never give up on our dreams. For someone so young, you are very wise. I love you with all my heart.
NOT SO COMMON
PEYTON ELIZABETH
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Amber gave an exasperated sigh as she closed the software on her laptop to call it a day. She loved running her coffee shop, actually lived for it, but doing the paperwork end of things was just not her forte. She tried to rub away the gritty feeling in her eyes from staring at the computer screen too long, but gave up, placing both elbows on the table to rest her chin in her hands while blowing out an irritated sigh. At least the orders for next week had been placed, and payroll distributed before the upcoming weekend. She knew that Tammy, her only employee, needed the money before the holidays. Was Christmas really a month away?
Glancing around The Coffee Bean, Amber realized how late it was, and a peek at her wristwatch showed twenty minutes until closing. She glanced out the café window into the cold, dark night, noticing how empty the town was at 7:40 p.m. The lamppost shined off the wet street from the snow that had melted throughout the day, leaving a mess of gray mush in its place.
Feeling a pinch of disappointment that they hadn’t come in today, Amber quickly brushed the emotion aside, knowing she should be glad. “It was their fault,” she grumbled to herself. Amber was becoming too used to their daily visits. Getting frustrated that she couldn’t get them out of her mind for more than two minutes, she tore her gaze away from the darkness.
Only Earl and Lou sat at their designated table in the corner, having their evening game of chess. Tammy had already cleaned the tables, restocked the end unit for opening tomorrow at 6:00 a.m., and cleaned the espresso machines. Looking around the shop, it never ceased to give Amber a sense of pride to know that she had turned her dream into a success.
Wooden tables and chairs lined the exterior of the room along the windows of the corner shop, while three sets of squares sat in the middle that consisted of couches, chairs, and coffee tables. Wanting a warm feeling to envelope her customers upon entering, she made sure splashes of earth-toned colors blanketed the room. Deep gold, burgundy, and browns mingled throughout the fabrics. She strived for a more relaxed atmosphere than other coffee shops, and wanted her customers to feel like this was a home away from home to either kick-start their day or unwind from their hectic lives. Not that she had to worry about competition, seeing as the town of Common, Illinois, had a population of 223 people, but still—she went out of her way to make sure her café was a success.
Giving a tired sigh, Amber stood and left her computer and paperwork on the table to walk over where Tammy stood behind the counter. She tried not to favor her right leg too much, gradually stretching the muscles with each step so they didn’t seize up on her.
“Tammy, go ahead on home. I’ll take over,” Amber instructed, reaching out for her apron she had left on one of the stools. “I got caught up doing the ordering for next week and didn’t realize how late it was. I know you need to take your mother to an early doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”
“No problem, Amber. I appreciate it. They have Mom on a new medication and it seems to be slowing the Alzheimer’s a bit,” Tammy informed her with a sad smile on her face, tucking a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear. Tammy took off her black apron with a gigantic coffee bean on the front, and stored it under the cherrywood counter in exchange for her purse. “The only thing left to do is clean out the carafes. By the way, I’ll probably be in around noon, if that’s okay.”
“That’s fi
ne. It’s Friday tomorrow, so if you just want to take the day off, feel free. I’ll probably drag some decorations out of storage and sort through them. We can decorate sometime next week during the slow periods.”
“Are you sure about tomorrow? I can be here by late morning to help you carry the boxes and—”
“Tammy, I can do it myself,” Amber replied tightly, cutting Tammy off. Why did people think she couldn’t do things alone? “Take tomorrow off and I’ll see you Saturday,” Amber ordered, gentling her tone, knowing how sensitive Tammy became if she thought she had upset someone.
“Thanks, Amber. Some college friends of mine are traveling through town, heading toward Chicago. It’ll be nice to see them for a bit. I really appreciate it.”
“Good for you. You deserve a little time to yourself.”
Tammy gave a brighter smile than usual, obviously glad for the time to spend with someone other than her mother. “Good night.”
Amber felt her heartstrings pull at watching her head toward the front door, giving a wave good-bye. Tammy was twenty-two years old, fresh from college, and had returned home to take care of her mother after the diagnosis. She was too young to have to deal with life struggles without ever having really lived on her own. Amber knew what it was like to have your life stolen away in a nanosecond, but automatically steered her mind away from those thoughts. She rarely delved in self-pity and wasn’t going to do so now. Tonight, she was going to close up shop, head upstairs to where her apartment was, and soak in a nice, hot, bubble bath.
Feeling a cramp starting up in the thigh of her right leg, Amber took her palm and slowly massaged the muscle through the denim of her jeans. Damn, she shouldn’t have sat so long without moving. Thankfully, she felt the twinge slowly subside, but knew if she didn’t take a muscle relaxant now, her night would be spent in discomfort. Amber walked behind the counter to where she kept her medicine.
“You all right, missy?” Earl questioned, making Amber turn around at the sound of his gruff, aging voice. Those old fogies didn’t miss a beat.
“Of course, Earl. I just sat a little too long. No biggie,” Amber said, dismissing his concern, not wanting them to worry and hover over her. Laying her apron back on the stool, she walked over to where the two older gentlemen sat and made a mental note to take her medication after closing up shop. “Who’s winning?”
Earl and Lou, both in their seventies, had been coming to The Coffee Bean since her opening two years ago, and had a standing evening game of chess. Those two had been friends their whole lives, and while Earl had never married, Lou had lost his wife five years prior to cancer. She knew without Earl’s friendship, Lou wouldn’t have made it through.
Earl was African-American with graying hair, a scruffy beard, and a smile that lit up a room. He never went anywhere without his favorite worn-out, navy blue cardigan sweater that had more pulls in it than a cat’s scratching post. Lou was the total opposite, though, with his fair skin, white hair, and clean-shaven face. He was always wearing crisp, button-down shirts that never failed to match his bow ties.
Earl’s grin answered Amber’s question while Lou gave a huff of frustration. “Lou is a little sidetracked today. Ran into Miss Lila at the bakery this morning, and she wouldn’t give him the time of day,” Earl informed her, chuckling at Lou’s misfortune.
“I will have you know I have no interest in Miss Lila. She’s too uppity for my taste!” Lou declared, his grumpiness showing through as he moved his black chess piece with more force than necessary. “Do you know that woman had the audacity to say my bow tie didn’t match my shirt? She’s color-blind, is what she is!”
Amber stifled a laugh by coughing and then saying, “Well, Lou, I think you’re taking it the wrong way. I think she needed to say something to get your attention, and the only thing she could think of was to comment on your tie. Sometimes us women get a little tongue-tied when trying to fetch the attentions of a handsome man.”
Lou looked up and his two white, bushy eyebrows made a V in concentration while he studied her, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. “You really think she was trying to get my attention?” he asked.
“What woman would not want your attention, Lou? Look at you! Distinguished, intelligent, well-dressed, and a gentleman to boot. Even I see how flustered Miss Lila gets when you’re around. You need to play your cards right, Lou, and ask that lady to dinner.”
“Speaking of gentlemen,” Earl cut in, “how are your ranchers doing?”
“They aren’t my ranchers, Earl,” Amber reminded them with a stern voice, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction. “I have no interest in them at all. They’ll eventually get tired and move on.”
Amber switched her weight to her left side, feeling another twitch, but not wanting to concern them. They had a tendency to be overprotective of her. Hell, most of the town was overprotective of her. Had been for the last ten years, thinking they knew what was best for her after the accident.
“But you need a man to take care of you, Amber.” Lou missed the look of irritation that crossed her face as he watched to see what move Earl would make on the board. “Or two good men, which those boys are. They’ve been lusting after you for a year, which means they aren’t the up and leave ’em type.”
“Checkmate!”
Both Lou and Amber looked at the chessboard. Sure enough, Earl’s queen had Lou’s king in checkmate, and the game was over. How they managed to coincide the end of every game with closing time was beyond her. Earl gave a hearty chuckle and started to put the chess pieces away in his carry case while Lou reached for his jacket, obviously forgetting about the conversation they were having. That was fine by her, Amber thought, feeling relieved, until she heard the coffee shop bell jingle above the door. Her stomach tightened, hoping against hope that it wasn’t whom she thought it was. At least, that’s what she told herself. Amber cautiously looked up.
Sure enough, it was Cannon O’Neal. One half of the ranchers the whole town wanted her to be with. She would never reveal that both men made her want to be normal, made her have feelings no other man conjured up, and made her dream nightly until she awoke in sexual frustration, having to stroke herself to orgasm. She’d had sex once in her life, right before the car accident, and it was nothing to write home about. All it consisted of was a lot of fumbling and discomfort. So why did just looking at them make her hotter than actually doing the deed itself?
All thought went right out of her head as Amber ran her eyes down his body, taking in how his blue fleeced jacket made his shoulders appear broader, and how his faded Levi’s hugged his hips, leaving nothing to the imagination. Was his groin getting bigger? Was he getting a—
“Evening, Cannon. How’s the ranch?”
Amber flushed when she realized where her thoughts were headed...straight in the gutter. She chided herself and gave her butt a mental kick. Not happening. Not in a million years. This is what happens when I read too many erotica stories. The mind goes places it has no right to go. It had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her reading hobby. Maybe her next book would be a mystery or thriller. She definitely needed to get rid of her sex books.
* * * *
Cannon answered Earl’s question while looking over the woman who was meant to be his. And Ryder’s. One look at Amber their first week in town and they had both realized she was the one for them. Petite at around five foot three, she had voluptuous curves in all the right places with a waist he could probably span his fingers around. She had long, chestnut-colored hair that flowed in loose curves to the middle of her back, with the most beautiful heart-shaped face and the lushest pink lips he had ever seen on a woman. He hardened at the thought of how moist and soft they would feel on his dick when he slipped it between them. It was an image that tormented him daily, and wouldn’t go away.
Both he and Ryder moved to Common a year ago knowing they could live their lifestyle without criticism or discrimination. Common was discreetly know
n as a ménage town, although there were more towns popping up across the globe, as it was becoming somewhat more acceptable. After doing a bit of research once their tours in the U.S. Army had concluded, they decided to settle here and live off the land they served and protected.
Being overseas away from their families, the two men formed a bond of friendship rather quickly, and after their first out of three tours, became friends for life. They started sharing everything, and a chance encounter with a woman who wanted to have sex with both of them at the same time started them on a journey to have a permanent third. The high they felt at being able to bring more pleasure to a woman together than they could ever give alone was indescribable. It was a feeling, they decided, they couldn’t live without.
Then they met Amber Warren. They tried for weeks to get her to go out with them, but she consistently shut them down. After a while, the town residents started to feel sorry for them and clarified what they had already guessed, that she didn’t date.
Amber lost her parents and brother in a single car accident ten winters ago at the age of seventeen, leaving her with an injured leg and without a family. Realizing the residents had taken her under their wing and pretty much crowned her the town’s sweetheart, Cannon and Ryder informed every citizen of their honorable intentions, receiving the people’s blessing to pursue their one and only.
Unfortunately, Amber didn’t see things their way. It was their sole focus to change her mind.