Original Match [Ménage.com 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Chapter Three

  Shea was glad she wore her black suit with the red camisole, although it certainly hadn’t been the most comfortable clothing to wear on the hour-and-a-half drive to Chicago. Looking around, she came to the conclusion that she definitely would have been out of place in her normal sweatpants and favorite zip-up sweatshirt. She snickered at the thought.

  This place was definitely a high-class type of business, located on the 20th floor of a high-rise building. Her heels clicked on the pristine white tile as she walked toward the reception area. The soft lighting did nothing to stop the glare coming off the floor or distract from the abstract art that was hanging on the walls. The modern-looking receptionist desk was made of glass and shaped in an odd pattern, almost looking as if it had two layers. Shea would have thought the owners would have demanded it be kept clean, but the papers that lay askew made it look like it was in disarray.

  No one was sitting in the chair, and Shea glanced around, hoping to find someone. There was a conference room off to her right, which was currently empty, and a hallway leading to what she assumed were more offices. She stood there debating if she should yell out or just walk down the hall, when she heard voices.

  “Lucy, you know you can’t leave the front area like that. We have two clients that are due any moment, and you need to be there to greet them.”

  She would know that voice anywhere. Almost at once, her body felt flushed and her stomach felt like it had turned upside down. Gripping her purse strap a little bit tighter than necessary, she tried to calm her racing heart. She wasn’t here to see Grayson Stevens and she certainly wasn’t going to allow herself to be affected by a mere man. She was stronger than that. She couldn’t help but wonder if his physique matched his sensual voice.

  “But, Mr. Stevens, I thought that Ian could use a cup of coffee. He’s usually not in the office this early. Oops, I shouldn’t use his first name, huh?”

  “Ian can take care of himself. Right now, I need you to do your job.”

  Keeping her eye on the hallway, Shea saw a blonde woman hurrying around the corner. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the coffee stains that were down her white shirt. It reminded her of Cyn a couple days ago, when she had spilled her latte down the front of her. Thinking of their plan and their conversation made her resolve to get this accomplished as fast as she could.

  This unkempt woman must be Lucy. She was a bit of a mess, with her hair a little on the frizzy side and a shade of lipstick a little too red for her complexion. Shea immediately felt for the woman, seeing that she seemed a little flustered. On the other hand, there was an intelligence that shined through her eyes, hinting that she knew more than she let on.

  “Oh my, you are a little early. Which appointment are you again?” Lucy scurried behind her desk and leaned over the large computer screen, squinting to read the print displayed in black. “I think I need reading glasses, or they need to get a bigger computer screen.”

  “My name is Shea Brennan,” Shea responded, ignoring Lucy’s comment about glasses. She really just wanted to meet with the programmer and then head back home. “I’m here to see Ian. I wasn’t given his last name.”

  “Oh, you’re the woman I spoke to on the phone yesterday,” Lucy said, reaching for the phone. Sitting down in the chair, she pressed a button on the number pad. “I am really sorry about that. I had the wrong information. Apparently, it isn’t that they are six months out on the programming, but there’s a project that they are working on that will take six months. I really need to listen better. By the way, I love the red underneath your suit. It matches my lipstick. Where did you get it?”

  Shea was having a hard time trying to keep up with Lucy’s conversation. She wasn’t sure if Lucy did it on purpose or if it was just her personality. Thankfully, Shea was saved from having to answer when the person on the other end picked up.

  “Your ten-o’clock appointment is here. I’d bring her back, but the other Mr. Stevens wasn’t happy that I brought you coffee and said that I needed to stay at the front desk.”

  Lucy paused, apparently to listen to who Shea assumed was Ian. Did that mean that Ian was a Stevens? Surely not, Shea thought, considering that Ian was supposed to be a programmer. When she had looked over the website, it had only listed Grayson as the President and CEO. The site made no mention of a brother. For some reason, an uncomfortable feeling started to take hold. If Ian were Grayson’s brother, would he have a voice like honey as well? Shea couldn’t stop her creative mind from coming up with a hot body and gorgeous face to match. Maybe she should have requested a woman programmer. Shea didn’t see them making much progress if she was too busy wiping up drool. She crossed her fingers, hoping against hope that Ian had black-rimmed glasses with tape in the middle. She even added a bowtie to her wish.

  “Okay, Mr. Stevens. Maybe your brother needs some coffee himself. I never thought of that. He’s usually so self-sufficient. I’ll make sure to add extra sugar this time.” Lucy hung up the phone. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice as if they were in a conspiracy together. “Mr. Stevens will be out shortly. I’m going to wait for the next appointment and then take the other Mr. Stevens a cup of coffee. His brother thinks that a lack of caffeine might be causing his bad mood. Personally, I think he needs to get laid.”

  It took everything Shea had not to burst out laughing. For one, to hear those words come out of Lucy’s mouth was just too much. And second, it was so obvious that Ian was setting up his brother. Lucy just wasn’t connecting the dots. Shea wondered how long this had been going on, because she had heard the frustration in Grayson Stevens’s voice when he was telling Lucy how to do her job. Her humor fled the minute a man walked around the corner. Shit, so much for the geek wish.

  “Thank you, Lucy. And make sure Grayson’s coffee has cream. You know, the flavored kind that you keep in the kitchen.”

  Ian Stevens was stunning and so the opposite of the picture she had conjured up in her mind, or at least wished for. At least six foot, his lean form was cut in all the right places. The black dress shirt he wore was left unbuttoned at the top, letting the skin of his chest show and beg to be touched. Worn, faded jeans molded to his legs and traveled down to a shoe size that had her imagination running wild. Bringing her gaze back up slowly to make sure she didn’t miss any detail, she gulped at the size of the bulge that was nothing compared to what she assumed it could be. His hands were beautiful, and his wrists dusted with a sprinkle of hair that she would love to trail her fingers over. He could be a model for one of their covers.

  She swept her gaze higher, taking in the cords of his neck and thinking how she would love to sink her teeth into his skin to leave a mark. His chin was perfect. How could a chin be that prominent, yet so sexual? His lips were curved into a smile, although the right side tilted a little higher. That little imperfection made him all the more attractive. His cheekbones were high, leading to coffee-colored eyes that held a sparkle of mischief. His hair looked as if a woman had run her hands through it to keep his head in a certain area. A ping of jealousy hit her heart, and she couldn’t help but place her hand over her chest. His grin became larger, bringing Shea slamming back down to reality.

  What the hell was she doing? Oh my God. She had just looked over a man. And not just any man, but Ian Stevens, the man who was going to help her create a dating site—a ménage dating site. Where was Cyn when she needed her? She wanted the floor to swallow her whole. Shea scrambled to control her overreactive body, which felt like every nerve was being exposed to his very observant eyes. She needed to figure out an escape plan. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get her muddled brain to work.

  Shea felt wetness leak from her pussy. It had been so long since the sight of a man had aroused her to the extent she got wet. Lately, the only thing that did that was the love scenes she wrote. She stood there for a minute, trying to figure out how to extricate herself from the situation without making it obvious she was attracted to him. When she shift
ed her legs, her panties caught the juice that escaped her folds. There was no way she could sit through an entire meeting with damp underwear.

  “You must be Shea Brennan. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ian Stevens, the programmer that’s been assigned to your project.”

  His voice had the same effect on her body as Grayson’s. Shea was so fucked. She really hoped that was figuratively, because she didn’t think she was capable of handling a man like this.

  * * * *

  Ian offered his hand and waited patiently for the most endearing woman to take what he offered. She had to be at least half a foot shorter than him, if not a couple more inches than that. Her petite figure was adorable, and he was glad to see she wasn’t like those thin models. He and his brother liked women with curves, and she had plenty. He wasn’t sure how long her hair was, since she had it clipped in a twist at the base of her neck, but he loved the luxurious chestnut color. Her expressive green eyes were wide with embarrassment, but he couldn’t tell her how pleased he was that she reacted the way she did upon seeing him. The way her cheeks flushed at being caught looking him over had his dick harder than he could ever remember it being.

  Ian wondered if Grayson was correct in assuming she was the Shea Brennan, the author of the books they liked to read. Could she be here in connection with her work? Although Ian couldn’t fathom what the correlation could be.

  Her left hand was pressed against her chest, giving him a clear indication that she wasn’t married. She hesitantly released the handle of her purse and slipped her delicate hand into his. He suppressed a groan at how soft her skin was, loving the warmth that she radiated. Ian couldn’t help but hold on to her a little longer than was necessary, and he caught the slightest hint of a gasp coming from her lips. Her green eyes glittered with desire, despite her effort to disguise it. It was then that he knew without a doubt that she would be the most expressive woman in bed that he and Grayson had ever shared. Not wanting to scare her off and knowing he needed to tread carefully, Ian released her hand and took a step back.

  “Why don’t we head back to my office and discuss your project. Would you like any coffee?”

  “Um, no, thank you,” Shea responded.

  It was the first time she spoke, and her voice poured over his skin. He wondered how she would sound during the throes of passion. Would she be loud in her release, or was she a quiet one?

  “Are you the only programmer here?”

  “No, but I’m the best. You want the best working for you, correct?”

  Ian didn’t wait for an answer, but instead, placed his hand on her lower back. Applying a little pressure, he guided her down the hallway to his office. Once he had her safely inside, Ian turned and used his left hand to close his door, wanting to remain touching her for as long as he could. It didn’t really matter if he shut the door though, because Ian was giving Grayson less than five minutes to barge in with a fake issue to insinuate himself into the meeting. Ian was really hoping the coffee stint with Lucy would delay him.

  “Please, have a seat. Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?”

  “No, thank you,” Shea replied, stepping away from him and walking briskly to the chair in front of his desk.

  “If it’s all right with you, I’d rather use the table,” Ian said, indicating with a nod of his head the round tabletop located by the window that overlooked the city.

  Ian watched as Shea walked over to where he had his stuff laid out and took a seat, placing her purse on the floor. He walked over and made sure to sit in the chair closest to her, his back facing the door. She was fidgeting with a ring that was on her right hand, twirling it around and around, which made him wonder if that was a nervous habit.

  “My brother mentioned that you wanted to start a dating website. If you could be more specific, then I can create a list of questions that I feel are needed to get the program started.”

  Shea didn’t respond right away, and he could see the indecision in her eyes. He was curious as to what had her so hesitant. Did she want to create a site that helped her find someone? But if that was what she wanted, then why create a site when she could just join an existing one? It was almost humorous the way she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders in determination.

  “Some friends and I want to create a ménage dating website. You see, we are erotic-romance authors whose genre specializes in two men and a woman having a relationship. A long story short, a reader was asking where she might find this type of arrangement, and we came up with the idea to create a site. We can cross-promote our work while at the same time helping people find the connection they are looking for. So, what information do you need?”

  Shea had spoken so fast that Ian found himself not wanting to answer right away. He felt relief in knowing that she was, indeed, the author Gray thought she was. His first reaction at hearing what the site was actually intended for made him want to blurt out that she didn’t need one because she had two willing men at her disposal. But as she continued to explain that she was doing it for her readers, he couldn’t get a read on if it was something she, herself, would be interested in. Deciding to test out the waters, Ian came to a decision to clue her in that he knew exactly who she was.

  “We like your books. You spin the relationship between three people in a very relatable way. Do you live the lifestyle?”

  Ian watched her face closely, seeing her green eyes widen at his question. Her fingers started to roll her ring again, at a faster clip than before. Her anxiety was either due to what he asked or the fact that he read her books. It didn’t take long for him to find out which one had her flustered.

  “You read my books?”

  “Yes, we do. You are a very talented writer.”

  Ian smiled when he saw Shea whip her head toward the door where Grayson had just entered. Gray never came close to lasting the five minutes he had allotted him, as it had to have been only around two. Not wanting to miss a single reaction to what his brother said, Ian sat back against his chair and settled in. He never looked away from Shea’s face.

  “We spoke on the phone yesterday. I’m Grayson Stevens, Ian’s brother. Please call me Gray. It’s nice to meet you.”

  By this time, Gray had made his way over to the table and stood in front of Shea, offering his hand. She had no choice but to take it, and Ian knew from the look on her face that she had the same reaction to Gray’s touch as she had had to his. His brother was very close to him in the looks department, although he tended to be on the more conservative side with shorter hair and an always clean-shaven face. Ian’s features were more prominent, although he was always envious of Gray’s square chin. Ian had a tendency of skipping days between shaving, depending on how busy his programming schedule was. They both had the same brown eyes, thanks to their father, as well as his height. It was nice to know that Shea was physically attracted to both of them. Now, since she had captured his full attention, Ian had to wonder if that attraction could grow into something more. This meeting couldn’t have gone better if it had been a scene out of her books.

  “Why would you read my books?” Shea asked, pulling her hand away from Grayson. She immediately went back to fiddling with her ring. It was a charming trait, and Ian found himself wondering what other habits she had. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stevens, that came out very rude. It’s just—well, the target market is usually women.”

  “I understand. And please, call me Gray. To answer your question, we are in the lifestyle and find it refreshing to read about characters that deal with the same issues that we do.” Gray walked behind Ian and took the seat directly across from Shea. “And with how accurate your descriptions are, you obviously lead the lifestyle as well.”

  Shea’s face became as red as the camisole she wore under her black jacket. He wondered how far her blush extended, seeing as how the flushed skin traveled down to her cleavage. She crossed and uncrossed her legs three times before she answered.

  “So how long will it take
to get the site up and running? The two authors that I write with will be doing the research portion of this, traveling to areas where they can promote the site to people who would be interested.”

  Ian was impressed with how she totally bypassed answering either one of them, although Gray had not really posed it as a question. He found that he didn’t like to see her that uncomfortable, so he decided to switch to business. Once they had that taken care of, Ian would find a way to convince her to have dinner with them. It would be then that he and Grayson could concentrate on more personal matters.

  The minute he started to ask her questions on how she viewed the site in her head, her body relaxed and she finally rested her hands on the table in front of her. Ian was good at his job and made the process as smooth as he could. They spent the next two hours discussing the best way to navigate the type of site that could cater to three people. He found that she was very intelligent, as well as beautiful, and by the time noon rolled around, her sense of humor had shone through numerous times. She even had Gray chuckling at some comments some of her readers had left on her site.

  At one point, Gray had Shea laughing when he mentioned how Lucy had brought him coffee with sugar and cream, when he had specifically told her not to leave the front desk. On top of that, he drank his coffee black. Gray went on to explain that their original administrator had taken a leave of absence to help her ailing father, and that the place hadn’t been the same without her. The three other programmers on their payroll had threatened to quit if Beth didn’t come back soon. Shea even managed to share a secret smile with Ian, which made him realize that she knew he was the one to set up the entire coffee fiasco.

  Unfortunately, no matter what he or Grayson said, Shea wouldn’t budge on having dinner with them. She had informed them she had a ninety-mile drive ahead of her and she wanted to make sure she was out of the city before the evening traffic became too congested to navigate. The more he and Grayson pushed, her anxiety seemed to recover, and the last thing he wanted was to scare her away. She immediately had sat back in her chair, her fingers twisting her ring. Knowing that he had her information and that they would be speaking frequently about the program, Ian gave a look over at Gray to indicate they needed to back off.