The Perfect Plan [The Men of Treasure Cove 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  After waking everyone, all remaining partygoers refused to claim the pot-bellied pig with the name Peaches written in lipstick down its back.

  “Never again, Orin,” Jacks whispered as anger began to erupt within him. Picking up a photograph of his parents, he noticed the frame was still intact, but the glass was shattered. Placing the picture back on the side window table, Jacks just looked at the loving people smiling back at him.

  Married for almost thirty years, Katie, Noah, and John McDaniels loved this house, the ranch, and the town they called home. They raised their children to be upstanding citizens, kind and eager to help out the town. They were devoted members of the community and currently on a trip around the world. If they were here right now, they would be ashamed, and that didn’t sit well with Jacks.

  After handing the reins of the ranch to them, their fathers surprised their mother with a yearlong trip around the world. The dads figured, with them out of the way, Jacks and his brothers would have to work together and hopefully settle down. Looking at the mess before him, Jacks thought, “Guess you were wrong, dad.”

  “Don’t worry, Jacks. I’ll get the glass replaced. Now, we need a plan to get this place cleaned up,” Orin said, picking up a discarded pizza box.

  “No! No more plans! You suck at them, and only chaos ensues. We are just gonna clean it up and fix what we can. That’s it!” Jacks said angrily.

  “Dude, I said I’d fix the frame. It’s no biggie,” Orin said, picking up another pizza box.

  That was just it. It was more than the broken glass. Jacks had had enough. He didn’t want this anymore. He was tired. Tired of the parties, the drunken orgies, and the countless women, and he was sick and tired of Orin’s plans. He had had enough.

  “No, Orin. I mean, this was it. The last party. No more! Mom and Dads would kill us if they saw this shit. And frankly, I’m tired of all the cleanup. This place is trashed. It’s gonna cost a shitload of money to fix this place up. Some of the stuff can’t be fixed. Did you see what happened to mom’s curio? She is gonna go ballistic! Granny gave her that on her wedding day,” Jacks informed his brother, who ignored him and kept picking up trash.

  “Besides, what are we gonna do about this?” Jacks said, holding up his ring finger.

  “Yeah, Orin,” Davis said, speaking for the first time. “I may not be the brightest blub in the family, but I do know that a ring on your ring finger means marriage.”

  “It’s gotta be a joke,” Orin, said, looking at his own hand.

  “Some joke! I don’t even remember it being placed on my hand! Do you?” Jacks asked.

  “I don’t,” Davis admitted.

  “Me, either,” Orin said, scratching his head, “What do you guys remember from last night? Cause my mind is still fuzzy.”

  The silence was deafening.

  Looking from brother to brother, Jacks realized that none of them had the vaguest memory of who they married, how they married her, or where it happened. The only evidence was the rings on their fingers.

  This was not good.

  That was when clarity struck. “Granny’s ring!” Jacks shouted, running into the master bedroom with his brothers fast on his trail.

  Davis and Orin watched as Jacks opened the top drawer and proceeded to search for the ring. They sighed when he produced the box and felt all was well in their world. That was until Jacks opened the box.

  Instead of the double-platinum, three-carat princess-cut diamond, he pulled out a scanty, lacy thong with a white flower embroidered on it.

  “Shit!” they all muttered.

  * * * *

  Lilly Campbell woke with the worst hangover on the planet. Her head was beating to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as she slowly opened her eyes. The high-pitched strings on the guitar were grating her nerves, but when the drums began pounding, she wanted to die.

  Slowly turning her head, she eyed the clock on her nightstand and sighed. Reaching her arm out, she hit the silence button, thus ending her misery. That was until she saw the time. She had one hour to shower, dress, and get to Heaven’s Pleasures.

  Gently rolling out of bed, she grabbed her head and moaned, “I’m dying.”

  She knew last night’s wild party was a big mistake. First, she didn’t even want to go, but with the coaxing of her boss, Heaven, she relented. Now she felt like begging death to take her away. Her whole body ached, and if she couldn’t get a handle on this hangover, she was going to be useless all day.

  Rising from the bed, she moved cautiously toward the bathroom. Turning on the hot water, she walked into her kitchen and hit the power button on her coffeemaker. She was gonna need a gallon of the hot brew today.

  Seeing steam filter from the bathroom, Lilly quietly walked back toward the bathroom and stepped under the steamy spray. Closing her eyes, she let the warm water envelope her in a nice cocoon, washing away last night’s excursions.

  Growing up in rural Silver Springs, Montana, Lilly had never been to an orgy before in her life. Oh, she had heard stories of such parties from working at the Rainbow Room, but never attended. Before leaving home at the age eighteen, she lived the life of the daughter of a wealthy rancher and behaved accordingly. After graduation, she headed off to the University of Montana and acquired a degree in agriculture with a minor in horticulture. Against the opinions of her family, she chose to leave her home and experience the world, following her college sweetheart into perdition. Well, she got as far as Celestial, a mere four hours from her home.

  Thank God her family never ventured into Celestial. From birth, she had been told the town was a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah, a place of ill repute, fornicators, and the lowest degenerates on the planet. Boy, her family wasn’t far off!

  Of course, her family also believed she was somewhere in California, living it up on warm, sandy beaches and surfing her life away, but she didn’t have the heart to tell them she had been duped by her so-called boyfriend and abandoned and penniless, just because she refused to sleep with him. If it wasn’t for Heaven Meyer, she would also be homeless.

  She couldn’t call her father and tell him he was right about Derrick Wadsworth. She would never hear the end of it, and God help her if her brothers ever found out. Poor Derrick would have more to worry about than the aching balls and black eye he received from her.

  Growing up the only daughter of James and Iris Campbell was hard enough, but add in her six older brothers, and, well, Lilly was stifled, secluded, and watched over like a hawk twenty-four-seven. It was humiliating, oppressive, and downright aggravating.

  Turning off the shower, Lilly dried herself off, wrapping the towel around her. Quickly clipping up her wet blonde hair, she brushed her teeth and then got dressed for the day. It was going to be a long day, with shifts at Heaven’s Pleasures and a double shift at the Rainbow Room.

  Needing coffee and aspirin, Lilly filled her cup and took two of the small white pills. Praying they worked quickly, she sat at the little dinette and enjoyed what quiet time she had left. Looking at the clock, she frowned.

  She had to get going, or she was gonna be late.

  After placing her cup in the sink, Lilly grabbed her purse and keys from the coffee table, and that was when she saw the rings on her finger and the paper.

  Picking it up, she read, “Certificate of Commitment?”

  * * * *

  Heaven’s Pleasures was a sex store. Not some flitting fancy, but a true we-have-all-your-sexual-needs sex store. Catering to all genres, Heaven made sure that every little piece, technique, and application could be found and purchased in her store.

  The door opened, and bow chicka wow wow could be heard resonating throughout the small store. Quickly dropping her bag, Lilly headed toward the stock room, looking for Heaven.

  Sitting at her desk, Heaven Meyer was a cute brunette with a soft spray of freckles across her cheeks. Except for her leather fetish, Heaven was a sweet, bubbly woman and Lilly’s best friend.

  “Hey, Lil’. I’m surpris
ed you managed to peel yourself out of bed.” Heaven smiled.

  “Whatever. We need to talk,” Lilly said, slamming down the piece of paper in front of her friend with her left hand, making sure Heaven saw the rings on her finger. Lilly watched as Heaven smiled and said, “Nice rock,” then picked up the paper and read it. After a few minutes, Heaven’s laughter could be heard through the store.

  “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” Lilly shouted.

  “Does hubby know about your temper? If not, you should warn him.” Heaven laughed.

  “I don’t have a husband!”

  “Uh, Lil’, according to this,”—Heaven began waving the paper in front of her face—“not only do you have one husband. You have three!”

  “What?” Lilly gasped, grabbing the paper and looking at it again.

  “What exactly happened last night, Lilly?” Heaven asked as she thoroughly read the paper.

  She was fucked! Her father was going to kill her. Her mother was going to faint, and oh God, wait until her brothers found out. She was a dead woman.

  Three! Not one, not two, but three husbands.

  “It’s all fuzzy,” Lilly whispered, looking at her name on the paper. “Hey, what does ceremony of commitment mean?”

  “Well, in these parts, polyamorous marriages are the norm. Especially in Celestial, and even in Treasure Cove, the two towns were founded on such marriages. That piece of paper you are holding, my wedded friend, is a Certificate of Commitment. What it means is that you have agreed to take on more than one man, and to be their wife, live as their wife, and live only unto them, and they have agreed to the same.”

  “Is it legal?”

  “Well, that’s where it’s tricky. In order for the commitment ceremony to take place, you would have had to marry one of them. No matriarch will do the ceremony unless there is proof a legal marriage has taken place.”

  “Matriarch?”

  “A matriarch is generally an elder of the town. Here in Celestial, it’s Raven White. She runs the Starlight Spa. Her granddaughter, Moon Goddess, just took over the Best Lay Hotel.”

  “Please tell me that’s not her real name?”

  Laughing Heaven shook her head no. “Nope, her birth name is Natalie Marks. She got the name Moon Goddess because of her white-blonde hair. Her grandmother raised her after her parents decided to stay in Europe.”

  “They abandoned her?”

  “Not really. Some like to think that, but after the way Moon’s parents raised her, Raven stepped in and took Moon, saying she was better off here in Celestial. Hopping from country to country is no way to raise a child. Moon’s parents agreed, and Moon’s been here ever since.”

  “Huh. Well, that’s nice and all, but what about this?” Lilly asked, holding up the paper.

  “Well, Lil’. As far as that paper is concerned, you are married. My guess is that somewhere out there, you have three husbands who are probably scratching their heads and wondering where you are.”

  “There isn’t much you can do, especially if the marriage was consummated. You wouldn’t happen to remember if it was, would ya?”

  Thinking back to the night before, Lilly tried desperately to remember anything regarding a marriage or commitment ceremony. Flashes of three sexy men worshiping her body, feeding from her body, and licking, sucking, and fucking her until she screamed instantly popped into her head. Her face flushed red. Her hand went to her chest, feeling the fast palpitations of her heart.

  Oh God! What have I done?

  “I see by your face that you consummated it. Well, Lilly, I’m gonna give you some advice. Go find these men, sit down with them, and figure out what happened, and try to come up with a logical way to fix this, ’cause ignoring it isn’t gonna make it go away.”

  Chapter 2

  The brothers didn’t have time to dwell on who they married. They were due in town to help Macie rebuild her diner. So, leaving the “wife” dilemma on hold for the moment, they gathered what they needed and headed into town.

  All hands were on deck for the rebuilding of Macie’s diner. Hangover or not, the McDaniel Brothers arrived without any fanfare. Quickly finding a place to park, they all jumped out of the black dually pickup truck, grabbed their tool belts, and started filling in where they were needed. There were no congratulations, no slaps on the back, no grins, just simple “hi’s” and “hellos.”

  Davis watched as Orin and Braxton Connelly worked side by side, nailing the frame for a new window, while Jacks, Travis, and Tate worked the electrical panel. Grabbing a handful of nails, the ring on his finger stood out like a sore thumb. It was pissing him off that Orin wanted to forget the whole damn thing. Jacks was sulking, and all he wanted to know was who in the hell did they marry.

  They searched the house for clues, but all they found was a dainty, lacy thong. Of course, the little white flower on them was a nice touch, but when he put the lacy material to his nose, Davis smelled heaven. His cock hardened instantly as if his cock knew its mate.

  Hell, thinking about that thong right now was making his balls ache. Deciding he needed a break, Davis walked over to the truck and hopped in.

  Instantly, the loud noises were toned down, and he could actually think.

  Trying hard to remember, he began with what he did remember.

  He thought of the morning, sitting around with his brothers. He remembered heading into Celestial with Jacks to get the alcohol. He remembered walking in on Apollo as some dude fucked him, yelling “Yeah, baby, pound my hole!”

  After witnessing that escapade, Davis remembered he and Jacks waited at the bar for close to an hour. They talked with several patrons, and after they loaded the truck with the goods, they headed back to the ranch. He helped the DJ set up, and that was when people started arriving.

  His first drink was a beer, and so was the one after that. With the party in full swing, he laughed and mingled. About an hour into the party, he remembered Jordan and Braxton arriving.

  “Fuck!” he yelled, exiting the vehicle. “You were there!” Davis yelled at the sheriff, who turned and just grinned then proceeded to let out a loud, bellowing laugh.

  It was at that moment that not only did Braxton start laughing, but all the others did as well.

  “You know what happened!” Davis shouted furiously.

  Orin and Jacks dropped their tools and walked over to Davis.

  “What the hell is going on?” Orin asked.

  “They fucking know! They were all there.” Davis pointed at the hecklers, who assembled off to the side. Braxton and Jordan Connelly, the Kincaid Brothers, and the Connors Brothers were laughing hysterically, while some of the women giggled and blushed.

  He was going to kill them. They never let on, not one hint, that they all knew what happened last night.

  Leading the charge, Orin was stopped in his tracks, and all laughter stopped. The looks they were receiving were mixed, but when the town matriarch, Mrs. Anne, stood before them, she smiled, saying, “Congratulations, boys. Wish I could have done the ceremony, but I guess you boys couldn’t wait, huh?”

  Leaning down to kiss the elderly woman, Orin whispered, “Uh, Miz Anne, what ceremony?”

  “Orin, you’re such a joker!” Ms. Anne laughed, slapping him on his chest. “When you can, you bring your young wife by to see me. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Neither can we,” Davis said to Jacks, who grinned.

  “They don’t know who she is!” Brannon Kincaid yelled, laughing. It took only one second for the laughter to start up again.

  Death was too good for them, Orin thought as he excused himself and headed toward the group of laughing hyenas.

  “Start talking now,” Orin ordered.

  “Oh, this is too good.” Jordan Connelly was laughing so hard, he had to hold onto Braxton, who himself was in a fit of glee. “You idiots. I warned you about those parties. Now look what happened. This couldn’t have happened to a set of nicer guys!”

  Laughter roared all aroun
d them.

  The only problem was it wasn’t funny anymore. The McDaniel Brothers knew the deal. Once a marriage took place, thanks to the town’s charter, their land was soon to be handed over to their new wife. Time was precious. They needed to find this woman, whoever she was, and get her to agree to a quick annulment.

  “Who is she?” Jacks asked seriously, wanting to know.

  “You mean the woman you three numskulls were all over last night and proceeded to marry. The woman you bedded several times—very loudly I’ll have you know—and the same woman you then sent home with another man! You mean that woman?” Hazel Montgomery asked, walking over to the group. Treasure Cove’s bakery owner looked mad as hell, and her flaming-red hair just accentuated that fact.

  “Oh, Hazel, she didn’t go home with that guy. I took her home.” Antoinette Hicks grinned.

  “What the hell were you doing at the party?” Braxton shouted, ceasing all laughter. “Annie, if your brothers get wind that you were at that party, all hell is going to break loose.”

  “Not to mention what I am gonna do to your ass, Hazel,” Steven Connors said, walking up to Hazel, who actually took a step backward.

  “I don’t belong to you, asshole, especially after what I saw last night. I sure hope that little blonde you were with was worth it, ’cause you are no longer allowed in my bakery! Ever!” the angry redhead shouted and stormed off.

  “What the fuck did you do now, Steven?” Neil Connors fumed at his brother, running after Hazel.

  “Fuck!” Steven growled. “Hazel! Don’t you walk away from me!” he bellowed, going after her.

  “Well, that was interesting. Now, about our wife?” Davis asked, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand.

  “She is really sweet. I liked her.” Annie Hicks smiled. But before any of the brothers could ask her who she was, the flighty little blonde ran off.

  “Damn! Do any of you remember who she is?”