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CHAPTER ONE

EMILY WOODHOUSE

I was so nervous I could barely catch my breath My heart pounded so frantically I was afraid it would juled and sweat dottedto take a deep breath, I lifted my hand and wrapped on the door

Would they even be within? It waswith the others I should be hungry, but I hadn’t been able to eat a bite all day It had taken h nerve to colanced behind ewater Ranch was a stunning view In the distance I could see another house and knew that the stables, barn and other structures were over the rise Like all the houses on the property, they were set well apart for privacy There was no shortage of open land on the Bridgewater Ranch

I heard footsteps and I spun back around as the door opened I clenched ers

“Mrs Woodhouse” Mr Tyler wiped his hands on a dishtowel and the way his pale broinged up, it was clear that my appearance was not expected “You are out early We were just finishing our lunch Won’t you please come—”

“I agree,” I blurted I couldn’t hold back any longer, afraid if I did, I’d either change , their offer of e, but I didn’t havein how handsome the man before me was, his fair hair tousled, his blue eyes ai up into a half smile, he would do quite nicely If only I weren’t so scared about the proposition

“You agree?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath I’d done it, I’d started the conversation, so the tightness in my chest eased, a bit It didn’t ree A full day had passed Perhaps in that tied theirfucked by both of you I agree”

He looked at lance away It was the first tie It was the word they’d used the day before Not intercourse, not sexual congress Fucking I could feel my cheeks heat and I wondered if I’d ever be co it

“I believe Xander would like to hear this Won’t you come in?”

I nodded and as he stepped back, I passed him into the entryway His clean scent filled the air and I breathed it in He didn’t smell like drink as Frank had

“Xander!” he called

There was footfall overhead, then down the stairs The house was very large, especially when these two men took up the space, but it wasn’t theirs It was Kane and Ian’s hos for several days, leaving their little girl with Andrew, Robert and Ann Mr Tyler and Mr Xander were staying in the vacant ho their visit to Mr Tyler’s cousin, Olivia I was thankful that they weren’t guests in her house, for I would not have the privacy I did now This conversation was hard enough without witnesses

I looked up and watched as Mr Xander’s long, lean body appeared one step at a tiers, the muscular chest even before I saw his face It was hard to look away fro brow The few ti me so intently it had been difficult not to squirm

“Mrs Woodhouse,” heto stand before me, a little too close

I refused to take a step back, to let the man knoas a little fearful around him It wasn’t because I was truly afraid of the man; he wouldn’t hurtI’d done was partially because of attraction on my part I was not used to that and it was… scary