Twice the Malone by Laylah Roberts

2

“Got seven, darlin’,” he replied. “Remember, I told you we like to share.”

Her pulse raced. Her body heated from the inside out.

“No, I mean you’ve got a twin brother, don’t you?”

His grin widened. “I do. His name’s Maddox. And he said your lips feel like heaven. But that you don’t like kissing.” He put his hand on his chest. “That just about breaks my heart.”

“Uh-huh,” she said skeptically. “I bet it does.”

“It really does. I want to fix that.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. Oh, he was trouble. And so was his brother.

How the hell did this happen? All she’d been wanting was a quiet drink or two before going back to her lonely hotel bed. And instead, she found herself mixed-up in some sort of twin cowboy entanglement.

Was entanglement the word?

Mischief.

Nope, that made them sound like they were two years old.

Sex-capade?

Oh, Lord help me.

“Mad was right, you really do drift into your head, don’t you? You know, normally women don’t daydream around me. Because I’m the answer to all their dreams.”

She groaned. “Seriously. Do lines like that usually work for you?”

He threw back his head and laughed and it made her own lips turn up in a grin. She wasn’t sure what it was about him. He was far too full of himself. Way more confident than she’d normally go for. Plus, he was too handsome, too ripped, too young. He was also a terrible flirt.

But around him she felt lighter, like everything she worried about daily was kind of stupid. As though she wanted to live life rather than trudge through it.

“Actually, no. Mostly, I don’t even need to say anything to get a woman to pay attention to me.”

“Argh, so you’re a manwhore.”

“So judgy.” Something moved over his face, something more serious. And she instantly felt terrible. That had been judgmental. It wasn’t her business who he slept with.

And really? Who was she to judge since she’d just been planning on having a one-night stand with him?

“Sorry,” she whispered. “It’s really not any of my business who you’ve been with.”

“It’s not,” he agreed. “But I find myself wanting to tell you anyway. Won’t lie, I’ve had a wild youth. I’ve enjoyed women, but they’ve enjoyed me too. I’m all about women’s lib, darlin’. I don’t care how many men a woman has slept with if she gives me the same courtesy not to judge me either.”

That was her being told off. In a nice way.

“You’re right,” she replied. “Um, if you could let me pass . . . I, uh, it’s time I left.”

Something filled his face. Disappointment? No, that was silly. He could have anyone, why would he want her?

“Ah, you found her, Beau.”

Beau and Maddox Malone. Shit, those were some sexy names.

She glanced over to find the other brother striding toward her. The twin.

Now that she saw them together, she could see there were subtle differences. Beau’s hair was slightly longer and Maddox held more tension in his shoulders.

“We’ve lost her again, I see,” Maddox murmured.

“Hmm, better than her running off, I suppose,” Beau replied. “Although we might have to teach her how to focus her attention.”

“Now that could be a lot of fun. If she was tied to the bed, her pussy being teased with your tongue while I smacked her ass then she might just stay in the here and now.”

“What . . . what did you just say?” she asked Maddox.

“There she is. Our little ray of sunshine,” Beau said cheerfully.

She scowled at him. Really? What else were you supposed to do when someone called you a little ray of sunshine? And you knew you were anything but that.

“I am not a little ray of sunshine.”

“Not with that face,” Maddox agreed. “More like a thunderstorm.”

She glared up at him, her hands moving to her hips. “Excuse me?”

“Hey, I happen to like thunderstorms. They get the blood pumping, don’t you think?” Beau drawled.

“I think anything gets your blood pumping,” she replied dryly, staring down at his cock in case he didn’t get what she was insinuating.

Again, his head went back as he laughed. “I like her. Can we keep her, Mad? Please?”

Maddox just grinned while she growled at Beau.

“I’m not a stray dog.”

“You’d have a good life, darlin’. I take care of what belongs to me.”

Her heart skipped a beat. God, he was good. Cheesy pickup lines and the fact he didn’t seem to take anything seriously, including himself, had a way of making her insides melt.

Don’t fall for his charm.

“Tell that to Goldie,” Maddox replied.

“Hey, I was six. I didn’t know anything about taking care of him. And he was a goldfish. They don’t have a long lifespan. I still feel terrible. You believe me, don’t you, darlin’? I didn’t mean to kill that goldfish. I had no idea you could overfeed them. Tell me you understand.”

He looked so sad and lost that she felt her heart hurting for him a bit. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to kill him. And goldfish don’t live long.”

“Pretty sure most live longer than a day,” Maddox said dryly.

“Again, I was six. I could barely wipe my own ass.”

“Not the sort of thing you say to a woman you’re trying to sweet-talk,” Maddox said.

“You’re trying to sweet-talk me?” She stared at Maddox in surprise.

“Maddox can sweet-talk anyone, although he’s become a more of a ‘do as I say, or I’ll take you over my knee’ type. Now, me on the other hand, I’ll give you all the sweet talk you desire. My tongue can perform miracles.”

Maddox groaned. “Seriously, man.”

“What? What did I say?”

“That was really bad,” she told Beau. “Like seriously bad.”

He pouted. It should have made him look ridiculous. So why did she have this desire to climb him like a tree and kiss that pout off his face?

And she didn’t even like kissing.

“I feel picked on. I might need therapy after this. It’s not nice to gang up and bully someone.”

Maddox just shook his head. “Don’t worry about him. He’s always pulling this shit. Middle child syndrome.”

“We’re twins. We’re both middle children,” Beau told him.

“And yet, I have my shit together and you’re an attention-seeker.”

“Only because I’m constantly ignored. Do you know, when I was younger I got left at a theme park while the rest of my brothers left and went home? I was there for hours, on my own, crying, hungry. It’s a wonder I wasn’t kidnapped. I could have died.”

“It was five minutes, and you were only separated from us because you ran away. He wanted another corn dog,” Maddox told her.

Beau sighed. “I love corn dogs. Wouldn’t you do anything for a corn dog, darlin’?”

She’d do anything to understand this conversation. Why were they talking about corn dogs?

“We think he was dropped on his head as a baby,” Maddox whispered to her.

“So, what do you say, darlin’?”

“Um, to what?” Had Beau asked her something and she’d missed it?

“Come get some food with us. I’m feeling kinda hungry.”

The way he stared at her made it obvious what he was hungry for. Her. She flushed. Could she do this? Could she really have a one-night stand with a stranger? But wait . . . which one?

Maddox leaned in on her other side. “It can be just dinner, little one. Nothing happens that you don’t want to happen.”

“But if you do want it to happen, that can be arranged too.” Beau sent her a big wink.

Was she in or out? Time to decide.

“Both of you?” she whispered.

“That a problem?” Maddox said. “We like to share but if you’re not into it then you can choose.”

“C-choose?” How the hell would she choose? They both appealed to her in different ways. Beau was lightness, fun. He was charming.

Maddox was charming too. But he had an edge.

They’d both burn her from the inside out. But what a ride it would be.

What did she have to lose? Well, unless they turn out to be serial killers or have some sort of venereal disease.

“No STDs?” she squeaked out.

“There she goes again, Mad,” Beau said. “We shouldn’t let her go into her own head. She thinks of some strange shit.”

“I don’t think worrying about STDs is strange. I think it’s responsible,” she replied.

“Are you always responsible?” Maddox asked. “Are you always the one who does the right thing? Who looks after everyone else?”

She swallowed. That was exactly her. With Margo, she was the sensible one. She even helped her manage her money because she was so bad at it.

So, she found herself nodding. Would they be put off now?

The door at the end of the corridor opened and a heavy-set guy walked down. He nodded to the Malones then looked her up and down. Maddox cleared his throat and the guy looked away, hustling down the passage to the men’s bathroom.

“How would you like not to be responsible or in charge for the night?” Maddox asked in a deep voice. “How would you like to have nothing to worry about except doing what we say?”

She wanted that.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“Why not? Think you can’t let go?” Beau asked.

“I don’t know you. How can I trust you?”

They both stared down at her. Was that it? Would they walk away from her now? Because she wouldn’t give them what they wanted?

Well, screw them if they did.

“Good girl,” Maddox said, surprising her. “You do know how to take care of yourself.”

“You’re not . . . you’re not angry?”

“A girl has to look after herself,” Beau replied.

“So, this was some sort of test? Why? Did you not even mean what you said? That you wanted to sleep with me? Both of you?”

She didn’t understand them, but she knew she needed to get away from them. Go back to the hotel room and cry.

Damn them.

“Whoa.” Maddox placed his arm around her waist, watching the same guy that walked past them from the bathroom. He moved faster.

Not that she blamed him. These Malone’s might be charming but they could also be intimidating.

“That’s not what we meant. That wasn’t a test,” Beau told her.

Maddox tucked some of her white-blond hair behind her ear. It must have come loose from her braid.

“You’re right. You don’t know us. You could walk out into that bar and ask anyone about us if you wanted to. Or come have some food with us, get to know us. Choose who you want.”

“Uh, no, there’s no choosing,” Beau said. “I saw her first.”

“This isn’t a case of calling dibs, idiot.”

“He always stole my toys as a kid too,” Beau told her.

All right. She should be insulted at being compared to a toy. But that grin on his face just made her want to laugh as well.

He was crazy. Incorrigible.

Still, she couldn’t let him get away with that. She frowned up at him. “I am not a toy.”

“Beau, you’re digging yourself into a hole, here. I don’t even have to do anything to get ahead. Just let you open your big mouth.”

“But it’s a very talented mouth, I promise.” Beau grinned at her.

She opened her mouth to scold him and instead ended up laughing. “You’re terrible.”

Suddenly he dropped to his knees, just as the door down at the end opened again and two women walked in.

“Please, darlin’, come eat dinner with us. And then, if you want, I’ll eat you.”

Maddox groaned. “Seriously. How does he not get the shit kicked out of him every weekend?”

“I’ll take you up on that offer, Beau,” one of the women said. She had dark hair and was seriously beautiful. And tiny. She was dressed in shorts and a tight tank top. And she was everything Scarlett wasn’t.

Feeling self-conscious, she waited for Beau to immediately agree to go with her. There was no way he’d choose someone who was overweight and middle-aged.

She started to shrink in on herself.

Maddox leaned into her. “Don’t you do that.”

She looked up at him in surprise.

“Don’t try to make yourself small. You’re gorgeous and sexy.”

“You can have both of us, Beau,” the other girl who was just as young and beautiful said. “You can even bring your brother. We’ll let him join in.”

Okay, that just made her mad. “Hey, Maddox isn’t some sort of consolation prize.”

Both girls blinked at her. As though they’d forgotten she was even standing there.

“Thanks, little one,” Maddox said with a mock sigh. “My feelings were rather hurt.”

She knew he was teasing, but she still nodded. The anger fueled her confidence. How dare these girls make Maddox feel like an afterthought.

She was well aware of what that was like. And it wasn’t pleasant.

“And Beau was asking me, not either of you. It’s quite rude of you to interrupt.”

“Very rude,” Beau murmured.

“Come along, Beau, Maddox. We’re going out for dinner,” she said to the girls. “Then we’re going back to my hotel room to fuck. Have a good night.”

Beau immediately jumped up to his feet and she slid both of her hands into one of theirs and led them down the corridor.

“What the hell just happened?” one of the women asked.

“Dunno, Beau must be into fat chicks now.”

She sucked in a breath at the pain of those words.

“Don’t,” Maddox warned. “Don’t let them ruin your moment.”

He was right. Screw it. She wasn’t young and insecure anymore. She was older, wiser . . . well, not really.

But she wasn’t letting them put her down.

“I might be fat,” she called back. “But I’m the one with two men begging me to take them to bed. So, what does that tell you?”

They stepped out into the bar, and Maddox slid his hand out of hers. Oh, shit. Did she do something to turn him off?

Reminding him that you’re fat isn’t a good idea, Scar.

He slid his arm around her waist. “I’d praise you for that, little one, if you didn’t deserve a spanking for calling yourself fat.” He turned her toward him, tucking her into his chest before grabbing her chin and tilting it up. “You’re not fat, and I won’t allow you to refer to yourself that way, understand?”

“We won’t,” Beau added in a serious voice as he moved in behind her. “And while I’m not as fond of spankings as my brother, even I’d get in on that shit if I ever heard you say that about yourself again.”

“It’s just the truth.”

“Ooh, those are fighting words,” Beau drawled. “Aren’t those fighting words, brother?”

“They’re words that are going to result in her having a hot ass.”

She sucked in a breath.

“And if she isn’t careful, we might just do it here.”

She glanced around wildly. They were back in the main area of the bar, but Maddox had led them into the shadows. Nobody was looking their way.

That didn’t mean she was going to let anyone spank her here.

Or anywhere. I mean anywhere, don’t I?

Lord. Talk about confused.

“You can’t spank me for saying the truth.”

“It’s not the truth,” Maddox said. “You’re fucking hot. This ass . . .” he reached around and grabbed her bottom cheeks firmly. “Fucking delicious.”

“And these curves.” Beau ran his hands down her sides, along her waist, and over her hips. “Plus, don’t even get me started on the most magnificent breasts I’ve ever seen.”

“You guys don’t have to lie to me.” She stiffened. Their hearts might be in the right place, but it made her uncomfortable. She was aware of her flaws. She didn’t need any bullshit.

“You seem like a straight-shooter,” Maddox said, lifting her chin with a finger.

“I appreciate honesty.”

“Good. So do I. And I don’t lie. If a man accused me of lying, I’d likely deck him. You accuse me of making up shit, of lying, and I won’t only spank that delicious ass of yours, I’ll drive you wild with my tongue without letting you come. Got me?”

Her breath caught. His eyes were serious, intense, and she found herself nodding. She got him.

“Good, now that we have the serious shit done, can we go have dinner? I really want a burger. And then some peaches and cream. You think I can get my mouth on some peaches and cream, darlin’?” Beau brushed her hair over one shoulder and kissed his way up her neck.

Holy. Hell.

“I . . . I don’t know.”

“He’s talking about you, little one. You smell like peaches and cream. Bet you taste like it too.”

Oh, hell.

She didn’t want to go have dinner with them. She knew there was no way she could sit at some diner and attempt to eat. She was too turned on. Too anxious. What she really wanted was for them to lay her out on a bed and fuck her. Hard.

“There’s room service,” she squeaked out.

“It’s so cute how you do that,” Beau told her.

“Do what?” she asked.

“Think shit over in your head then just blurt things out randomly. I mean, it would be easier on us if you told us everything you were thinking. But yeah, cute. Like a child.”

“I don’t think I like the insinuation that I’m like a child.”

“Neither do I,” Maddox added. “I want you to be all woman.”

Lord, she just hoped she was woman enough for him. That she wouldn’t disappoint him.

Stop it, Scar. You can do this.

One night of letting go. One night of fun. One night of being daring Scarlett, not boring Scarlett.

Yep. She was doing this.

“There’s room service at my hotel. We could go to my room and order some.” Or not. Because she definitely wasn’t hungry for food.

Maddox cupped her face between his hands. “You sure?”

“Y-yep. But I have to text my best friend. She wants to hear from me every hour or she’ll call the cops.”

“That’s a smart idea,” Beau said between kisses along her neck.

“Good girl,” Maddox rumbled, making her knees weak. Both from the husky tone and from his praise.

Scarlett Jean had always been a good girl.

Tonight, however. She planned on being very, very wicked.