“It’s her birthday.” David began to argue.
“I know. We’ve got the house all set for a party.” Paul gestured around the sitting room. Balloons, alcohol and streamers littered every surface. The place looked a mess.
“It’s not every day a woman turns twenty-three.”
“We should have done this to celebrate her twenty-first,” Paul said.
“Yes, but someone sent her running far away from us and CapeFalls. Don’t screw this up,” David said.
Paul could have killed his brother with his arguments. No, it wasn’t every day a young woman came home, looking more stunning than ever, highlighting how he could never have her. It was so ironic. His biggest secret was his absolute need for the younger woman. That diary and past generations had a lot to answer to.
Should he be selfish and just have her?
“She’s special, Paul. Maybe one day you’ll see that.” David made a move to leave the room, but Paul turned on him.
“Special? There is nothing special about her. Not one thing. The only thing special about her is you want her badly. You want to take her and make her yours. There is nothing special in that.” I want her. I want to own her. To love and care for her for the rest of my life. But of course he wouldn’t say the words. With the last sentence hanging in the air, Paul spun back to his position of pouring himself another generous shot of bourbon while his younger brother cursed and left the room.
Paul’s stomach was knotting, his heart aching. How could he tell his brother how much he wanted the younger woman? He was the older of the two and should be keeping a level head on the situation. But the diary made him push Anna away. He wanted Anna, not just as part of his life but as part of their life. A ménage wasn’t a common practice, but through the generations of Steers it had become common-place for one brother, the elder, to share his wife.
For some reason it was figured one woman would satisfy the whole group and in doing so cement the Steer name for future generations, enabling growth and prosperity, whether it were three men to one woman or simply one to one. David and himself had been the only sons born to their fathers and mother. Swallowing down the dark liquid he wondered what Anna would think if she knew he craved not only her body wrapped around his as he made her his over and over again, but in his blood he desired, wanted and needed to see her with his brother. To know if he died that she would be safe.
It was not the simplest of conditions to a relationship.
“Hi, will you marry me? Oh, by the way, you’ll have to f**k my brother for me as well.” That conversation would never be the ideal way to start up any relationship, let alone explain their situation to Anna. Paul didn’t know how much she knew about their love lives, and he didn’t want to risk losing her even if he never had her.
Shaking his head against the beginnings of a migraine he made his way out of the sitting room in search of the party which in a few hours should be in full swing.
At least he could try to find some willing female for a few hours.
****
Anna was looking at her reflection. The simple black dress highlighted her small waist and full hips. Her long black hair tumbled down her back in waves. She’d never dream of cutting the length. She could remember, not long after her parents died, sitting in the front room looking into the fire brushing her hair. Paul had come up behind her, and for the entire night, he’d brushed her hair until it shone. Whenever she ran her fingers through the length, it would always remind her of him. Another memory to plague her constant obsession with the Steer brothers. Such a shame considering Paul hated her.
Spending time with David in the morning into the afternoon had been a welcome distraction. As always, Paul stayed away and remained in his office.
Coming back after being away for three years had been scary. She’d stopped sending letters because she couldn’t handle their responses anymore. David was always caring and considerate and wouldn’t dream of hurting her. Paul was different. He wouldn’t spare her feelings, and she believed one day she’d open a letter to find he was getting married. Or there was a special woman in his life. David and Paul had taken her in when her parents died, and how did she repay them? By falling in love with them. What kind of a person was she that she fell in love with not just one brother but two? Henry had been a welcome distraction. They’d both been in love with someone else. Someone they couldn’t have and had decided to find some solace with each other. The only thing that had happened was she’d been the cause of his black eye. Henry had understood. The pain he’d been in wasn’t right.
Anna couldn’t recall what had happened to make the older man despise her other than getting older and trying to have a life. Since she’d turned eighteen, Paul no longer had any time for her at all, not even to brush her hair. David was there, but Paul had withdrawn from her.
Paul had no time for her to make polite conversation, but he had plenty of time to criticise her and barge in when her date was kissing her and making with the heavy.
There was no point thinking about the past. Three years ago, she’d run away and made a mistake. She wouldn’t be running anymore.
Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to give it some life. She wondered if the rumours surrounding the Steer men she had heard since the last time she’d been in CapeFalls were indeed true.
Henry had kept in touch when she left and stayed with a few friends while she studied at the local college. With her away the gossip had run rife about her leaving. He’d found out from several older women that the Steer men had a history of taking one woman. The oldest brother would marry her, but the brothers born would never leave the house. There was no proof if they shared the same woman. The rumours had continued, but there was never any way of proving it.
Is that why Paul had become angry with her and kept pushing her away? He wanted her. Did David want her as well? Since Henry had told her about the sharing, her mind had run rampant with all the thoughts of being sandwiched between two men as they took her body.
Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she’d gone looking to find out more about three people together in bed. What she’d found had made her crave more. Travelling back home had become a necessity. She wanted to be with Paul and David. For the longest time she’d been in love with both of them. Her feelings scared her, but she couldn’t stop whom she loved.
Internet searches of ménage relationships had opened her mind. She’d purchased books and watched sex tapes. Anything she could get her hands on.