The Brothers Rule - Carolyn Faulkner Page 0,52

more often than not, when she was awake, she was in someone's lap. Tanner was in town, so Ryan asked him to bring dinner home with him.

"That's right, Laurie's out today."

"Wrong. She's home because she doesn't feel very well."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is there something special I could bring her?"

Tanner had already come to like Laurie a lot, and he was rapidly developing the same kind of feelings toward her that his older brothers had, although he knew better than to display them.

"He wants to know if there's anything special he can bring you, honey?"

"No, thank you," she responded flatly, and they guys knew that was a reflection of just how low she felt.

Ryan walked discreetly onto the deck so he could give his brother some ideas of some of her favorite things she might like to have.

They doted on her for the rest of the weekend, and she spent the majority of it either sleeping or eating, and except for hugs and loving, soothing touches, they all kept their hands to themselves quite scrupulously.

The brothers debated—in front of her—whether or not she should go to work the next day, something to which she objected vociferously, having made a complete recovery.

"I'm fine," she kept interjecting, although no one was paying any attention to her. Finally, she stood up and said it in a more definitive tone, "I'm fine. Really."

Ryan and Adam were apt to agree with her. Jace could be a bit overprotective, it seemed. His was the only dissenting vote, not that she got one.

"All right, but if you don't feel well, you must call one of us."

"I will," she snapped back at him, and Jace tipped her chin up. "A little less attitude, Miss Laurie, or I'll take you over my knee right now," he threatened in a low, gravelly voice.

Tanner and Nick were right in the kitchen, not that she'd put it past him in the least.

"I'm sorry."

His eyebrow went up.

"Sir," she added contritely.

Adam picked her up from work the next afternoon. It was still his turn for her to be with him this evening, and although he told her that she looked very pretty and as if she felt much better, he very sweetly offered her the ability to put that off another day.

Laurie leaned against him as best she could in his bucket seats, whispering into his ear, her tone very breathy and low as she boldly reached down to cup her palm over his very prominent zipper, "No, thank you, please, Sir."

"Jesus, woman, you're going to make me drive off the road!" he complained but not loudly.

Her bedtime ensured that they didn't spend much time with the other brothers sitting around after dinner or watching TV in the den. Adam helped pick up the table from dinner, but it was Ryan and Tanner who were responsible for the actual clean up this week, so as soon as he'd cleared it, he held out his hand to her.

And Laurie put her hand in his without hesitation, he was glad to see.

Once they were in her bedroom, Adam leaned back against the door he'd just locked and just watched her. He really couldn't believe that she was his.

Well, mostly his, anyway.

Considering how possessively he felt about her, he was surprised that he was really okay with sharing her with his brothers. It wasn't something he allowed himself to think about much, and he saw her about as often as he had before they'd entered into this arrangement—maybe more.

Although not as often as he would have if she was truly his—as in his wife. He frowned momentarily then put that idea out of his head.

But tonight, every inch of her was his, and he intended to claim all of that delicious territory.

She was unbuttoning her blouse—a clingy, filmy thing—beneath which she wore a demure camisole, but it was see-through everywhere else, and watching her divest herself of it got him harder than he already was.

There was no need to deny himself—she was his by her own word, having signed her name to a document that stated that she was theirs—of that which he so desired, so he trapped her where she was, simply by the strategic placement of himself behind her. His strong arms wrapped tightly around her as he bent her slightly stubborn body over the low bureau.

She didn't know why, but she always resisted just a bit at first—with all of the brothers. But she quickly found herself put in the position he preferred, skillfully relieved