No Place Like Home (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) by Diane Leyne Page A
Authors: Diane Leyne
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really miss them. Cassie and Annie were like sisters. Life was good.
And then came the summer when she was fourteen, and Jackson and Markus had come home for the summer. They’d just finished their bachelor’s degrees and were spending a few weeks at home before starting Harvard Law School. Of course, they weren’t spending the whole summer, not in a dull little town like Hope, not when they could be in London or New York or some other big city when things were happening.
Cassie had met them before, but never spent much time with them. She was the same age as their baby sister and, thus, beneath their notice. Which was okay with her. She had no interest in boys other than the normal crush on a pop singer. That changed when she was fourteen. She and Annie were coming back from the greenhouse, dirty and dripping with sweat when Annie took off at a run to throw herself into the arms of the two tall young men walking with Abigail.
Cassie approached slowly and cautiously. She was conscious of her tank top, damp with sweat, clinging to the budding breasts she’d just developed in the last year and how her hair was dirty and pulled back from her face in a ponytail that had partially come down. And she’d never felt so self-conscious of the differences between her and them. Annie was tall like her brothers. It was already clear that she was going to be tall. She was five seven and not finished growing. At the same age, Cassie was barely over five feet tall, and her figure could best be described as “sturdy.” And her fiery red hair could never be tamed. The best she could do was grow it long enough to be tied back and out of the way. Annie loved feminine things and had recently begun experimenting with makeup and fashion, but she hadn’t “blossomed” yet and envied Cassie her breasts. Cassie could have done without them being so prominent. They brought her unwanted attention from boys and just got in the way when she was crawling in the dirt working with the plants.
By the time she got there, Annie was standing between her brothers, an arm around each. But they weren’t boys any more. They were men. Jaw-droppingly handsome men. They were both several inches over six feet. Jackson had dark hair and the same startling blue eyes as Annie and Abigail, but with the dark hair, they stood out even more. His shoulders were broad, and his arms corded with muscle. Annie had told her both boys were competitive rowers, and it was easy to see the effects on their bodies. Markus was a shade taller than his twin, and blond rather than brunette, but had the same easy grin and blue, blue eyes.
As Cassie slowly approached, all eight blue eyes turned to her. Two sets were happy and excited, and two were slightly amused as they took in her disheveled state. Never before had Cassie cared what she looked like or what a boy thought of her, but right at that moment, she wished the ground could have opened up and swallowed her rather than approach those mocking blue eyes looking like she’d been crawling around in the dirt, which she had been. Why couldn’t she look like Annie who looked like she’d been sitting around sipping tea in a drawing room rather than rooting round in the dirt? She realized she had dirt underneath her nails and her hands were dirty, so she thrust them into her pockets. She tried to escape, mumbling her excuses, but Annie wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted Cassie stay for lunch like she always did.
Cassie washed up, realizing that she had a big dirt smudge on her cheek and her hair looked like she’d stuck her finger in an electric socket. But she cleaned up as best she could and joined the others. And by the time the meal was over, Cassie was in love. Head over heels in love with Annie’s brothers. They were smart and funny and smart. They teased her, much the same as they did Annie, seeing her just like their kid sister. But that was okay with Cassie. Her feelings confused her, and she needed time to sit and
And then came the summer when she was fourteen, and Jackson and Markus had come home for the summer. They’d just finished their bachelor’s degrees and were spending a few weeks at home before starting Harvard Law School. Of course, they weren’t spending the whole summer, not in a dull little town like Hope, not when they could be in London or New York or some other big city when things were happening.
Cassie had met them before, but never spent much time with them. She was the same age as their baby sister and, thus, beneath their notice. Which was okay with her. She had no interest in boys other than the normal crush on a pop singer. That changed when she was fourteen. She and Annie were coming back from the greenhouse, dirty and dripping with sweat when Annie took off at a run to throw herself into the arms of the two tall young men walking with Abigail.
Cassie approached slowly and cautiously. She was conscious of her tank top, damp with sweat, clinging to the budding breasts she’d just developed in the last year and how her hair was dirty and pulled back from her face in a ponytail that had partially come down. And she’d never felt so self-conscious of the differences between her and them. Annie was tall like her brothers. It was already clear that she was going to be tall. She was five seven and not finished growing. At the same age, Cassie was barely over five feet tall, and her figure could best be described as “sturdy.” And her fiery red hair could never be tamed. The best she could do was grow it long enough to be tied back and out of the way. Annie loved feminine things and had recently begun experimenting with makeup and fashion, but she hadn’t “blossomed” yet and envied Cassie her breasts. Cassie could have done without them being so prominent. They brought her unwanted attention from boys and just got in the way when she was crawling in the dirt working with the plants.
By the time she got there, Annie was standing between her brothers, an arm around each. But they weren’t boys any more. They were men. Jaw-droppingly handsome men. They were both several inches over six feet. Jackson had dark hair and the same startling blue eyes as Annie and Abigail, but with the dark hair, they stood out even more. His shoulders were broad, and his arms corded with muscle. Annie had told her both boys were competitive rowers, and it was easy to see the effects on their bodies. Markus was a shade taller than his twin, and blond rather than brunette, but had the same easy grin and blue, blue eyes.
As Cassie slowly approached, all eight blue eyes turned to her. Two sets were happy and excited, and two were slightly amused as they took in her disheveled state. Never before had Cassie cared what she looked like or what a boy thought of her, but right at that moment, she wished the ground could have opened up and swallowed her rather than approach those mocking blue eyes looking like she’d been crawling around in the dirt, which she had been. Why couldn’t she look like Annie who looked like she’d been sitting around sipping tea in a drawing room rather than rooting round in the dirt? She realized she had dirt underneath her nails and her hands were dirty, so she thrust them into her pockets. She tried to escape, mumbling her excuses, but Annie wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted Cassie stay for lunch like she always did.
Cassie washed up, realizing that she had a big dirt smudge on her cheek and her hair looked like she’d stuck her finger in an electric socket. But she cleaned up as best she could and joined the others. And by the time the meal was over, Cassie was in love. Head over heels in love with Annie’s brothers. They were smart and funny and smart. They teased her, much the same as they did Annie, seeing her just like their kid sister. But that was okay with Cassie. Her feelings confused her, and she needed time to sit and
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