Reckless Abandon by Morgan Ashbury Page B

involved, I do know you.”
    “You confuse me.” She closed her eyes and stretched. Hard to miss the twinges that action produced. She ached in places she’d not even known she had.
    Last night, Chastity hadn’t even wanted to think about what came next. Would they enjoy a few romps together and then go their separate ways? Was she just the latest playmate to grace these sheets?
    She’d put it all out of her mind, focusing instead on the moment.
    Nothing she’d experienced with these two men answered that question, one way or another. She felt at home in this bed. She felt at home with these men.
    Deep down she knew how very desperately she wanted that sense of belonging, how very much she needed this to be real and lasting and so she was afraid to trust it.
    Maybe it would be better to step back, reconsider. Think everything through in her usual thorough, careful way.
    “You’re our first,” Marcus said. “And I’m hoping our only .” Chastity opened her eyes, then propped herself up in the bed when she saw the trolley he had wheeled in. Abruptly, his words penetrated.
    She looked at him, then met Jordan’s steady stare.
    “We’ve had no other woman here, Chastity. I think we’ve been waiting for you.”
    “I just don’t know what it all means. If you’re looking for a commitment this soon—I want to be sure but…”
    “You should keep your place for a while, then, until you are sure,” Marcus said in his reasonable, no-nonsense way. He handed her a cup Reckless Abandon
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    of coffee, and she couldn’t help but notice that he’d fixed it exactly right.
    She doubted either her grandmother or her former fiancé could have said how she liked her coffee. A tiny detail, but telling.
    “And when you are sure, we’ll move you over here.”
    “I signed a lease,” Chastity pointed out, her rational side again coming to the fore. “In fact, I just renewed it last month, for two years.”
    “You planned to move Mr. Perfect into your place?” Jordan asked.
    Chastity felt her face color. “So I signed the lease without even thinking about the fact that I was supposed to be getting married.”
    “I think you must have known, deep down, that Clayton wasn’t right for you,” Marcus said. He handed her a saucer with a pastry on it. She set the small plate down on her lap and picked up what looked like a Danish pastry. One bite had her rolling her eyes in near orgasmic-pleasure.
    “Did I mention that our man loves to bake, too?” Jordan asked with barely suppressed laughter.
    “Oh, God, that’s good. My stomach is all for staying.”
    “And when it comes time to give up your security blanket across the hall, you won’t have to worry about negotiating with the landlord,” Marcus bent over and kissed her cheek. “I own the building, and I promise, I can be very reasonable with the right incentive. Go over to your place later today and get your stuff organized. Only come back here when you’re done. We want to keep you.”
    “I’m not a puppy,” she protested, laughing.
    “I think a puppy would be considerably less work,” Jordan said.
    “Possibly, but you can be sure I won’t pee on the Oriental carpet in the living room. Well, unless you order me to, that is.” Marcus roared with laughter. “The two of you are very much alike. This is going to be so much fun.” 92
    Morgan Ashbury

    * * * *

    “Do you want a hand with anything?”
    Chastity looked over to where Jordan sprawled in the lounge chair, his feet up, book open on his lap. He looked exactly like what he was—the lord of the manor in repose.
    They’d had a wonderful breakfast that had turned into a tender session of cuddling and kissing. Chastity had been between them in the big bed, and enjoyed every moment of it.
    She’d gotten up, helped Marcus with the clearing up despite his protests, then had a quick, hot shower.
    She felt loose and limber and curiously light of spirit. In fact, she felt better right now than she could