Saint James, Elle - Unbridled and Unbranded [The Double Rider Men's Club 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Elle Saint James

once had a wife, but that she’d died. He presented himself as a man who’d loved and lost and wasn’t particularly looking for love again.
    Perhaps she could offer him a one-time good deal. The idea of Clay watching her have sex with Bo and Rafe lit a lazy, hungry fire in her belly. A fire that might only be quenched with a special evening together.
    Even as she considered how she might broach the subject with Bo and Rafe, the mere suggestion that she was becoming all too familiar with the idea of always being with the two of them dismayed her. She shouldn’t be thinking of such permanent thoughts.
    The first chance she got to sell her place, she’d be gone overseas, delving into the passions of her craft so fast her shiny new passport would spin.
    Clay didn’t attempt to keep up any kind of conversation with her. He was a man of few words. She liked that about him. Especially now when her thoughts wandered so far afield into areas she couldn’t believe she had a curiosity about.
    She drove them back to her homestead coming to the back of the house first. When she pulled her Jeep around to the front, she saw that Landon was just arriving.
    What did he want? She hoped she wasn’t about to receive any more bad news.
    She said good-bye to Clay and headed over to Landon.
    “I’m afraid to ask,” she said the moment he stepped out of his car.
    He ducked back into the driver’s door and brought out his briefcase. “I don’t always bring bad news.”
    She shrugged. That was debatable. “What good news do you have then?”
    Landon balanced the well-worn leather case on the hood of his car. “I may have found a way to keep you from having to pay your taxes next week.”
    “So I wouldn’t ever have to pay them or it’s just a delay tactic.”
    “Well, yes, it’s a delay tactic, but given that you don’t have the money right now, it will keep the penalty from being excessive. I think that’s good news.” Landon retrieved a thick stapled packet of paper. He closed his case and snapped it shut.
    He handed her the papers.
    “What are these?”
    “Basically, they are hardship application papers.”
    “What hardship?”
    Landon sighed. “Callie, the situation here on your ranch is the textbook case for hardship. It might even qualify for extreme destitution. You just lost key members of your staff and you’ve used your money to further your business. It isn’t like you don’t have your tax money because you blew it during a wild weekend of debauchery in Las Vegas.”
    She closed her eyes, took a calming breath, and counted to five silently before speaking. “Wild Las Vegas weekends of debauchery aside, I don’t like the idea of applying for charity.”
    “It isn’t charity, Callie. It’s a way for you to not be arrested for tax evasion.”
    “I hardly think they’ll arrest me.”
    “Probably not, but the fines for failure to pay will be stiff. You don’t want to make a bad situation worse with the IRS. I believe this will help you. Sign them.” He offered her a pen and pointed to a signature line with a bolded X showing where to sign her pride away on the last page. If she were a man, she might have crossed her legs to protect her family jewels as she contemplated the paperwork.
    Callie took another deep breath, but didn’t take his pen just yet. “What happens if I don’t sign this?”
    “You’ll have to come up with a cash payment for your quarterly taxes in less than a week to avoid the penalty, which is substantial.”
    “I could try the bank again.”
    Landon tilted his head back and looked skyward. “Callie, sign the damn papers.” He lowered his head and sent a harsh gaze into her eyes. “Or would you rather carry out the conditions of your grandmother’s will this week to avoid the resulting destitution?”
    Callie fought the urge to scream to the skies in frustration. She snatched the pen from his fingers and signed her name.
    Landon took the pen and paper back. He smiled. “Thank