A Short Story... by Jenna Byrnes

Ms. Jenna has very graciously wrote a story... for my party!!!! And it is a very... n-i-c-e! =)
I want to thank Ms. Jenna for coming over to my place and partying it up with us!!! I have enjoyed your stories, excerpts and your company!! Thanks a million!!!!!!
Here you go ladies, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Playing Favorites
By Jenna Byrnes

Muscles rippled across the handsome cowboy’s back when he hoisted a bale of hay from the back of an old Ford truck, and stacked it in the pasture. Cecilia tried not to stare, but his tanned, sweat-slicked skin was too tantalizing to ignore. She was close enough to see a trickle of perspiration roll off his work-sculpted bicep as a similar one pooled between her breasts.
It’s warmer here than I expected. The brochure for the Lazy J ranch suggested mild spring temperatures, but ever since she’d arrived, Cecilia had been nothing short of hot. The handsome owners of the ranch hadn’t helped matters any. She’d spotted them on her way in. One was tall, at least six-two, with wavy brown hair and eyes of blue steel. The other was a few inches shorter but just as muscular, with shaggy blond hair and ornery, twinkling pale blue eyes.
At first she’d thought they were just ranch hands, but the woman at the front desk had set her straight. Trevor and Matthew owned the Lazy J, and they were brothers. Brothers! She’d kept an eye on the pair for several days, and they continued to look better and better.
Cecilia inhaled the fresh, outdoor air. She kicked a high-heeled foot onto the split-rail fence and enjoyed the view. The dark-haired hunk stacked a few more bales of hay, his back to her.
“Enjoying your stay?” he finally asked.
She glanced around, unsure if he was even talking to her. “Yes,” she replied gingerly.
“Where you from?”
“I, uh—” She thought about the story her best friend had rehearsed with her. A TV actress, in-between shoots, just needing a little time away…Aw, hell! I could never pull that off. Her ex used to tell her she was a horrible liar. That was the one thing in five years he’d probably gotten right. Making things up never felt natural to her. She sighed. “Louisiana, but I’ve never been here before. Somebody told me about this place, and I thought it might be interesting.”
He turned and looked at her. “I reckon you’re right about that. Seems like the last few days, it got a whole lot more interesting.” His gaze traveled down to the tips of the painted toenails sticking out of her shoes, and up again.
Cecilia blushed. “Sherry at the front desk tells me you own the place. So which of the brothers are you, Matthew or Trevor?”
His eyes darkened. “Sherry has too much time on her hands. I’m Trevor. Matt is the scrawny little blond fella you’ve probably seen running around here.”
She laughed. She’d seen plenty of him, and ‘scrawny’ was definitely not an apt description. Even in heels she barely stood five-five, and both men towered over her. “Sorry for the confusion. I guess you two are vastly different.”
“Who’s different?” The blond brother strolled up on her side of the fence.
“You and me.” Trevor made a face at him as he hoisted the last bale. “Like oil and water.”
Matthew rolled his eyes and nudged Cecilia’s elbow. “Yeah, he’s Mister Stick in the Mud, and I like to have a good time. So what about you? An evening out on the town dancing, or is staying in by the fire more your thing?”
A tingle ran down Cecilia’s spine. They both sounded good, but she didn’t want to appear too eager. “I’m, uh, flexible.”
Matthew waggled his brows. “We like flexible.”
“Yeah, we do,” Trevor agreed. “And we both like to eat. Care to join us for dinner tonight? The cook makes one hell of a prime rib.”
“Prime rib?” Matthew scoffed. “She looks more like a woman who appreciates spicier things, like excellent lasagna.” Both men looked at her.
Cecilia’s stomach fluttered as she glanced back and forth between the two men. “I love lasagna, but prime rib is great, too. Like I said, flexible.”
Trevor grinned, exposing a glimpse of pearly white teeth. “There’s that word again. We’ll have to keep that in mind.”
A smile softened the hard edge of his features. Handsome before, now he looked flat-out gorgeous.
Matthew offered her a small salute before turning to walk away. “See you at seven.”
“Seven,” Cecilia repeated, excitement welling. She watched Trevor completing his task then sauntering to the barn.
Dinner with both of them? I’ve died and gone to Heaven. Cecilia’s stomach fluttered as she hurried back to her room. After luxuriating in a warm bath with lavender scented soap, she took her time getting dressed. She often pulled her long, wavy hair into a braid, but tonight she left it loose and flowing to the curve of her back. Her favorite pastel-flowered skirt hit her mid-calf and looked great with a lacy, turquoise tank top. A spritz of her favorite Victoria’s Secret perfume, Heavenly, and she was ready shortly before…six.
Cecilia expelled a frustrated breath toward the ceiling and sat down to wait.
She arrived in the dining room at seven, slightly hot and bothered, but more excited than she’d ever felt in her life. She glanced around, but was disappointed to find neither Trevor nor Matthew at any of the tables.
“One?” The hostess smiled at her brightly.
“Actually, I was meeting—” She couldn’t say their names out loud. Had they been fooling with her, pulling her leg? Why would two handsome hunks like them invite me to dinner? It must have been a joke.
A hand grasped her elbow firmly. “Excuse me.”
Cecilia turned and looked up into Matthew’s concerned eyes. “Hello,” she murmured.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to take a rain check. One of our mares is foaling and she’s having problems. The vet is on his way, but Trevor won’t leave her.”
Cecilia’s heart sank, but her first concern was for the mare. “Is she okay?”
“She should be. Doc Masters will be here any minute. I should get back out there. Again, I’m really sorry. We’ll reschedule dinner, okay?”
“Of course.” Before she knew what she was saying, Cecilia added, “Can I go with you?”
His eyes widened. “Sure, but I have to warn you, it’ll probably get messy.”
She waved a hand. “I’m a big girl. I love animals. I’d just like to be there.”
Matthew nodded. “Come on.” He led her by the arm outside, and into his waiting Jeep. He drove them quickly to the barn, where another man had also just arrived. “Hey, Doc.”
“Evening, Matt.” The silver-haired vet nodded at Cecilia but didn’t wait around for introductions. He hurried inside, and they followed.
“’Bout time!” Trevor called, kneeling by the downed animal. “We’ve got a nose, but no feet.”
“Could be worse.” The veterinarian rushed to scrub up and get to the mare.
Cecilia stayed back, taking the situation in. Trevor had peeled off his suit coat, but was still in dress slacks and a neat white shirt, open at the collar, sleeves rolled to the elbows. A second man, probably a ranch hand, judging by the look of his jeans and flannel shirt, knelt beside him.
The vet patted the horse’s rump and spoke to her soothingly. “That’s a girl, Dusty. We’ll have your foal out real soon, now. Hang in there, girl.” He manipulated the foal and Cecilia glanced away.
“I can take you back to the house,” Matthew said softly.
“Of course not.” She took a breath and exhaled. “She just looks so sad. Like she’s in a lot of pain.”
“She’ll be fine. Doc here is the best.” He squeezed Cecilia’s shoulder and left his arm there.
His touch felt warm and comforting. She focused on him and her mind wandered, brought back to reality when she heard the accomplished cheers of the men attending the mare.
“It’s a filly!” The doc exclaimed, relief in his voice.
Cecilia marveled at the process, and how each man seemed to know his job. While the vet saw to Dusty, Trevor and the third man took care of the foal, eventually settling her near her mama. Dusty immediately began cleaning her baby, who before long, tried to stand.
“Amazing,” Cecilia whispered in awe.
“It sure it.” Matthew smiled at the horses, then at her.
Trevor wiped his hands on a rag and approached them. “What are you doing here? I figured you’d want a rain check on dinner.”
“And miss this?” Cecilia wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
Matthew and Trevor exchanged glances. “You like animals?” Trevor asked.
“Of course. I’ve never seen anything quite like this, but yes, I love animals.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Good to know. Why don’t you two step into my office? I’ll clean up, and join you in a moment.” He motioned to a nearby closed door.
“Come on.” Matthew led her through the door.
Cecilia gasped. Office is an understatement. There was a desk, plus lots more furniture that made the place feel more like an apartment than an office. A table and chairs, and through the next door she spotted a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a mountain of pillows. It was decorated in shades of maroon and blue checks, homey and comfortable.
“Wow!” She looked around.
“Have a seat.” Matthew motioned to an easy chair.
She obliged, and glanced up when Trevor followed them in, drying his hands and unrolling his sleeves. He shut and locked the door behind them. “First, I’d like to thank you for coming here tonight, Cecilia. It meant a lot to us.”
“To me, too.” She surprised herself. Witnessing the birth of the filly had touched her more than she realized.
“Second, I need to level with you. Matt and I aren’t brothers. We let people think that because most of them are more comfortable that way. We’re actually partners.” Trevor watched her face for a reaction.
Cecilia blinked. “Business partners?”
“Lovers,” Matthew told her. “We’ve been together since college, about ten years.”
Disappointment mingled with arousal as she processed the information. Imagining the two of them making love caused a gush of wetness between her thighs. She squeezed them tight, trying to rein herself in. If they’re together, they have no interest in me. Frustration replaced the lusty thoughts she’d been secretly harboring all evening.
Trevor took a step closer and smiled. “You’re probably wondering why we invited you to dinner tonight.”
“Frankly, I am. It’s obviously not for the reasons I was thinking.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Matthew touched her cheek, brushing a lock of hair away from her face.
Trevor sat facing her, their knees almost touching. “Don’t get me wrong—Matt and I are deliriously happy together. We give each other shit, but that’s all part of act. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
“Me either.” Matthew batted his long lashes at Trevor.
Cecilia suddenly felt very out of place. “That’s great. I’m happy for you. Maybe I should go.”
“No, wait.” Trevor reached for her hand. “We’ve been talking about this for a while, now. Adding some spice to our relationship. Both of us agreed it would have to be just the right person. It’s taken us a long time to find someone we both considered a good prospect. When you arrived at the ranch, we both felt it, but we didn’t want to scare you off. We’ve been watching you, biding our time, and something interesting happened. We discovered you were watching us, too.”
Her face warmed with her heated blush. “Well, yeah. You’re both so darned good-looking, I couldn’t decide which one I liked better. I never did decide, but didn’t figure it really mattered. I thought it was only a crazy fantasy, nothing that could ever come true.”
“It can, if you want it to.” Matthew cupped her face in his palm. “We think you’re gorgeous, sexy, and a caring, wonderful woman.”
“We definitely do.” Trevor squeezed her fingers. “And we realize this is sudden. You don’t really know us, and we don’t know you. But if you’re open for some fun and exploration, we think the three of us could be in for one hell of a ride.”
Cecilia swooned. Her eyes fluttered and she fought to remain focused.
“Are you all right?” Both men were immediately at her sides, holding her arms.
“I might need to lie down,” she murmured, holding back the grin that threatened to split her face.
“That can be arranged.” Trevor leaned in and kissed her cheek, then whispered into her ear, “And afterwards, we’ll call the cook and have him deliver the dinner we’d been planning. Homemade lasagna and fresh bread.”
Matthew placed a kiss on her opposite cheek and added, “And Crème Brule for dessert. We heard somewhere that was your favorite.”
“Yeah, it is…was.” She glanced from one handsome face to the next, and didn’t even try to tamp down the flood of arousal gushing through her. She slipped an arm around each of their necks. “I suspect I’m going to have some new favorites, very soon.”

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Copyright © 2010 Jenna Byrnes. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work in any form is prohibited, without the written approval of the author.