Lumberjack Weekend(Divine Creek Ranch 21)(60)

“Yes, and that was kind of fantasy fulfillment in itself. Women are taught and encouraged nowadays to fend for themselves. To do it all. We know how to change our own oil. We learn self-defense techniques. Some of us even carry weapons. So it was fantasy-worthy to know two big, handsome, hot guys had my safety in mind the whole time. You even looked a little surprised by them.”

Josh nodded. “We were. The extra lumberjacks were Joseph’s bright idea. But he was right. It definitely added to the scene. Now, about what happened earlier…I didn’t have a problem with it, but I wouldn’t want to repeat it. I wanted to choke them.”

“Just for holding me?”

“It was challenging not to get a little territorial, watching them touch you so intimately, even though they followed the rules we set,” Lucas said. “I hope you’re okay with only the two of us from now on.”

Violet gulped as she looked between the two of them. “For the rest of the weekend you mean? It’s nearly over.”

“You still want no strings attached?” Josh asked, seeing the answer in her eyes.

“Yes, I thought…I mean no. Oh hell. I don’t know what I want, except to not be hurt anymore. When we go back to Divine, I’ll be boring old Violet again, not all of this,” she said, gesturing at her fading body paint and ears. She blinked rapidly, and her long, sweeping eyelashes and face paint made her eyes look even bigger, more vulnerable.

They closed in around her, Lucas at her front and him at her back. Josh gathered her long blonde curls in his hand as he kissed her shoulder and said, “You’re anything but boring, baby girl. When we walk away from this weekend, I want it to be together.”

“But…But I just allowed four guys I barely know to…”

“To touch you?” Lucas asked. She nodded. “To kiss your skin and whisper to you, egging you on to tease us?” She looked a little more worried as she nodded again.

“See what I mean?” she asked but didn’t get another word out as Lucas cut her off.

“You didn’t see all the others in the room watching you, coming over to our group, hoping there was another seat available, wanting to get close to you?”

Her eyebrows drew together. “What? There were?”

Josh whispered, “Yes,” and then kissed her shoulder again. “The other men were trying to insulate you. I think they were feeling as territorial as we were when we walked into the ballroom and saw the attention you were getting. Men, and even some women, have been asking us about inviting you to join them all weekend.”

Violet frowned and then smirked. “Nuh-uh. You’re just saying that. You can stop with the fantasy. I’m not all that.”

Lucas shook his head and sighed. “You have a twisted image of yourself, baby, you know that?”

“I’m a realist.”

Josh saw what Lucas was getting at and said, “Okay, then answer me this. What were you thinking when you came downstairs in your little forest nymph dress? Not about yourself, but about what you saw when you came in the dining room, all the other attendees. Once you settled down, what did you see?”

“Well, Friday night when I saw the group for the first time, they all looked so put together, so posh and perfect. But then this morning…”

“Did the fetish attire and costumes surprise you?”

“No. I couldn’t care less about all of that. I know they were all dressed for scenes.” She gently cupped her breasts from underneath—a tender gesture that made him smile. “I realized I should be more grateful for what I have. That…and lack of support garments is a great equalizer,” she said with a little giggle. “So many of them looked proud and confident, and I didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. Based on what I could see, there wasn’t a perfect body in the room…except maybe for y’all.”

Lucas snorted. “Trust me, we’re not.”

“You are to me,” she whispered, and Josh smiled at the opening.

“That’s how it is with us, baby girl. You find it hard to believe because Victor’s criticisms are still ringing in your head after all this time.” Her eyebrows drew together and her cheeks turned pink as she looked down at her clasped hands when he continued. “You came here to fulfill fantasies. What would devastate us is if we hadn’t had the opportunity to be the ones to make your fantasy come true. The attention you paid to the others is an extension of who you are naturally. You’re affectionate and appreciative when someone has been kind to you. They just happened to have crushes on you.”