My Romantic Tangle Read online

  “When my father was in charge of things, I tried to persuade him to grow a crop of some sort. See the river down there? Part of our land goes down to the water and the land is suitable for growing crops. He refused. Said he’d never planted crops before and didn’t see the need to start now.”

  “Some people are resistant to change. So why haven’t you grown a crop this year?”

  “I don’t have the money. I had to mortgage everything so I could buy out my father.”

  “He made you pay?”

  Jake shrugged. “He needed money to buy a house in Dunedin and to do the travel he and my mother wanted to do in the future. I don’t begrudge my parents the money. They’ve both worked hard.” But he hadn’t expected he’d need to go so far into debt either. The stress was eating him alive. The only time he forgot was when he was with Ambar.

  “Are you serious about Ambar?”

  Jake shot him a quick look. “Why?”

  “Just curious.”

  Jake grinned. “She’s great, isn’t she? There used to be lots of women, but since meeting Ambar, I’ve been a strictly one-woman man. Neither of us wants anything serious. We’re happy as we are.” Although this morning had been weird. He’d noticed the vibes between Hari and Ambar despite the hundred things whirring through his mind. Jake loved spending time with Ambar and he’d hit it off with Hari. He’d hate it if he couldn’t see them at the same time.

  Hari read the tension in Jake’s body language and knew he had to do something to alleviate suspicion. The last thing he wanted was for Jake to chuck him out of the house.

  For some reason, Hari’s cousin popped into his mind. His mouth opened before his brain engaged. “So what do you do about sex out here in the country?” It was the sort of thing his cousin would say. Personally, he preferred a more subtle approach.

  Jake shot him a quick look across the cab of his vehicle. “You’ve noticed the predominance of males.”

  “Not really. I just presumed things would be more difficult in a small town with everyone knowing each other.”

  Jake shrugged, and to his horror, Hari realized he’d become aware of the other man. His proximity. His scent—soap layered with the man and the lingering aroma of Ambar and tiger. The sexual awareness blindsided him, shocking him to the core. Bloody hell. He wasn’t gay, wasn’t attracted to other men. Confusion made him swallow and admit that the weird recognition he’d experienced the previous day still lingered. Something about Jake pushed his sexual buttons. He swallowed again. Nah, it had to be something to do with Ambar’s scent lingering on Jake’s skin. He refused to entertain other ideas. Men…nah, it’d never happen.

  Jake spoke, thankfully unaware of Hari’s inner turmoil. “There’s always been a shortage of women in Middlemarch. The women tend to stay in Dunedin or move farther afield once they finish university. The men return to the land.”

  “Do you regret coming back?” Curiosity burned Hari. Despite his dismay at the weird attraction to Jake, he wanted to learn more about him. A bloody slippery slope, for sure. He cursed inwardly. No matter. Yeah, no way would he act on the appeal of the other man. They could remain friends, even if Jake had access to Ambar and the inside track, so to speak.

  “Financial problems aside, I love working outdoors. I like the freedom, the wide open spaces and the fresh air. I enjoyed university, but the city smothered me.”

  As a feline, Hari understood the trapped feeling. It was his need for the outdoors that had made up his mind to move to New Zealand. Here in the country he could shift and run—once he learned the safe places. Ambar would know. “I never felt at home in London. Too many people.”

  “The town puts on a yearly dance to attract women. A train load arrives from Dunedin,” Jake said. “I’ve never met anyone at the dance I wanted to spend more than a night with.” He grinned and added, “If you want a woman around here you have to move fast. The Mitchells have snapped up all the good ones. Only Joe and Sly are single these days. You’ll meet them at some stage. I went to university with them. Man, those were some fun times.”

  “So if I want sex with anything other than my own hand I need to go to Dunedin?”

  Jake chuckled and pulled up by a gate. “That’s about the size of it. I’m lucky with Ambar. Neither one of us wants anything serious, but we enjoy spending time together. It’s working well. Hell, I’ve never been with one woman for such a long stretch.”

  And judging by what Hari had heard last night, they wouldn’t part any time soon. Just his bloody luck. Underhanded tactics…no. He discarded the thought once again. That wasn’t his style. If he won Ambar, he wanted to know he’d done it fair and square.

  Hari climbed from the vehicle and waited while Jake released his three dogs. After their initial sniff of him earlier this morning, the dogs kept a healthy distance. He made a mental note to ask Ambar how they behaved with her.

  Hari followed Jake through the gate into the paddock. Some of his inner tension dispersed on taking in his surroundings. A fresh breeze blew over a rise, ruffling his hair and bringing a green, herby hit of plants and trees. Towering piles of schist lay like a giant’s building blocks, providing shelter for the Hereford cattle they intended to muster today. Overhead a hawk soared lazily. Hari watched until the bird disappeared from view behind a stand of pines.

  “I can see why you like it here.”

  “Yeah. It’s beautiful. I even like it during the winter, despite the cold and the snow.”

  “Do you get snow in the town itself?”

  “Mostly we get snow on the surrounding hills and that’s it. I’m going to send the dogs over to the right. I’ll head that way too since that’s mostly where the cattle graze. Can you go to the left and look for stragglers? There’s a gate in the direction I’m heading. You’ll see it as soon as you climb over the brow of the hill. I want the cattle in the yards, which are just through the gate.”

  “Okay,” Hari said, and with a brief wave, he walked in the direction Jake had indicated. Once he was out of sight, he raised his head and opened his mouth to inhale. The air rushed across his receptors, dragging in the scent of cattle. Hari took off at a jog, relishing the pull of muscles. He couldn’t shift right now, not without knowing the protocol of the local shifters, but this was the next best thing. Hari spotted the first group of cattle, and with a whoop, he increased his speed, angling his approach to send them down the hill. The animals froze when they saw him racing toward them—then with startled moos they bolted toward the gate. Job well done.

  Hari scented again and hunted out more cattle. By the time he had them all, he’d built up a healthy sweat.

  The clouds cleared and the sun came out. Hari whipped his T-shirt over his head and used it to wipe the sweat off his forehead and chest.

  With a final scent, he decided he had the stragglers and jogged toward the massed animals, gently nudging the stubborn red beasts forward. Once over the brow of the hill, he saw a bigger herd. A swift glance at his watch told him almost two hours had passed. He watched Jake open the gate into the next paddock and use his dogs to direct the cattle. Jake raced ahead to clear the way into the yards.

  Hari trotted after the cattle, subtly herding them to the gateway. He picked up a few more along the way and realized he hadn’t enjoyed himself so much for ages. If Jake didn’t mind, maybe he’d tag along in the mornings and work on his web design during the afternoon. It wasn’t as if he was desperate for money since he’d done well in the past.

  Down at the yards, Jake whistled the dogs and glanced back up the hill. He heard a loud whoop and watched Hari charge after a cow. Shit, he was fast. He outran the cow and sent it charging back to the gate. Grinning, Jake turned back to the cattle already milling around inside the yard. He opened the race and counted them as they moved through to the far pen. Hari seemed to have everything under control with the herd moving steadily. Jake grabbed the drench and drenching gun from the small storage shed near the race and started work. At this rate they’d be do
ne by early afternoon and he could catch up on some of the other chores he’d let slip due to lack of time. He set to work, running cattle into the race, drenching them and sorting the ones he needed to sell before refilling the race. Hari pitched in and impressed Jake with his willingness to help. For a city boy he didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Two hours later, they’d finished. Jake let some of the cattle back into their original paddock, and the thirty head he’d decided to sell he put into a smaller one, handy to the yards.

  “How do you feel about a swim?” he asked.

  Hari wiped the sweat off his forehead with a brawny forearm. “Sounds bloody good to me.”

  Jake grinned. “Let’s go.”

  They ambled to his vehicle, neither in a hurry since they’d completed their task. Hari waited while Jake organized the dogs before climbing into the passenger seat.

  “That was fun. Would it be okay if I help you in the mornings? I’d need to work during the afternoons, but it would be great to get outdoors for part of the day.”

  Jake stared, wondering if he was hearing things. The man wanted to help him? Hell, his assistance this morning had been a godsend. A job that would have taken him most of the day on his own had ended up taking half a day. “I can’t afford to pay you.”

  “I’m not asking you to,” Hari said, his mouth tightening as if Jake had insulted him. “I enjoyed myself this morning. No problem, I won’t force myself on you.”

  “No, fuck! You surprised me. I’d love your help, as much as you want to give me.”

  Hari gave a stiff nod and the icy atmosphere lightened a fraction.

  Relief suffused Jake. He’d taken an instant liking to Hari and enjoyed his company. The last thing he wanted was to drive him away. Deep in thought, Jake started his vehicle and backed away from the gate.

  “There’s a swimming hole at the river.”

  Hari nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Silence fell between them. It was uncomfortable, but not in the way Jake would have ever considered. Hell, it was fuckin’ weird. He shot a swift glance at Hari, took in his scar, his golden skin and black hair. He hadn’t shaved this morning and light stubble shaded his jaw.

  “How did you get that scar?”

  “I had an argument with a cat.”

  “A cat?” It wasn’t the answer Jake had expected, but now that he studied the scar up close he could see two fainter lines either side.

  “Yeah, the cat was a real tiger,” Hari said, his tone wry.

  “So you don’t like cats?”

  Hari grinned, a wide-open smile that jogged Jake back to discomfort. It was hard to decipher exactly what made him uneasy. He hated to label it as sexual…

  “I like cats well enough.” Hari’s husky drawl did nothing to alleviate Jake’s uneasiness. Yeah, a swim sounded like a plan. He’d douse himself with cold water. That should do the trick.

  Jake took a left turn down a rutted gravel road and pulled up near a line of willow trees.

  “This is it. I’ll let the dogs go so they swim and get a drink.” He turned to grab an old blanket he kept tucked behind his seat.

  “Great spot,” Hari said, opening his door and climbing out.

  “I often finish a day here with a swim.”

  Hari turned to him, weird golden sparks glinting in his eyes. ”I bet Ambar likes it here.”

  Weird, the change must be a trick of the light. “I haven’t brought Ambar down here yet. We’re probably going to regret it. It’s gonna be bloody cold.”

  “I don’t care,” Hari said. “Where do we swim?”

  “There’s a pool to the right. It’s usually deep. Don’t dive from the bank. I haven’t checked it for hidden snags since last month.”

  The dogs ran past, giving Hari a wide berth before wading into the water. Weird. His dogs were normally all over everyone, apart from Ambar. They weren’t keen on her either. Did he have racist dogs? The thought would have made him laugh if the reactions of his dogs hadn’t been so peculiar.

  Hari reached the pool before him. He removed his footwear and whipped off his shirt and jeans before Jake had time to blink. His boxers were next then he waded into the water, glancing back over his shoulder at Jake with a wide grin on his face.

  Jake blinked, a mass of feelings bombarding him all at once. He took in Hari’s strong, muscular body and the rear view when he turned away. For a city guy who sat in front of computers he had some serious muscles going on. Jake frowned. An all-over tan. A zing of anticipation swept his body, and to his horror, his cock started to stir. Jake shuddered, dropping the blanket on the stones and sand before rapidly stripping. Normally he swam in his boxers. He guessed it would be more comfortable driving home in dry clothes. Feeling a bit like a Victorian maiden, Jake swept off his boxers before his hesitation got to him. He waded into the water and swore.

  “Fuck, that’s cold.” At least his burgeoning erection had shrunk.

  “Sissy,” Hari taunted. “Anyone would think you were the city boy.” Hari’s gaze skimmed his body, and Jake’s heart stuttered. He froze, heat suffusing him. Hari smirked and splashed him. The cool water did nothing to stop the second wave of heat that shot straight to his cock. Mortified, Jake dived under the water and put some distance between them when all he wanted to do was touch.

  * * * * *

  “Ambar. Ambar! What is wrong with you today?” Rohan demanded, a note of exasperation coloring his voice. “Concentrate.”

  “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind.”

  Her brother scanned her face and snorted. “That’s what too much sex will do to you.”

  “You would know,” Ambar replied sweetly.

  “Yeah, but I don’t let it screw with customer orders. Don’t you remember anything our parents taught us? The golden rule.”

  Ambar wrinkled her nose at her brother. “Good customer service is king. I think that one did get through to me after about the twentieth time. I try to forget the other stuff about marrying a good man and preferably one from India.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  Ambar sobered, thinking about Jake. Immediately thoughts of Hari slipped into her mind, the two men now intertwined. She felt heat slide across her cheeks and knew her brother would notice.

  “It’s sex.” His blunt words seemed to echo through the store, which was thankfully customer free at the moment.

  “Oh yeah,” she said. “But I’m not sure telling you about my problems is a good idea.”

  Rohan reached for a packet of cereal and placed it in a cardboard box before adding a jar of strawberry jam. He ticked both items off the order sitting on the desk. “Telling you I was gay wasn’t easy. It can’t be worse than that.”

  Ambar checked yoghurt and bacon off her list, putting it inside the special insulated box. “You wanna bet?”

  Rohan stopped work to study her. “I don’t care what you tell me, Ambar. You’re my sister and nothing will make me turn my back on you. Okay?”

  An ache sprang to life inside her chest, and she blinked to keep tears at bay. She was so lucky to have a brother like Rohan. And Kiran, Rohan’s mate was like a second brother. They teased her, shouted at her at times, but they always had her back. While her parents might have been strict, she’d really scored when it came to brothers.

  She started talking before she chickened out. “I like Jake a lot. We’re good friends and the sex is hot. Last night while we were…ah…I asked him to bite me,” she said hurriedly, concentrating on the next item on the list because she was too frightened to check her brother’s reaction. “And worse, for the first time, I wanted to bite him back,” she added, miserable yet part of her elated too.

  Commonsense said the urge to bite Jake meant he was her mate, yet why did she suddenly want to get up and close with Hari as well? And why hadn’t she wanted to mate with Jake before?

  The long silence made her stomach quiver with unaccustomed nerves. The loud tick of the clock out by the cash register underscored Rohan’s silence. Swallowi
ng, she raised her head to study his expression.

  “Did he mate with you?”

  “No, he didn’t break the skin. But I wanted him to so bad, and then this morning, we… I couldn’t get control of my feline. My teeth and claws wouldn’t melt away. I had to get Hari to help me.”

  “And did he help?”

  Why wasn’t Rohan saying anything useful? Nosy questions weren’t helpful. “Yes, he helped.” She glared at him defiantly. “But that’s not the worst thing. I wanted to jump Hari as well. Either Hari or Jake would have worked for me this morning. I wanted to bite them both.” Tears started to thread through her words. “Rohan, what the hell is wrong with me? How the heck can I go from not wanting to mate with anyone one day and the next I want to bite both Jake and Hari and drag them off to bed?”

  Chapter Four

  Hari grinned at Jake, taking care to crouch in the water so his erection didn’t show. He wanted to fuck the other man. He didn’t care that Jake was male with the same equipment as him. His feline wanted him. His feline wanted Ambar. Preferably both at the same time.

  A threesome? A tiny growl squeezed past his lips at the notion, his feline really getting into the idea now that Hari had pictured it.

  Damn, didn’t that beat all? It was something he’d never considered. In the past he’d confined himself to one lover and he’d been picky. While he’d been sexually active at university, he’d never let himself think or act too far beyond so-called normal perimeters.

  He needed to think about this. Decide how to act.

  “How far does the pool extend? Do you want to race?” Maybe if he could get his mind off sex, his erection would fade. The cold water wasn’t helping deflate the problem. Thinking of embarrassing situations wasn’t working, although if he put his mind to it, he could create a new one right now.

  Hari caught the gleam of anticipation in Jake’s blue eyes and knew he’d chosen the right path. If fate meant him to pursue both Jake and Ambar, things would fall into place. There was no point stressing about something that might not happen.