The Birthday Gift Read online

  The Birthday Gift

  Lynn LaFleur

  What does a man give the woman of his dreams for her birthday? Her fantasy, of course. But when Amanda admits to her husband that she’d like to be part of a ménage a trois, Jake isn’t sure if he could ever share his wife with another man.

  Then his cousin Patrick comes for a visit.

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing

  www.ellorascave.com

  The Birthday Gift

  ISBN 9781419932427

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  The Birthday Gift Copyright © 2003 Lynn LaFleur

  Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book publication 2003

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, thisbook may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  The Birthday Gift

  Lynn LaFleur

  Chapter One

  He’d been thinking about it for almost a week. Part of him wanted to do anything to please the woman he adored. Another part of him…

  Jake picked up his mug of cooling coffee and took a sip. He’d come outside shortly after sunrise to sit at the round glass table beneath the huge oak tree in his backyard. It was the perfect place to think, especially before his wife awoke. He liked being alone in the early mornings. It gave him the chance to plan the day on his horse ranch, think about what he needed to do first, and rehash what he’d accomplished the previous day.

  It also gave him the chance to formulate his plan.

  If he went through with this, he’d have to do it soon. Patrick had been here a week and would be leaving on Sunday. He was the only man Jake could ask to do this. They shared the same blood, and a closeness that Jake doubted many men experienced.

  But would his cousin be willing?

  He and Patrick had experienced some wild times together. Jake smiled to himself as he remembered one of the wildest—a four-couple orgy during their sophomore year in college. While they’d each had sex with different women that night, they hadn’t shared a woman at the same time. Jake didn’t know if Patrick would even want to do something like that.

  He couldn’t imagine Patrick not wanting to make love with a woman as beautiful and sexy as Amanda. With her curly blonde hair, huge blue eyes, and incredible body, he couldn’t imagine any man not wanting to make love to Amanda.

  The sound of the sliding glass door opening made Jake glance over his shoulder. He watched his cousin walk toward the table. Looking at Patrick made Jake feel as if he were looking in a mirror. Jake possessed the same dark brown hair, chocolate eyes, and muscular build as his cousin. Jake’s and Patrick’s fathers were identical twins, and they’d passed their looks down to their sons. Jake kept his hair shoulder-length while Patrick’s hung halfway down his back; Jake had a mustache, while a mustache and neatly trimmed beard covered Patrick’s lower face. Other than those two differences, someone who didn’t know them well would have a hard time telling them apart.

  “Morning,” Patrick said as he sat across from Jake.

  “Mornin’.”

  “You’re up early.”

  “I like early.”

  “Early’s the only time around here when a person can stand to be outside.”

  Jake chuckled. Patrick lived outside of Aspen and preferred the cool weather of Colorado to the hot North Texas summer. “The heat keeps the blood flowing smooth.”

  “The heat makes a person crazy. You and Amanda will never give me a second cousin ‘cause you can’t stand to get close to each other.”

  “Hey, don’t push for a second cousin yet. We’ve only been married two years and we aren’t ready to start a family. But getting close to Amanda is no problem. Air conditioning is a wonderful invention.” He grinned. “And we have a big ceiling fan over our bed.”

  “I’ve noticed you have a ceiling fan in every room of the house.”

  “Sex isn’t just for the bedroom.”

  “True.” Patrick took a mug from the tray in the middle of the table and poured coffee from the thermos-style carafe. “You’re a lucky man, cuz. Amanda’s really gorgeous, as well as sweet. I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to meet her before now.”

  “Me too. I wish you could’ve been at our wedding. You were supposed to be my best man.”

  “My lungs had other ideas. It was a lousy time for a bout of bronchitis. But I’m here now, and I’m glad I finally got to meet Amanda. It’s obvious by the way she looks at you how much she loves you. Although why, I’ll never understand.”

  “She has good taste.”

  “Shit. Don’t make me sick so early in the morning.”

  “You’re just jealous.”

  “You’re damn right I am. I’m a year older than you. I was supposed to find someone like Amanda first.”

  “No prospects?”

  Patrick shook his head.

  “Man, you own a ski resort. You have beautiful women around you all the time.”

  “Getting laid and having someone to love are two very different things.”

  “Yeah, they are. But don’t ever give up on finding that special woman, Pat.”

  “Oh, I won’t.” He grinned. “If you conned a woman into falling for you, it’ll be a cinch for me to do that.” Patrick sipped his coffee. “Seriously, cuz, you’re a lucky man. You have a wife who loves you. You’re building a business doing something you love. You have a great place to live, even if it is too hot.”

  “It’s only hot in the summer. The weather is great the rest of the year.”

  “But no snow.”

  “We have snow…every three or four years.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Patrick propped one ankle on the opposite knee. “We didn’t have any snow when we were growing up in San Diego either, but I love it. I don’t ever want to live any place that doesn’t have snow.”

  “What if Ms. Right shows up at your lodge and lives in Florida?”

  Patrick rubbed his chin. “Florida, huh? And she’s definitely Ms. Right?”

  “Definitely,” Jake said with a grin.

  “No problem. I’ll just use all my considerable charm and convince her to stay in Colorado.” He returned Jake’s grin and took another sip of coffee. “So, what’s on your agenda today?”

  “I have to pick up some supplies in town and run a couple of errands this afternoon. There’s a guy coming over about ten who’s interested in Texas Thunder. Hopefully, he’ll bring his checkbook.”

  “First sale?”

  Jake nodded. “The first of many, I hope.”

  Patrick set his mug on the table. “Are things tight for you? I can lend you some money if you—”

  “No,” Jake said firmly.


  Patrick frowned. “Don’t pull that macho shit on me, cuz. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure just because you need some help until things get better.”

  “I don’t…” Jake stopped and ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to hurt Patrick’s feelings, but his pride wouldn’t let his cousin bail him out of a jam. His ego already suffered from having to live off Amanda’s commissions instead of being the major breadwinner. “Thanks for the offer, but we’re okay. Amanda’s done pretty good with commissions. In fact, she’s showing a house today that should be a sure thing, according to her. Her commission on it will be close to thirty thousand.”

  Patrick released a long whistle. “For one house? Not bad.”

  “Nope, not bad at all.”

  “If it falls through or you change your mind—”

  “You’ll be the first to know, I promise.”

  Patrick refilled his mug and took a sip of the steaming coffee. “Will any of your errands take you close to a store where I can buy a birthday gift for Amanda?”

  Jake stopped in the act of picking up his mug. “Birthday gift?”

  “I know Friday’s her birthday. She’s been great to me and I’d like to get her a gift.” He snapped his fingers. “I know. I could get her something to add to her Garfield collection. Or is that collection special to the two of you?”

  “It’s special, but not exclusively ours. Her friends add to it all the time, and her mom always sends her something at Christmas.” Jake cleared his throat. “Actually, I do have a gift in mind that you can give her.”

  “What is it?”

  Beating around the bush had never been Jake’s way, especially with Patrick. He figured the best way to tell his cousin would be to simply say it. “Sex.”

  Patrick almost choked on the coffee he’d just sipped. He stared at Jake for a moment, his eyes wide. Slowly, he lowered his mug back to the table. “You want to run that by me again?”

  “I want you to be part of a threesome.”

  “You’re joking, right?” He shifted in his chair and laughed without the least bit of humor. “Tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m absolutely serious.” Jake leaned forward and rested his folded arms on the table. “A couple of months ago, Amanda and I were talking about sexual fantasies…you know, just kidding around with each other after sex. She told me her fantasy is to be with two guys at once. I want to give her that for her birthday.”

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Patrick held up one hand. “You want me to fuck your wife?”

  “Honestly? No. I don’t want another man to ever touch her. She’s the love of my life, my whole life. I like knowing I’m the only man in her bed. But this is something she wants, so I want to give it to her.” He looked down at the table for a moment before gazing at his cousin. “You’re the only guy I could ask to do this, Pat, the only guy I would trust to do this. We may only be cousins, but we’re as close as brothers, even if we don’t get the chance anymore to see each other but every few years. I’d never let another man touch my wife.”

  “Shit.” Patrick closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “You’ve blown me away, Jake. I never expected anything like this.”

  “We’ve done some pretty wild things, Pat.”

  Patrick looked at Jake again. “Yeah, we have, but that was a long time ago, and we’ve never done a threesome. And you’ve never been married. Plus I just met her a week ago. Hell, man, she may not want me anywhere near her.”

  “She likes you, Pat, and she feels comfortable with you. I couldn’t even suggest this if I didn’t believe Amanda would be okay with it.” A sudden thought occurred to Jake, something that he hadn’t previously considered. “Do you have some kind of moral hang-up about having sex with a married woman?”

  “No, nothing like that. I’m certainly no saint when it comes to sex. I just never expected something like this from you. You’re crazy about Amanda.”

  “Yes, I am, which is why I’m asking you to help me fulfill her fantasy. I want to make her happy.”

  Jake waited while Patrick once again picked up his coffee mug and took a sip. He knew that look in his cousin’s eyes…that look that said Patrick was thinking, studying the situation from every angle. It was a trait that had helped make Patrick’s ski lodge a huge success.

  “Let me get all this straight,” Patrick said. “I’ve been here a week now. You haven’t bothered to introduce me to any women, so you know I haven’t been laid since I’ve been here. With all the expansion work on the lodge and the crazy hours I’ve been keeping, I haven’t exactly been burning up the sheets at home lately either. Now you’re asking me if I want to have sex with a beautiful, sexy, willing woman.” He paused. “She is willing, isn’t she?”

  “She will be once we start on her.”

  “Damn, man,” Patrick said with a groan, “I’m getting a hard-on.”

  Jake grinned. “So, you’ll do it?”

  Patrick leaned forward in his chair. “Is this wild, uninhibited, anything-we-want-to-do sex?”

  “It’s anything-she-wants-to-do sex, which will probably be pretty wild and uninhibited.”

  “Is anything taboo? Is there something she doesn’t like?”

  “If there is, I haven’t found it yet.”

  Patrick once more leaned back in his chair. “When do we do this?”

  “Friday evening. I have everything planned…”

  Chapter Two

  Amanda decided closing a deal that would net her a large commission was a wonderful way to spend her birthday.

  The house and thirty acres had been on the market for three years. It had been vacant as long as she could remember. Amanda had shown it to several clients, but no one had wanted to buy it. The grounds were an overgrown jungle and the house in need of major repairs. Despite the outward appearance, the Hudsons had taken one look and fallen in love with the place. They believed they could turn it into a beautiful and profitable bed and breakfast.

  Stepping inside her front door, Amanda slipped off her high heels and sighed from relief. She believed she should look professional when showing a house, which meant a business suit and heels. The summer heat let her replace her usual business suit with a sleeveless shift, but she hadn’t been able to talk herself into replacing the heels with sandals.

  A drink topped her list right now before she did anything else. Iced tea would hit the spot after being outside for the last two hours. Showing a house in the 96-degree heat wasn’t her favorite thing to do, but the commission on the sale to the Hudsons would make every drop of sweat and discomfort worth it.

  She really needed that commission.

  Amanda hadn’t realized how expensive running a ranch would be when Jake told her he wanted to raise horses. He’d had a tidy sum in the bank from an inheritance when they married, but that had quickly diminished to a few thousand dollars. Even with Jake doing as much of the work as he possibly could, he still had to pay for help along with the feed, vet bills, and other expenses. Their only income came from Amanda’s real estate commissions. While those had been steady enough so she and Jake lived comfortably, the commission from the Winslow mansion sale meant their household expenses would be covered for several months.

  Hopefully, Jake would sell a horse sometime during those months.

  She’d talked to Jake about buying a new computer when she closed the sale on the Winslow mansion. She felt guilty for even considering such an expense when she should save every dollar possible, yet she wanted to log on to the computer sites right now and start comparing prices. Jake had told her to go for it, that she deserved a new one after having her old computer for almost five years. He’d said to buy the best, with whatever options she wanted.

  She knew Jake would agree to whatever she wanted to buy. They’d been married for two years and together as a couple for four. In those four years, he’d shown his generosity in so many ways. A single pink rose appeared on her pillow several times a month. Whenever a book by one of her favo
rite authors was released, she would find it on her nightstand. Her favorite candy would show up in her briefcase. She’d open her desk drawer and find a figurine of Garfield to add to her collection.

  So many little things, but they meant more to her than diamonds.

  He didn’t buy her a birthday present for they’d agreed not to exchange gifts on their birthdays, but he knew he’d be dead meat if he didn’t give her a card.

  This year, he’d given her more than a card. He’d woken her this morning with his tongue between her thighs.

  Amanda laid her briefcase and car keys on the kitchen counter. Remembering the way Jake had loved her with his mouth made her shiver, despite the hot summer day. After four years together, Jake knew exactly where to touch her, and how, to give her the ultimate pleasure. She loved the way he used long, gentle licks from her anus to her clitoris to arouse her. Once her desire started to build, he’d concentrate more on her clitoris—licking it, sucking it, pulling it between his lips. He’d dip his tongue inside her pussy, over and over, then move back to her clitoris for more of his expert attention. It would take only moments for a heart-pounding, breath-stealing orgasm to race through her body.

  What he did with his tongue was probably illegal in fourteen states.

  This morning had been no exception. Jake had raised her desire to fever-pitch with his tongue until her body shook from her climax. She’d barely had the chance to catch her breath before Jake turned her to her side. He’d snuggled up behind her, lifted her leg, and pushed his cock deep inside her. He’d moved slowly while caressing her breasts.

  “Touch yourself,” he’d whispered in her ear.

  His warm breath sent goose bumps scattering across her skin. Jake loved to watch her pleasure herself. Wanting to please him, as well as herself again, she began rubbing her clitoris in time to his thrusts. Jake’s breathing became harsher, his thrusts harder. Another orgasm built and Amanda surrendered to it as she felt Jake shudder with his own release.