Free Belonging to Them by Brynn Paulin

noises. It was just a lazy day on Main street. So quiet and still and unbelievably peaceful.
    And Jamie wanted her to stay here. Could she do that? She’d left everything behind, and she wasn’t going to anything in Oregon. But…could she stay and live in this town in the middle of nowhere, an hour from anything? Even more, could she live in the sort of relationship he wanted?
    There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he wanted her as that woman he described—the one who was his but that he shared. That certainly wasn’t the fairytale partnering she’d been raised on. It was different, and despite her tenderness for Jamie, it made her hot. She couldn’t help her attraction for the other three.
    Lord, she wanted to say yes. Wasn’t this what she’d agonized over earlier? The thought that dogged her with every step as her desire grew stronger—that she wanted to stay here with them? And wasn’t that a sign? That her need was growing rather than waning. Jamie had wormed his way inside her heart when she hadn’t even been looking. Geez, a relationship had been the absolute last thing on her mind.
    “And what are you thinking?” Jamie asked quietly. It struck her how strong he was. She’d known—he had to be to deal with what had happened to him—but he had a deeper strength that appeared when he faced possibly unfavorable responses.
    “I’m thinking…I’m very tempted.” She smiled. “Let’s go inside and you can tempt me some more. I like when you wander around the house and work in your office without your shirt on.”
    “Um, sweetness, I don’t wander with my shirt off.”
    “You should.”
    The phone was ringing when they entered the house. Jamie grabbed it from the table near the door. “Hello… Yeah, just a sec,” he said, holding the phone out to her. “For you.”
    “Hello?”
    “Rayna?” Kelsey’s frantic voice came over the phone.
     Rayna’s stomach lurched at the panic in her friend’s voice, afraid she already knew. Antonio trouble. “What’s wrong, Kels?”
    “I got your account straightened out. Management fired him, Ray. This morning. You’re not the only one he’s done this to. As soon as they heard… They just fired him on the spot. On a Saturday! Security escorted him to his desk and then to the door. He doesn’t know I told them. He thinks it’s you, and he’s furious. Scary angry, Ray. Like he could kill someone.”
    Rayna sank into the wall, icy terror dripping through her despite her resolve to stay calm. “He doesn’t know where I am.”
    “He knows. At least, I think he does. He must have been watching your account. Went in and flagged it again right before the bosses called him into a meeting. I think that’s what tipped them off. They were watching, too.”
    She started to shake, and Jamie pulled her into his arms.
    “Watch your back,” Kelsey warned before they hung up.
    “He knows where I’m at,” Rayna whispered as she hung up the phone. She pulled from his embrace. “I’ve gotta get out of here.” She was halfway to the stairs before she stopped. “I can’t. My car—”
    Jamie was beside her immediately and enfolded her in his arms once more. “It’s okay. Remember? I promised no one would hurt you here. No one’s going to touch you.”
    She nodded her head, but he obviously realized she didn’t believe him. Antonio was good at hurting people and not getting caught. Even when cornered, his slick lies got him out of trouble.
    “Rayna, listen to me. First, this might be Smalltown USA, but it’s also home to a bunch of the most macho, tough guys you might meet. Nothing your ex can toss this way is more than they can and have handled. Second, this is Smalltown USA. Antonio’s not getting into town without a lot of people noticing—especially if they’re on the lookout. You couldn’t be safer.”
    “Great. The nymphomaniac with the psycho ex-fiancé. I sure make an impression.”
    “Hey,” Jamie lifted her chin to look at him, and