by Jane Jamison
They didn’t laugh, but she wasn’t ready to breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Instead, they remained silent. Did they think she was kidding? Or that she was just plain crazy? “Say something.”
“What do you want us to say?” asked Vince. “If you say you saw a dragon, then you saw a dragon.”
“Don’t patronize me. I saw a damn dragon.” She should’ve known they wouldn’t believe her. Who would? They were simply playing along to be nice.
“When did you see it? Are you sure that’s what you saw?”
It felt as though Clint’s questions were weightier than they should have been. Almost as though he hung on her answers.
“I was on the cliff last year when this big gust of wind caused me to become unbalanced. I fell off the cliff.” Why weren’t they surprised? If she didn’t know better, she would’ve sworn they were happy.
“And the dragon caught you.”
“How’d you know, Clint?”
Trey clapped his hand down on Clint’s shoulder. “Because you’re alive so obviously something had to have saved you. And since you saw a dragon…” He shrugged. “It’s easy enough to put two and two together.”
She didn’t believe him, yet how could she say otherwise? “So you don’t think I’m crazy? I fell off a cliff and survived because a dragon caught me and saved me.” Saying it out loud didn’t help. Even she thought she sounded delusional. They didn’t say anything, which was, in some strange way, worse than if they’d laughed at her.
“Remember the shimmers we talked about? I saw them right before the gust of wind blew me off the cliff. Then, all of a sudden, something grabbed me. I think the shimmers are somehow a part of it because they were there. Once the dragon lowered me back onto the cliff, that’s when I saw it. It appeared when the shimmers became solid.” She let out a breath, knowing she wasn’t getting anywhere. “I know you don’t believe me.”
Again came the silence.
“Sure we do.”
Her attention flew to Trey. “You do?” She didn’t see a trace of ridicule on his face. Better yet, she didn’t see any doubt, either.
“If you say you saw a dragon, then you saw a dragon.”
She scowled. “Like I said before, don’t patronize me.”
“He’s not. We’re not,” insisted Vince with Clint nodding in agreement. “Okay?”
She didn’t have anything more to say. If they were willing to take her at her word, then she’d do the same for them. Still, how could they accept her story so easily? “Okay.”
Vince jerked his head toward the lake. “Come on. Check out the water.”
As much as she wanted to keep talking about the dragon and to ask them to help her find it, she knew not to push any harder. If she did, they might not tell her anything else. “Okay.”
“Good.” Vince led the way back to the water’s edge. “Go on. Get your feet wet.”
Toeing off her running shoes, she dipped her toes into the water. “It’s warm. I didn’t expect it, but it’s great.”
“Yeah, sometimes we go skinny-dipping here.” Clint’s wide smile broadened his face and accentuated the dark stubble lining his strong jaw. “In fact, how about taking a swim?”
Her usual cautious nature jumped into play as she peered into the shining darkness of its depths. “Is there anything in there?”
“Like what? Sharks? Dragons?” joked Trey.
“Knock it off, man,” warned Vince.
Trey smiled and shrugged. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. What do you think’s going to be in there?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I asked. Maybe snakes or fish that bite?” She tested the water again, this time bending over and skimming her fingers through the warm liquid as Vince had done.
“Well, we can’t promise there isn’t a snake or two in there, but there aren’t any piranhas if that’s what you mean by fish that bite. That much we can promise.”
“Snakes?” Her voice jumped up a few levels. “There are snakes in the water?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time, but don’t worry. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”
“I don’t know.” She squinted, trying to see below the surface. “I’m pretty scared. What if they swim next to me?”
“If you see one, it’ll be swimming on top of the water. All you have to do is stay calm and let them move on.”
“Trey, you’re not helping much.” Vince wrapped his arm around her again.
She loved the warmth of his body as it spun its way into her, heating her as much inside as on her skin. Leaning into him wasn’t necessary to get rid of the chill any longer, but it was necessary in another way. She wanted his warmth, wanted to feel his skin next to hers. Glancing at his cousin and his friend, she realized how much she wanted all three of them next to her.
“What do you say, sugar-babe? Want to hop in with us?” Clint tugged his shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground.
She’d been ready to decline, knowing she had no business getting up and personal with three men she barely knew. Yet when she saw his massive chest with the sprinkling of black hair spreading from one brown nipple to the other, she threw all care to the wind. She still hadn’t responded by the time he’d toed off his boots and had begun undoing his jeans.
“I’m not your sugar-babe.” Her tone held no real conviction behind it. If he wanted to call her that, then why the hell not let him? She’d leave soon enough and what would her memories be? Memories of riding the ranch and seeing the cave would be great, but how much better would memories of swimming in an underground lake be?
Yeah, right. As if I need an excuse.
Vince tightened his hold on her. “What do you say, hon? Want to have a little fun? I promise we’ll fight off the snakes.”
“Plus, we can make another promise.” Trey shot her a grin. “We promise not to bite you, either. Unless, of course, you want us to.”
She watched him unbutton his shirt, his hands moving from one button to the next. A rush of need swamped her, burning through her as though they’d lit a blowtorch and fired the flame straight at her.
“Ready, baby?”
Chapter Six
Had the air grown thicker? Yet Monica knew the truth of it. The air seemed thicker because her body was tightening up, tensing in anticipation, making it harder to breathe. How could any red-blooded girl turn down three sexy cowboys as they got undressed? They were like three statues of heroes suddenly coming to life. As they removed their shirts, then their boots, and then their jeans, tugging off their belts and buckles, she couldn’t help but stare. Each of them was solidly built, flesh pieces of granite that would make any woman’s mouth water. She could no more turn them down than she could ignore the sound of need pulsing in her ears.
By the time they stood in front of her, lined up like prizes for her to choose from, she was still fully clothed, her eyes drinking them in.
“Baby?” Trey tilted his head to the side. “Are you going to join us or not?”
Not. I can’t do this. I shouldn’t do this. It’s not the smart thing to do.
She’d always thought of herself as a rational, logical, do-the-right-thing kind of person. Fully intending to tell them no, she was more surprised than they were when she said, “Yes. I’m coming.”
“Then come on, sugar-babe.” Clint turned, giving her a great look at his firm, round ass, and walked into the water.
“Want me to help you with your clothes, hon?” As soon as Vince asked, Clint shifted back around, obviously ready to lend a hand, too.
“I’ll help her, guys.” Trey moved forward, his muscles rippling, his growing cock bouncing.
“No sex.”
He stalled. “What?”
“I’m not promising to have sex. I’m only agreeing to go for a swim.” She forced her gaze to stay with his.
“Okay. If that’s what you want, we’ll do our best to respect your wishes.” Trey’s gaze, however, didn’t stay with hers. Instead, it slid lo
wer as his satisfied expression grew. “Can’t make any promises, but we’ll do our best.”
“Speak for yourself. I know I can’t keep a promise like that.” Clint dipped below the surface, leaving only his head above the water. “There’s only so much temptation a man can handle.”
Trey looked over his shoulder at his friend. “Nope. We either do as she asks, or we don’t do this at all.”
“Trey’s right.” Vince blew out a breath. “It’ll be the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but we’ll do it.” His strange silver eyes held a hint of mischief. “It’ll just about kill us, but we’ll do it for you, hon.”
She nodded, suddenly unsure that she could get any words out. Had she made an awful mistake? What was she trying to do? Tease them while torturing herself?
Her fingers trembled as she pulled the T-shirt over her head and dropped it to the ground. Her bra seemed smaller, thinner than she’d ever thought before. Her nipples, hardening, pushed at the fabric. “Could you go into the water?”
“If that’s what you want, hon. Come on, Trey.” Vince pivoted around and, along with his friend, waded into the dark water.
She hurriedly reached behind her and unhooked her bra clasp. For a moment, she held the material to her. “On second thought, I’ll keep this on.”
She tried not to smile at their groans, but what woman wouldn’t be pleased that they’d wanted to see her breasts? Reaching behind her, she put her bra back on. “I’m not trying to be a tease or anything.” She held her breath, waiting for them to accuse her of the same. Relief swamped her as their eyes sparkled. Strangely, both silver and green eyes turned darker with a definite red tint to them.
“We understand. Go on, baby,” urged Trey.
She let out her breath then, trying to make her shaking hands work, unzipped her jeans. Taking care to keep her panties on, she shoved her jeans to her ankles. Until that moment, she’d never had a big problem with body image. She’d always thought she had a fairly firm, trim form. Still, that didn’t mean she could stand half-naked in front of three sex-hungry men and not feel insecure.
“You’re perfect, sugar-babe.”
Perfect was the last way she’d ever describe her body. She didn’t believe them, but she liked that they’d say so. She shivered, not from any chill. The air had definitely thickened, growing warmer by the second. But why? Where was the additional heat coming from?
“Come on in, baby. The water’s just the right temperature.” Trey waved his hands through the water creating ripples that flowed toward the shore.
Get going. You can’t stand here naked forever.
Hoping her shaky legs would keep holding her up, she took baby steps toward the water’s edge. As she did, the men moved closer, like alligators slowly approaching their prey. “Back up. Remember what you promised.”
“We remember, hon.”
Yet the blatant look of need on Vince’s face hinted that his promise would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep. Her toes touched the water again, making her recall how warm the lake was. Slowly, keeping her focus on a place directly in front of her feet, she eased into the water. Warmth covered her inch by inch until she was fully submerged up to her neck. Although she’d hoped getting into the water would put her more at ease, she still felt as though they could see straight through the water to her body.
“How deep does it get?” She was of average height, around five feet, five inches tall, but she was already standing on the tips of her toes.
“It stays at that level for another few yards.” Vince pointed at one of the more prominent stalactites. “From that point on, the incline continues downward, bottoming out at a good seven hundred feet down in one spot.”
“Seven hundred feet? How do you know?”
“We swam to the bottom more than once.” Clint moved a little closer.
“You did? Really?” She was a decent swimmer but knew she’d never be able to swim down a hundred feet then back up. Even professional free divers had a tough time going that far. They had to have used scuba gear.
Trey leaned back in the water and swam away. Flipping backward, he disappeared underneath the dark surface. He was keeping his promise, but now that he was, she wasn’t sure she really wanted him to keep it. Vince dropped below the surface, followed by a grinning Clint.
Where’d they go?
She waited, ready to feel their hands on her legs or elsewhere at any moment. When they didn’t, disappointment came. “Vince? Clint? Trey? Where are you guys?” At least another minute passed. Were they in trouble? But how could all three of them be in trouble at the same time? Unnerved, she lowered her body until she was completely submerged.
The darkness of the surface of the water was deceptive. Underneath, she could see several yards in front of her. Fishes of various shapes and sizes scurried past her, never once touching her.
Where are they?
She came up for air then went back down. This time, she turned around, searching for them. Still nothing.
Again, she came up for air, sucking in a much-needed breath. “Hey, guys? Where are you?” Fear crept into her voice. Had they gone into the deep end?
Suddenly, three separate areas of bubbles appeared on the surface of the water several feet from her. They reminded her of the bubbles forming on the top of boiling water as they popped and emitted little puffs of steam. The water around her grew hotter, yet the bubbles never came closer than a few feet only to retreat farther away.
“What’s going on?” It was as though something was under the water and blowing bubbles toward the surface. Was it the men? Had they been holding their breath until now?
Just as she was about to go underneath again, the frequency of the bubbles sped up, erupting quickly in an ascending mountain of bursting bubbles. She stared as the bubbles suddenly disappeared. Where the bubbles had been, small bright flames danced along the top of the water.
“Fire? But how?” She should’ve been afraid, but she was too enthralled to move away. The flames rippled in the air, easing toward her then receding before they came too close. “Guys! You’ve got to see this!”
The dancing flames lasted another long minute then, as suddenly as they’d come to exist, they were gone. The water was as smooth and as dark as it had been in the beginning.
She stayed as still as she could and waited to see if the fire would reoccur. What had caused the bubbles in the first place? Had scuba gear been hidden in the lake? But scuba gear wouldn’t explain the fire.
Again, she scanned the water, this time searching the walls. Was there a hideaway in the shadows? They couldn’t have stayed under that long without using some kind of diving equipment.
Monica let out a yelp as Clint burst through the surface, his body launching high enough into the air that she caught a glimpse of his cock before he went under. Barely managing to catch her breath, she let out another cry as Vince and Trey erupted out of the water like dolphins at a Sea World show. They slicked back their hair and swam toward her.
“Where were you? How’d you stay under so long?”
Clint was next to her before she realized he was moving. “Take it easy. We were nearby the whole time.”
“No way. I would’ve seen you.”
“Guess not.” Vince moved through the water as smooth as could be to come up behind her.
The heat from the flames had dissipated, but new heat came from them being close to her. Although they weren’t breathing hard—how could it possible?—she could feel their warm breaths tickle her wet skin. Their tanned bodies shone under the colorful lights of the cavern.
Trey eased beside her and moved a strand of her wet hair away from her cheek. “We didn’t scare you, did we?”
“Not really. Although I was getting kind of worried. You never said. How did you stay under water so long?” She checked his hands and saw that he didn’t hold anything. “Did you have diving equipment down there?”
“Nope. We just used our natural abilities.”
Natural abilities? They were magnificent men with untold strength, but they were still only men. No normal man could’ve held his breath for as long as they had. They had to be fooling her. Were they playing other tricks on her? Had the drawings on the cave wall been made ages ago? Or had they drawn the dragon-like animals?
“Baby, I know we promised to keep our hands off, but a man is only able to restrain himself for so long.” Trey leaned toward her. The hand that had moved her hair now slipped over her shoulders.
Did she want them to keep their promise? No. Not if she were truthful with herself. Yet she was still logical enough to realize having sex with three men she’d just met wasn’t a smart idea. Hell, being alone with three men she barely knew wasn’t a smart idea, but that choice had already been made.
Could she trust them? Not only to keep their promise but to keep her safe? She closed her eyes, needing to clear her mind, if only for one brief moment, so she could think. Trying to think around them was harder than she would ever have ever imagined.
A hand caressed her leg, and she jolted. Sucking in a breath, she opened her eyes and found them watching her. The longing, the desire in their gazes was enough to bring any woman under their command. “I don’t think—”
“That’s good. Don’t think,” whispered Vince. “Just feel.”
They dipped below the surface again. She spun around, trying to see where they’d gone, but it was useless with the dark water. Would the bubbles come again?
Where are—
Oh shit!
Hands slid over her body. They pulled at her, taking her into deeper water. Guiding her along, the hands were firm, but gentle.
“Guys, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
The hell it isn’t.
She gasped as a hand slipped between her legs then between her folds. Heat cocooned her like a wet blanket. Bubbles rose to the surface in a circle around her, capturing her in its ring of bursting heat.