by Jane Jamison
“Am I?” She licked her lips, hoping to add to her teasing.
“Yeah, you are.”
Two more slaps accented his words and she yelped, then moaned. Her moan was filled with desire and she hoped he’d spank her again.
“I told you to tell me that you like it.” Bill slammed into her again and dug his fingers into her butt cheeks. “I know you love it or you wouldn’t push back at me.”
She clung to Carter as he took one of her breasts and squeezed. “Maybe I do and maybe I don’t. Give me another one and I’ll think about it.”
“She’s taunting you, cuz.” William laughed.
“Damned if she isn’t. Let me give her another taste.” Bill slapped her butt cheek again, sending more delightful zings of pain into her.
She moaned deep in her throat.
Carter pounded into her, his balls bumping against her other leg as he muttered his own reply to Bill. “You know she does. She tightens her pussy around me every time you spank her. Do it again, man. Harder.”
She would’ve laughed if she’d had the breath. But the attack from both men had taken most of her breath away. “Yeah, okay. I admit it. I like it. In fact, I like it a lot.”
“Aw, hell.” Bill slapped her ass again then grabbed hold and rammed into her harder than ever. “I can’t hold on much longer. Not after her finally admitting—”
He tensed, his fingers digging into her flesh and sending shards of pain into her. She cried out as Carter thrust his cock inside her then stiffened. Glancing at both men, she saw the pinnacle of their climaxes in their expressions, and that pushed hers over the edge.
Crying out, she clung to Carter and rolled with the orgasm as its waves washed over her. Her pussy pulsated as her juices spread over her leg. Carter groaned, the sound of it flowing over her breast. Bill managed one more slap then shouted as he pulled out of her and shot his wad onto the small of her back.
They lay on the living room floor, trying to regain control of their breath as William flopped onto the sofa, a water bottle clutched in his hand. “I’ve got to say. I think I win.”
She wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. “You won what?”
He took a swig. “Don’t take this the wrong way, darlin’. But it’s like in a rodeo. The best rider wins.”
* * * *
Sela groaned then rolled over in bed. Her head throbbed, and the moonlight coming through the slats of the blinds felt more like death rays blinding her, but her body was a different matter. Her body hummed with the feeling that she’d made love and been satisfied. Hell, more than satisfied.
Holy gumdrops.
She remembered now, as if she could ever forget. The Richland men had taken her on the kitchen counter, then in the living room. When they’d finally run out of steam, Carter had helped her to her bedroom as she clutched her clothes against her chest. She remembered telling him that she didn’t like waking up with anyone else. It had been a lie, but she wasn’t ready to believe that she could let any man back into her heart. She’d wanted to, had even imagined opening up to them, but that wall she’d kept around her heart had come up as soon as they’d stopped touching her.
His disappointment, along with Bill’s and William’s as they’d come up behind them, had washed over her, and she’d almost reconsidered. If there were any men she could love and trust, they might be those men. But she didn’t want to worry about that. Why ruin a perfectly fun night with that kind of thinking?
She remembered hoping she’d have another wet dream. This time, however, she’d dream and match it up with the real thing. With a smile on her face, she’d fallen into the huge bed and drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
“Wake up, sleepyhead. Daylights a-burnin’.”
Sela sat straight up and clutched the covers over her naked body. “What the hell’s the matter? Did someone die? Is the house on fire?”
Weren’t those the only valid reasons for waking up before noon?
Bill stood at the foot of her bed, his cowboy hat pulled low and his arms crossed. “You’ve got work to do, remember?”
She pointed at the blinds. “It’s not even daylight yet, so how can it be a-burnin’?” She purposely used the same word and inflection he had.
But it didn’t bother him. Instead, he yanked on the comforter, trying to tug it off. She clung to it with every bit of strength she had in her. Which, after the amount of tequila she’d consumed the night before, wasn’t much.
“I’m naked under here, you jerk.” She wasn’t in the mood to argue. Anyone who expected her to get out of bed before the sun was up was just plain crazy.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen your body before.”
Her mouth dropped open. “And you liked it a lot if memory serves.” Her brain might be foggy, but her memory of how he’d gazed at her body, the desire on his face translating to the lust in his hands as he roamed them over her, was as clear as a cloudless day.
“Yeah, I did.” He ran a hand along the stubble covering his chin. “But we don’t have time for a rematch. Like I said, there’s work to do.”
“Fine. I’ll get to it once I’m out of bed.” She flopped down, tugging the comforter over her head. “Until then, run along and keep quiet. My head’s killing me.”
The comforter went flying off her. She yelped and groped for it, but it was long gone and on the floor. Bill stood over her, his hands on his hips.
“Get moving. Now.”
“Fuck off!”
His eyebrows shot up. “Damn. What happened to ‘holy gumdrops’? I guess you’ve got a mouth on you, don’t you? But it doesn’t matter. You’re getting up one way or the other.”
“Like hell I am.” She didn’t care that she was naked. All she cared about was going back to sleep come hell or high water. Meaning to do just that, she shot him an angry glare, then rolled onto her side and curled into a ball.
She was in the air and over his shoulder before her poor hungover mind could comprehend what was going on.
Chapter Five
Naked and facing the ground and his amazing butt, Sela clung to his shirt and yelled at the top of her lungs.
“Put me down! Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m the guy who’s trying to keep your sorry little butt safe, remember?”
“My sorry butt? Why you—” She let out a screech as he slapped her butt, not once but twice. “Are you stupid or just plain wacko?”
“Oh, yeah. Like I’m real scared of a ninety-pound slip of a girl like you.”
Ninety pounds? Don’t I wish.
But she couldn’t let the flattering comment make her forget his inexcusable rudeness. “Put me down, Bill.”
“Sure. No problem.” He plunked her down inside the shower and held on to her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh and adding to the pain in her head.
Water burst from the showerhead, assaulting her chilled body with hot water. She yelped and tried to move out of the way, but he held her. Soon the water changed to a soothing, warm flow, but that did nothing to help her disposition.
“I told you to let me go.” If she didn’t yell, would the furious tone of her voice break through his hard head? She lowered her glare to his hand on her arm.
“Sweetheart, I don’t like being told what to do. Especially from someone who isn’t paying me to listen.”
“Paying you? If it’s money you want, then—” She slammed her mouth shut, startled by how close she’d come to letting her secret out.
He couldn’t have looked at her in a more suspicious way if he’d had a magnifying glass. “Then what?”
“Then you’re shit out of luck.”
“I guess I made my point. You agreed to earn your keep, and that’s what you’re going to do.”
She had to grab hold of the rod to keep from falling when he turned her loose. Pushing the wet hair out of her face, she turned to give him another round of hell for waking her up.
“Damn you, you big stinky cowb
oy!”
He flung a large towel over the side of the shower. “Don’t take too long.” Pivoting on his boot heel, he spun around and strode from the room.
What just happened?
She’d never had anyone drag her out of bed before. Certainly not since she’d started getting noticed in the music world. None of her crew on the tour would even dare. Not even Grisham.
Grudging admiration filled her despite her attempt to shove it down. She had to give it to Bill. He’d found her butt naked and hadn’t let it sway him one bit. Any other man would’ve forgotten about the stupid work and hopped into bed with her. A smile formed on her lips even as she struggled to stay angry.
* * * *
Carter bumped into Bill as he came through the back door. William had already gone out to the far end of the ranch to check fences.
“Hey, watch where you’re going.”
Bill didn’t pause but kept on going. Carter recognized the look on his face and fell into place beside him. “Is she up?”
“She is now.”
“Shit. What’d you do?”
Carter’s head wasn’t in the best shape, and it reminded him of that as his brother whirled to confront him. “She got nothing more than she deserved.”
Carter stepped back from his fury. “Whoa. Hold up. Who killed your dog?”
It was their way of saying the other one had gone off the deep end with his temper. He saw Bill’s jaw clench as he fought to regain control. “Sorry. I had to haul her butt out of bed and toss her into the shower to get her going.”
Bill whirled around and started striding toward the barn again. Carter knew William was expecting Bill to come out and help with the fence, but he wanted more information first.
“Couldn’t you have done the same thing in a more civilized manner?” Asking Bill that question was just short of poking a beehive with a stick. It wasn’t the brightest or the safest thing to do, but he’d done it anyway.
He entered the barn and dragged in the familiar aroma of hay, horses, and manure. Maybe some people didn’t like the smell, but he did.
“I could have, but I doubt it would’ve gotten her up as fast.”
“Tell me you at least didn’t treat her like a stray calf. You know what I mean. Like you just lassoed her and dragged her out from under the covers. Tell me you used a little tenderness.”
Bill shot him a hard glare. Shit. That would be a big, fat no.
The thought hit Carter as Bill put a halter on the horse and led it out of its stall. He was still considering the implications when Bill threw the blanket onto the horse and then cinched up the saddle.
“Bill, what was she wearing when you so gently hauled her ass out of bed?” When he’d helped her stagger to her bedroom last night, they’d all been as naked as jaybirds.
Bill closed his eyes then opened them. There was less fire in them now and more yearning. “Nothing.”
His tone was as filled with need as Carter’s mind was just hearing the words. “And let me guess. After you so subtly yanked her out of bed, you threw her into the shower, right? And then what?”
Bill turned to him as he finished getting his mount ready. “Not a damn thing. It wasn’t easy to hold back, but that’s what happened.”
Carter couldn’t believe it. If faced with a similar situation, he doubted he could’ve resisted taking advantage of her lack of clothes. He clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You, bro, are a better man than I.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Bill swung into the saddle. “I guess it’s up to you to make sure she gets the house cleaned up. There’s still the mess we left in the kitchen, too.”
“You’re really going to make her clean up?”
“Why not? Besides, I don’t think she’s done it much. I bet she could use the practice doing chores. Which is strange when you think about it.”
“What’s your point?”
“If her boyfriend was such a jerk, why wouldn’t he treat her like a servant? I’m thinking he’d have had her cleaning and scrubbing with a toothbrush. She sure doesn’t act like that’s what she’s used to doing.”
“You, brother dear, are too suspicious for your own good. What reason would she have to lie to us anyway?” Carter didn’t want to think Shawna was lying. But he had to admit that Bill was a good judge of character. Not that he didn’t miss one every once in a while, and Carter hoped he was missing one with Shawna.
“I don’t know the answers to those questions yet, but I will. But I do know that her clothes aren’t those of a poor girl. For some reason, she doesn’t want us to know she has money.”
“Maybe her boyfriend liked her to look good.”
“And maybe she bought them herself.”
“Okay. Maybe. But what does that matter? We wouldn’t turn her away because she’s not poor.” Bill’s continued suspicions were starting to dig at him. What if she had lied?
“If I’ve got her pegged right, then she either won’t do the chores or she won’t do them well because, like I said, she’s not used to doing any.”
“You’re putting a lot of weight on whether or not she knows how to wash a dish.” His irritation he felt grew. “What happened to giving her the benefit of the doubt?”
“Just be careful, Carter. If she’s lying about who she is and what’s going on, there’s no telling what else she’s hiding.”
“Maybe, but I think your internal lie detector’s on the fritz.”
“Just get her to clean up, all right? Even if she’s not lying, she needs to pull her weight around here.”
Carter nodded, having passed by the dirty kitchen earlier when he came out to finish a few chores in the barn. He knew he was giving his brother a dig, but he couldn’t help it. He let his grin spread. “Don’t worry. I’m on her. Uh, I mean on it.”
Bill’s glower had him laughing. “Go on. William’s probably wondering where the hell you are.”
He watched his scowling brother lead the horse out of the barn and toward the pasture. When Bill turned around to give him another glare, he lifted his hand in a wave. “That’s right, big brother. Leave her to me.”
Once Bill was out of sight, Carter couldn’t get into the house fast enough. Would she still be in the shower? If so, why not take advantage of the situation?
He hurried to her bedroom door and ended up running into her as she strode out of the room. “Oh, hey.” His gaze slid down her then back up. “You’re up.”
Her hair was wet and pushed away from her face, making her eyes appear even bigger than they normally did. The jeans she wore hugged her body tighter than any jeans he’d seen the local girls wear, and it made him think of how firm and hard her thighs were. She had on an old T-shirt of his with the words Cowboys Do It Better blazoned across the front. Her breasts pushed the material to its limit. He’d forgotten that he’d left a few shirts in her bedroom, but now he was glad he had. She looked damn good in his shirt.
“Yeah, I’m up at this unholy hour. Thanks to your brother. Did you know that he—”
He waited, pretending not to know what had happened. “He did what?”
“Never mind.”
She shook her head as though ridding herself of a bad thought and gave him one of her brilliant smiles. He’d do just about anything for one of her smiles.
“I guess I’m supposed to clean up.”
She eased past him and led him back to the living room. Shot glasses sat everywhere, as though they’d each gotten a new glass for every drink. Except for the belly shots, that was.
Other than that and a few dirty dishes in the sink, the room looked pretty good. At least to him. Her frown said otherwise. “Is it that bad?”
“I’ve seen worse.” She picked up a discarded shirt lying next to the sofa. The men hadn’t bothered to pick up their clothes from last night.
Yet instead of continuing to clean, she flopped onto the couch and put her head in her hands. “Oh my God, my head is killing me.”
He strode
to the kitchen, mixed the ingredients for a Bloody Mary, and then brought it back to her. “Sorry. I don’t have any celery to stick in this.”
She accepted the drink with a grateful look and took a sip. “I usually drink Gatorade along with a couple of headache pills, but this is good, too. Thanks.”
He sat next to her as she took bigger and bigger drinks. In no time at all, she’d finished it off. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah, I am. It’s amazing how that works.” She cast a glum look around her. “Your brother expects me to clean this shit up.”
“Yeah, he does.” He couldn’t stand to see her so down. Not after last night. “But I’ve got a better idea if you’d like to hear it.”
Her face brightened. “You bet I would.”
“How about going for a ride? The weather’s perfect, and I’d like to show you the ranch.”
“But what about Bill? Won’t he get mad if he comes back and sees the mess?”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll cover for you.”
She hugged him, pressing her breasts against his arm. Amazingly, it felt almost as wonderful as having his cock inside her pussy. Almost. She pulled away far too soon.
“And the others on the ranch? Didn’t you guys want me to stay out of Gabriel’s sight?”
He’d forgotten about that. But he had a solution, too. “We’ll stay on our land. Granted, it’s a part of the larger ranch, but we take care of our own cattle and horses. The rest of Gabriel’s crew won’t have a reason to cross over into our part.”
“If you’re game, then so am I. Although I have to warn you, I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
“That’s okay. You’ll learn fast enough. And I have a real gentle mount for you.” He took her hand and felt his cock twitch as he cocooned her soft skin in his.
He held her hand all the way to the barn and hated the idea of ever having to turn it loose.
How could he feel connected to her so fast? He’d had sex before, but he’d never felt so easy, so just plain right with any other woman. Could she be the one for them? If last night was any indication, she could be.