Storm’s moving in.
Noting the twin blondes marching toward him, he suspected it would be storming on more than one front. His quick inhalation brought with it the scent of rain. So that made two things he could expect: an imminent downpour and, if his tightening Levis were any indication, instant and irreversible cock strangulation.
What the hell were they doing here?
Danica and Colleen Yardley were knockouts on their own. But together? Strutting down the drive in similar summer outfits, long blonde hair flying behind them, pouty pink lips tilting in matching come-hither smiles… Dear God. In a second he’d need to lower his zipper to keep from popping the teeth.
“Evenin’, ladies.” Jack tipped his hat to them and shifted his body closer to the saddle. If they saw the wood he was sporting, they might get the wrong idea. Then again, those deviously sexy smiles suggested they were offering a lot more than the last woman who’d stopped by hawking magazine subscriptions. “What brings you out this way?”
“Just out for a stroll. And since your ranch is the only one within miles, this seemed like a place to stop and wait out the storm.” Danica’s voice had an extra added purr to it, which didn’t help the tightness in his crotch. She walked forward and set her petal-pink fingertips on the edge of the saddle stand. “Don’t s’pose you’d let us stay here for a while? Just to be safe.”
Jack lifted his face to the wind and took another breath. Ozone stung his nostrils. “We have a few minutes. More than enough time for you to head home.”
“Well, now, that’s not very gentlemanly.” Colleen stepped closer and ran a predatory hand over his damp chest. The sun had been out in full force all day, and he’d only climbed down from Silba a little while ago. He probably stunk of sweat, but Colleen sure didn’t seem to mind. Strange, considering she’d been nothing more than polite both times he’d met her this weekend.
He cocked a brow and looked from one woman to the other. Did they really think they had him snowed? He knew which of them was which without any trouble. Months of working alongside a woman, you got to know her little tics. The way she nervously shoved her hair behind her ear, how her eyes would get all squinty when she was trying to think of something to say. Whatever game these two were playing, he still knew exactly which woman leaned up to lay her soft wet lips on his.
Colleen could kiss, all right, but she wasn’t Dani. His Dani, whether or not she cared to recognize that fact. He could wait her out.
“Maybe we can change your mind about sending us home.” Danica moved against his side. She cupped his erection and lifted her face to his. “Sure you won’t let us come…inside?”
A dead man would’ve responded to the double entendre in her question. A smart man would’ve said “Hell yes!” and led the way up to his king-sized bed. But Jack Benton wasn’t dead, and he’d never been called smart, so he picked option three and finally asked the question he’d been tempted to ask since they arrived.
“What the hell are you up to?”
Danica blinked, her eyelashes already dewy from the soft rain now beginning to fall. “Huh?”
“You heard me.” As thunder forked in the rolling, steel-gray sky, he gripped the twins’ forearms and led them toward the back porch. They had a good amount of ground to cover, but between his no-nonsense grip and the pelting rain, the women kept up fine. He yanked open the rickety screen door and stood back, motioning them inside. “Sit down while I grab the saddle,” he said.
When he returned, the two of them sat at the table with sheepish expressions on their faces. Their dripping wet clothes clung to them. Colleen wore a bikini top, but Danica had on a tight tank top with no bra, revealing her nipples in sharp detail. His dick rallied again, but he shut the back door and willed his brain to work.
He tossed his hat down on the table. “So which of you’s gonna get to explaining?”
“Explain what?” Danica’s innocent look almost made him grin. Almost.
“Why you both sashayed up my drive looking for trouble.”
“Did we find it?” Danica asked, batting her lashes. He’d never seen her bat her lashes nor do anything artificial. She was all woman, no girl, and he wondered about this change—even as his body responded to it.
But that didn’t mean he’d just go along with this setup. He didn’t appreciate them thinking he functioned only with his dick. Other parts of him engaged too, now and then. Which they were about to find out.
“A gentleman never turns down a willing lady,” he said, striding to Colleen and gripping her arm. “Come on, sweet thing.”
“Wait!” Danica protested as Colleen’s bluebell eyes rounded. “This party’s supposed to be for three.”
“Is it now? I’m not into threesomes.” He glanced at Colleen. “My bedroom’s just down the hall.”
“Um, okay.” Colleen tossed Danica a quick glance and rose, her breasts brushing Jack’s chest on the way up. “But Dani—”
“Can listen,” he said, tugging Colleen along behind him.
Once they were in his spacious bedroom, he flipped on the lights. Rain slashed against the windows, insulating them. A good thing if she’d been Dani, a bad thing for what he had in mind.
He tipped Colleen’s face closer to his. “Spill it. What’s going on?”
Nervously, she wet her lips. “It was Dani’s idea.”
“I figured that.” He loosened his hold on her chin and gently rubbed his thumb over the lower lip she’d bitten until it was swollen. “Wanna have some fun with your sister?” At her horrified look, he chuckled. “Not that kind of fun. Just follow my lead.”
Before she could argue, he dipped his head toward hers.
Danica folded her hands together and swallowed over her rising aggravation. As pissed as she was, she could actually taste it. A sharp moan rang out, carrying all the way down the damn hall, and she leapt to her feet.
What the hell? Was he attacking her sister or what?
She rubbed her forehead. Calm down. Hardly attacking. And this had been her bright idea. She just hadn’t expected Jack to want Colleen more than her. For fuck’s sake, they looked alike. How could he be more attracted to Colleen? Especially since he hadn’t shown Colleen one bit of interest beyond friendship before this very moment.
Another rippling moan floated out to her over the insistent rain. That was it. She’d had e-fucking-nough.
She marched down the hall. If Colleen was naked in Jack’s bed, it wouldn’t be for long.
This had been the worst idea ever. What kind of man wasn’t into threesomes? Wasn’t that a biological imperative, like caring about football or drinking orange juice out of the carton?
Whatever. He wasn’t getting twosome sex tonight, either. She pressed a hand on his partially open bedroom door and sucked in a breath, bracing herself for the worst. Maybe they were already having sex. Jack seemed like a guy who moved fast.
She stepped inside the doorway and stopped, her anger building even before her eyes set upon them. Then she blinked. They were sitting on the bed. Fully dressed. Not kissing or even groping each other. Colleen’s hair was barely mussed. Her lipstick, however, had smeared a smidgen.
Even that made Danica’s skin prickle with irritation. “What’s going on here?”
“What’s it look like, darlin’?” Jack cupped Colleen’s shoulder, drawing more of Danica’s ire with just the movement of his fingers.
“I heard moans.”
Colleen shrugged and patted his taut stomach. His bare stomach. “Sometimes a girl’s just gotta release some stress.”
“Yeah, I hear you there.” Danica crossed her arms over her chest. “Mind leaving us alone, Col?”
“Not at all.” Colleen touched Jack’s jean-clad thigh, and Danica’s pulse beat a nasty tattoo in her temple. “Good luck, cowboy.”
“Shut the door behind you, will you?” Jack asked.
Colleen smiled. “Sure thing.” A moment later they were alone.
It wasn’t his fault. She k
new that. She’d set up this whole dumb scenario. Her inability to foresee exactly how much she’d hate to watch Jack touching her sister—or vice versa—was to blame, not Jack.
“So what’s this about?” he asked softly. “You tryin’ to push me away, Dani?”
“I thought it would be fun. That all of us could have fun. But it wasn’t. What kind of guy doesn’t like threesomes?” she demanded as he rose and walked over to her.
“A guy who’s already set his sights on the woman he wants. Singular.” He coiled a lock of her hair around his finger and a zing of heat traveled straight up to her scalp. “Got a problem with that?”
“Maybe.” She moved closer, rubbing her breasts against his chest while she risked a glance into his eyes. The intensity in them scared her, especially since she felt an answering echo in her chest. “I’m not a settling down kind of woman, Jack. It’s not fair to you to pretend otherwise.”
A half-smile tipped up his smug mouth. “Who said anything about settling? I just want us to enjoy each other.”
He gripped her hips and boosted her up, giving her little choice but to wrap her legs around his butt. Not that she wanted to resist. Then he crushed his mouth to hers. Mmm. She could taste the whiskey he’d drunk earlier. She sucked eagerly on his flesh, sinking deeper into the kiss. Into him.
All at once, thoughts of her sister receded. At least until he jiggled her in his arms and slipped his deliciously rough palm under her tank.
She drew back and gasped. “What about Colleen?”
“She understands. And she’s got the keys to my truck.” He gave her a sexy smile that sent flutters through her stomach and pulled her nipples to tight peaks. With a few tugs of his fingers, he yanked up her shirt and exposed her breasts. He let out a low growl. “Look at all that pretty skin you’ve been hiding from me.”
Though she laughed, she arched up, yearning for him so much it shocked her. She didn’t want to worry about expectations now. He was right. Enjoyment was so much more uncomplicated. “I wanted to go slow.”
“Until you wanted to go fast.”
He quirked a brow at her, and she laughed again. God, he made her happy. Giddy, even. Her laughter turned to giggles when he dumped her on the bed. She bounced on the firm mattress and grabbed the sheets as he dipped his talented mouth to her breast.
“Well, don’t let it be said I don’t know how to oblige a lady,” he said, nipping at her beaded tip while he undid his belt.
With just those words, she started to throb. She leaned up to push more of her nipple between his teeth and clutched at his hair to hold him where he was. As far as she was concerned, he could stay there forever.
Too soon he moved his attention to her torso, then lower as he drew off her shorts. Another growl left his throat as he saw she wasn’t wearing panties. He fastened his lips to her swollen pussy, and then she was the one growling, begging, tugging on his hair to bring his tongue inside her. Faster, deeper. He nuzzled her clit and rubbed his nose over the narrow thatch of curls, but he didn’t pleasure her like she wanted.
The jerk didn’t want her to come yet. That much was clear from his glistening smile as he drew his used mouth away and removed his jeans and boxers.
“Fast, remember?” His rasp only excited her more as he withdrew a condom from the nightstand and drew the pointed end of the packet across her oversensitized nipple. She shivered and he grinned. “If you think you can take it.”
“Oh, I’ll take it,” she gritted out. But she doubted her threshold when she took a good look at his thick length. That shiny crest on his belt had distracted her from Jack’s natural gifts. His hard, golden flesh made her mouth water. “Now.”
He suited up and notched his cock at her soaked entrance, barely slipping inside. He drew her legs up over his elbows and rocked, his glittering brown eyes holding her captive as he rocked shallowly into her again and again.
“Damn it, Jack. Never took you for a fucking tease.”
“You haven’t taken me at all yet.” He grinned again and coasted home, gliding deep in one smooth thrust. “Now you have.”
Unless an unintelligible grunt counted as an answer, she didn’t reply. She spread her legs wide and clasped her own nipples, rolling them between her fingers while the music of their lovemaking played through her mind. The slap of flesh, Jack’s grunts, her helpless moans.
It went too quickly. Even expecting the climax, she couldn’t prepare for it, because his steady surges inside her welcoming body hit her in all the right ways. The orgasm gripped her like the storm outside rocked the house, shaking her foundation and blanketing her in warmth at the same time.
“You hid that from me,” he whispered, flicking his thumb over her clit. She trembled as if he’d smacked her. “I like watching you come.” He pushed deeper and added a hip swivel that made whorls of color explode behind her closed lids. “Like feeling it, too.”
She clenched around him, flexing her hips until he couldn’t talk anymore. His ragged breath rang in her ears, blowing sweet over her skin as his body jerked and she felt the hot pulse of his release into the condom.
Then he sprawled on top of her, pinning her to the mattress with the delicious weight of his warm, damp body. The storm still raged outside, but in this bed she was as satisfied and as comfortable as she’d ever been.
Not that she could claim to be dry. That was one statement she’d never be able to make around Jack Benton.
“You’re so pretty,” he said, parting the tangle of her hair to trail kisses down the side of her face. “I’m probably crushing you.”
“A little,” she admitted.
He pulled out of her, and she sighed at the loss of his heat. He smiled and disposed of the condom before gathering her in his arms again. “Better?”
“Best,” she murmured, snuggling against his chest. She loved the sound of his pounding heart, knowing she’d caused it to beat faster. The salty perspiration on his skin tasted so good when she licked his nipple that she did it again, stopping only when he groaned.
“Tell me this wasn’t a one-time thing, Dani. Please.”
The unexpected emotion in his voice made her lift her head. Her throat closed as she glimpsed the need in his eyes. “Jack, I’m a photographer. I go out on jobs. I took one in October, in Chicago.”
“How long will you be gone?”
That was it? No demands for her to stay, no complaints? Her ex never would’ve accepted her decision to go away that easily. In fact, Steve had never accepted it, which was one reason he was now her ex.
But Steve and Jack were as far apart as two men could get. Comparing them wasn’t only unfair, it didn’t even make sense.
“Just a month. This time. Sometimes they’re longer jobs. In farther-flung places.”
He nodded and wound her hair around his wrist. “You’re so talented. I want a copy of that seascape hanging over your couch for over there.” He nodded to the bare wall opposite them. “I’ve been saving that spot.”
She couldn’t have stopped her smile if she’d tried. “You really like my work?”
“I love it.” He hugged her close and brushed a kiss over her hair. “I don’t want to take over your life, Dani. Just share whatever pieces you’ll give me.”
Impossibly moved, she laid her hand over his heart and reveled in the strong, steady beat. Here was the anchor she hadn’t realized she’d been looking for, the safe place she could return to no matter how far away she traveled. A haven where she could always be herself, with a man she was learning to trust.
“I’m good at sharing,” she whispered. “If you’ll give me time, I’ll get even better.”
“I’ll give you all the time you need. In the meantime, how about I show you how good I am at certain things?”
With a grin, he dove down her body and set to work proving his point.
UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS
Cheyenne Blue
“No city lights here.” The glowing tip of Jake’s cigarette pierced the
gathering darkness. “No convenience stores as you Americans need, either.”
“No,” I agreed.
He scowled at me from under his wide-brimmed Akubra hat. “Just a load of bloody sheep and spinifex that’ll pierce the sole of your boot.” He took a deep drag on the cigarette. “An outback sheep station isn’t on most people’s ten-day tour of Australia.”
“It’s not,” I agreed again. I spread my legs for balance and tipped back my chair to sight the Southern Cross. Those five stars low on the southern horizon represented everything strange about this place.
“So what’s a sheila like you doing here? You’re a city girl.”
Jake’s persistence was annoying. A truthful answer was impossible, and I was too tired to invent a plausible lie. Agent Dolan had told me no one would ask questions. But Jake was a casual worker, a jackaroo, as I’d learned to call the Australian cowboys who came looking for work. The manager took him on for two weeks and told me to stay out of his way.
I’ve never been good at taking orders.
Jake flicked me a half-smile as he leaned on the verandah rail, an invitation I couldn’t resist.
“I needed a change,” I said, in an approximation of the truth.
He snorted. “Right. And I’m a cocky’s missus.” He pulled a beer from the cooler at his feet, offered it to me, and sat down. “We’re not going anywhere this evening. Why don’t you tell me your tale?”
For a second, I considered it. I’ve always been gullible if I think someone is taking an interest. Agent Dolan’s words ran through my head: “Your safety depends on your discretion. The FBI can only do so much to protect you.”
Malory Station in Western Australia was a reliable shelter for those under the witness protection program, and I wasn’t going to blow my cover. Jake wouldn’t believe me anyway. Instead of answering, I looked back at the sky. The Milky Way trailed across the heavens, brighter than in L.A. I imagined how far each star must have traveled in its lifetime, how separated they were from one another. Like me.
Suddenly, I felt very alone. My longing for L.A. overwhelmed me. This place was alien, surreal. Even the buzz of the insects, which had seemed so comforting before, made me uneasy.
Cowboy Lust: Erotic Romance for Women Page 2