by Marla Monroe
Rachael worked hard to remain still and keep her breathing shallow so they would think she was still asleep. Surely they couldn’t be good men if they had already stripped her of her clothes and taken her to bed. She hadn’t even been awake for goodness’s sake.
“Hell, get her off of me, Jeremy.”
“Shh, let her sleep. She probably needs it.”
Her stomach took that moment to make itself known and growled louder than a mountain lion.
“Seems like to me she’s awake,” the one called Micah said in a gravelly voice.
She sighed and lifted her head to stare down into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Micah had shaggy black hair with a sheen that many women would kill for. His face could have adorned a cherub with the dimple in the middle of his chin and the noble nose that centered his features.
She could feel the muscles move under her body as he shifted beneath her. His chest was wide to support the broad shoulders beneath her hands. She wondered at the rest of his body until Jeremy climbed out of bed and walked around to look at her. She gasped.
He was beautiful. Where Micah seemed to be built like a linebacker, Jeremy could have been carved from stone. He had the body of a swimmer with narrow hips and broad shoulders. His face was almost pretty were it not for the crook in his nose and the small scar at the corner of one eye.
Then she noticed something else about the man. He was not only over six feet tall, but he had a cock the size of an elephant. She knew she was staring, but it wasn’t until he started laughing that she realized that he knew it, too.
“What’s so fucking funny?”
“She’s got this look on her face like she’s never seen a cock before.”
“Well, she’s going to feel one if she doesn’t get the fuck off me.”
Rachael scrambled to climb off of the rough stranger and curled up on the other side of the bed with the covers pulled tightly to her.
“Don’t scare her, Micah. She doesn’t know that we won’t hurt her.”
She thought she heard the one called Micah say something like “Speak for yourself.”
“Hey, I’m Jeremy. It’s okay. We won’t hurt you. I found you in a ditch outside of Barter Town.”
She just looked at him. What should she tell him?
“This is Micah. He’s all bark and no bite. Don’t mind him.”
“If she knows what’s good for her she will mind me! It’s dangerous out here.”
“Micah! Don’t scare her.”
“I’m Rachael. Where am I?”
“You’re at our farm about four hours from Barter Town. How did you end up on the road? Is there someone out there looking for you?”’
“No, there’s no one looking for me. I hitched a ride on a truck carrying tractor parts and then jumped out when it slowed down to turn into Barter Town. I knew better than to go there.”
“Probably the same damn truck we were waiting on to get there.” Micah stomped out of the room.
“He doesn’t like me, does he?”
“Yes, he does. He just isn’t real friendly at first. It takes a while to warm up to him. You’ll see.”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Oh, um, we had to take them off of you to get you clean. They’re a mess. I’ll find something for you to put on ’til we can get them clean. The people that lived here had women, so there are lots of clothes in the back bedroom.”
“Um, can I have a T-shirt, and I’ll go look and see what fits.”
“That’ll work. Just a minute. He stepped into his jeans and boots, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it on as he walked through the door.
A few minutes later he returned with a huge T-shirt. She sighed with relief to see that it would reach below her knees. It was a start. She pulled it on under the covers and then climbed out of bed to follow Jeremy.
“It’s Micah’s shirt. Mine were big enough, but I felt like you would feel better with one of his to cover all of you.”
She suddenly didn’t feel quite so thrilled with the big shirt. She was sure the man wouldn’t have offered it freely.
“Here you go.” He opened the door to a room at the end of the long hall.
Inside were boxes of clothes haphazardly stacked around the bed and in every crevice in the room. She immediately began sorting through the clothes and found a size that would do. She picked out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt along with undergarments and a pair of shoes.
“I know you cleaned me up, but I think I need a shower. Can I use the one in that bedroom?”
“Of course.” He led the way back and stepped aside for her to continue into the bathroom. He stood there in the doorway for several seconds before he realized she wanted him to leave.
“Oh, um, come on downstairs when you finish. I’ll have breakfast on the table soon.”
“Thanks, Jeremy.” She gently closed the door in his face and gingerly stepped over the pile of muddy clothes on the floor.
She rolled them into a ball to be thrown out. They weren’t going to ever be clean again. No amount of washing would ever get all that caked-in dirt all the way out. Then she cleaned the bathtub, making sure the dirt ring was cleaned away. Once she had the bathroom in a semblance of order, she stepped into the first shower she’d actually used in over a year. Months of quick tub baths where they found a place had her wanting to linger in the hot spray. Instead, she finished bathing and got out to dry off.
The clothes fit fairly well but were obviously for a much-younger woman. The jeans were about an inch too short, and the shirt had kittens on it. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. She checked her appearance in the mirror then doused the light and headed for the stairs.
When she entered the kitchen it was to find the two men sitting at the table eating. Jeremy immediately got up and grabbed a plate off the stove.
“Here you go. I kept it warm.” He set it at the head of the table.
Rachael hesitated. She would be sitting with one of the men on either side of her. Micah didn’t look any happier about it than she was, though. He looked up at her, and for a second she could have sworn she saw longing in his eyes. Then it was gone. Maybe she had only thought she saw it there. His expression now was one of resignation. She shifted her gaze over to Jeremy. He had a strange look on his face as if he were contemplating something very important.
She concentrated on her breakfast and kept her eyes averted. She wasn’t sure what her next plan of action needed to be, but she better come up with one fast. She and the other women had come out to the Border Lands to escape the dangers of living in a city full of black-market thieves. Without men to keep them safe, they were easy pickings for the men to capture and exploit.
Rachael’s parents were killed during a flood, and her older brother had been overseas in the army during the time. She never saw him again. She was left on her own to survive or not. She and the other women had banded together to stay one step ahead of the black-market dealers. At first, there hadn’t been that many of them in the area. But soon, they increased, and avoiding them had become next to impossible. One of the original women, Lacy, had been captured. They hadn’t been able to free her before she was whisked away to Barter Town.
Now she found herself in another situation she wasn’t sure how to handle. She had wanted to find someone to keep her safe, but were these two men the right ones? Jeremy seemed friendly enough, but Micah didn’t appear to be happy she was there. To say that he was a bit gruff was an understatement. Jeremy didn’t bother her at all. His smile was contagious, and he seemed to smile a lot.
“How did you end up hitching a ride on a truck? Where are your men?” Micah finally spoke after several minutes of silence.
“I don’t have any men. I was having trouble staying one step ahead of the black-market dealers, so I thought I would come out west and maybe find a place where there weren’t as many. They all seem to be back in the cities looking for women.”
“Don’t count on it.” Micah sho
ok his head.
“You’re safe here with us, Rachael.” Jeremy seemed to want to be sure she knew that.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble. I’ll help clean up after breakfast and move on.”
“No!” Both Jeremy and Micah yelled.
“It’s not safe for a woman alone out there. You have no ideas of the dangers here in the Border Lands.” Micah looked her directly in the eyes. “Besides the dealers, there are wolves and bears around here.”
“Bears?”
“And wolves and lots of them. They attack humans now.”
“Oh, my God. What am I going to do?” She felt her heart sink at the news.
She hadn’t even once considered there would be natural predators to worry about. She wished she knew what had happened to the others. Now she felt guilty at leading them out into the wilds of the Border Lands not knowing anything about the place. But what choice did they have? Stay and get kidnapped by the dealers or face the unknown and possible freedom.
“You can stay with us, Rachael.” Jeremy immediately offered a solution.
“I don’t think Micah really wants me to hang around.”
“Nonsense. Tell her, Micah. He wants you to stay, too.”
“It’s not safe for you to go anywhere. You should stay here where we can watch out for you.” Micah stood up and took his empty plate to the sink.
He nodded at Jeremy. “Going out to see about the animals.”
She watched as he settled a hat on top of his head before opening the door and walking outside.
Jeremy smiled. “See, he doesn’t want you to leave, either. There’s nothing out there for you. We could sure use your help around here, though.
“I’ll think about it. I’ll stay for a day or two and see how things go.”
Jeremy stood up before reaching for her empty plate. He snagged it before she could move it out of reach.
“You should let me do the dishes since I’m here. And I’ll fix lunch and dinner.”
“For lunch we usually eat sandwiches if we have bread, or beef jerky if we don’t.”
“I’ll make bread if you have the stuff to make it with.” She followed him over to the sink and shoved him out of the way with her hip. “Go on and do whatever you have to do outside. I’ll take care of the kitchen. You took care of me.”
He smiled down at her and gave her a quick hug before moving away to grab his hat and leave. Once she was alone in the kitchen, Rachael filled the sink with water and quickly washed the dishes and then cleaned up the stove. She looked around the kitchen and realized it needed a good cleaning.
First she gathered what she needed to make bread. Less than an hour later she had two loaves shaped and left to rise on the stove with a cloth covering them. Then she began cleaning the room from top to bottom. She doubted it had really been scoured since the last family lived in it. It was highly doubtful the men had taken the time to thoroughly clean anything when they moved in.
Next it was time to put the bread in the oven once she had finished deep cleaning the kitchen and breakfast area. If the men cooperated and didn’t come back for another hour, she would have fresh bread for sandwiches ready for them when they did make it inside. As it happened, they still hadn’t shown up when she had everything ready. She thought about going in search of them but decided to give them a few more minutes.
Just as she was getting ready to walk out the back door, Jeremy and Micah walked.
“Whoa! Stomp your boots off outside. I just mopped the floor.”
Jeremy immediately backed up and pulled off his boots. Then Micah slowly stepped out of his boots before walking inside. He didn’t look at her, but she could tell he hadn’t liked having to do it. Well, too bad. As long as she was cleaning the house, he would wipe his feet before he came inside.
“I have sandwiches ready for you. What do you want to drink? There’s tea, water, and milk.”
“We didn’t have any bread left,” Micah said with a frown.
“I know. I baked two loaves, so there’s plenty for a couple of days.”
“Thanks.” His voice came out a little gruff.
“I’ll have tea, Rachael.” Jeremy plopped down at the table.
“Micah?”
“Tea would be fine.” He sat in the same seat he’d occupied at breakfast.
She fixed their drinks and served them their sandwiches on the freshly baked bread.
“Ah, man. The bread is still warm.” Jeremy hummed his appreciation.
“Glad you like it.”
“Are you planning to cook tonight?” Micah asked without looking at her.
“I thought I would. Unless you rather I didn’t.”
“It’s my turn to cook. If you want something edible, you might want to do the cooking.”
“He isn’t teasing, either. He’s a hard worker, but he doesn’t cook worth a damn.” Jeremy grinned across at her.
“Then I’ll do all the cooking and cleaning while I’m here.”
Micah’s head snapped up. He stared a hole in her.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re here now. You can stay here.”
“You can’t tell me what to do!” She started to stand up, but Jeremy placed a calming hand on her arm.
“Easy, Rachael. He’s just saying that he doesn’t want you to go. It’s dangerous out there for anyone, much less a woman.”
Micah added, “If a black-market dealer doesn’t find you, a pack of starved wolves will.”
“You don’t really want me here, Micah. What am I supposed to do?” She felt tears prick at the back of her eyelids.
“I didn’t say that I didn’t want you. Did I?” He looked off toward the window then back at her. “I had a wife and baby back before everything went to hell. I lost them. Don’t read anything into it, but I want you to stay.”
As requests went, it wasn’t very elegant or even flattering, but under the circumstances, Rachael figured it was going to be the best one she got. She glanced over at Jeremy and noticed the other man was staring at Micah as if he’d spoken in tongues. He must not have believed the man would say anything about his past to her. Whatever, it would be an interesting time spent with them. She still wasn’t sure she would stay once all was said and done, but she would agree to for now.
“All right. I’ll stay for as long as you seem to want me to. If you change your mind, just tell me so I can pick up and move on.”
“Not going to happen.” Jeremy whooped and picked her up out of the chair to whirl her around in the middle of the kitchen floor.
“Put her down, Jeremy. You’ll slip in those socks and fall with her.”
Jeremy grinned but let her slide down his body. She couldn’t miss the obvious bulge of his cock against her belly as she did. When she looked up into his face, she could tell he noticed. His eyes had grown dark. For a minute, she thought he was going to kiss her, but Micah stepped between them.
“Time to get to the garden, Jeremy.”
Jeremy nodded without taking his eyes off of her lips. Then he turned around and headed toward the door. She listened to the murmur of voices outside the door while they put their boots back on. She wasn’t sure, but it sounded as if they were talking about her. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were saying. Was Jeremy attracted to her? She knew she was to him, but if Micah didn’t want her to stick around, what was the use in becoming involved with the other man? She would only get hurt in the long run. Maybe she should think about it some more before she stayed. Then there was the fact that she was just as interested in Micah. Her body responded to his deep, rough voice and the feel of his touch. She knew nothing would ever come of her attraction to him.
She closed her eyes for a second to get a grip on her emotions. Then she continued to clean up the lunch dishes and put the problem in the back of her mind to think about later.
Chapter Three
The early fall day was warm enough that after an hour of working in the garden getting rid of the weeds, both men
took their shirts off and left them hanging over a tree limb closer to the house. They had already picked everything that was ready and were concentrating on weeding now. They had to hand pull or hoe the weeds that were threatening to overrun the garden. Gas was too precious to use in the tractor just for weeding along the edges.
Micah thought about Rachael the entire time he was working. He couldn’t help but be physically attracted to her with her soft skin and beautiful eyes. They were the soft brown of a fawn’s fur. She needed fattening up, but she had the same general body type he liked, rounded and soft. It didn’t mean he had to act on that attraction. Hell, Jeremy was already smitten with the woman. He’d just stand by and let them court. It would be good for the other man to have someone to love and care about. She’d make him a good wife.
Why did the idea of her being with Jeremy turn him on? The thought of watching her face when the other man made her climax had his dick thick with need. He adjusted himself and returned to weeding. Thinking about her was a waste of time. He didn’t need the heartache of dealing with another woman. He’d lost his wife and their baby. He didn’t want to invest time and energy into this one only to have her decide she wants to go somewhere else.
Jeremy didn’t know it, but Micah’s wife had been having an affair with his own brother. He’d actually caught them right after the baby had been born and learned that the baby might not have even been his. He’d loved his brother and his wife, but it took him a long time before he could forgive them in his heart.
When he’d lost all three of them in the disasters that followed, Micah had been heartbroken and devastated. He’d said some terrible things to them both several days before and hadn’t gotten the chance to reconcile with them before they were gone forever.
Now he was faced with someone like Rachael, who for all intents and purposes liked Jeremy, but he liked her, too. What was he going to do about it? Nothing. He would let nature take its course where they were concerned and stick to his guns that he didn’t need a relationship with her. He would help Jeremy keep her safe and watch out for her, but he wouldn’t fuck her. That was too personal.