In this position, he could look down and watch what he was doing to her. Just imagining that made her even hornier.
“God, look at that! Look at my cock fucking you. You look so fucking beautiful with my cock moving in and out of your cunt. Baby, look over at Brian. Look how his eyes are on your cunt. Can you see the fever he has burning for you in his eyes? He’s hard again. Because of you. For you. It’s all you, Carrie. All you.”
Carrie reached out to Brian, unable to stem the nearly insatiable hunger that exploded in her for him, for them, for everything. She wrapped her hand around his cock and pumped even as she wrapped her legs around Chase’s hips. She stroked one lover, and squeezed the other with her inner muscles.
Brian moved, surged up on the bed, bringing his cock close to her face. Carrie opened to him, greedily sucked him in as the first tingles of rapture swirled through her. She sucked Brian hard, pumped her hips against Chase’s thrusts, and let go of everything but this loving, this moment.
“Oh, yeah, you are perfect for us. Absolutely perfect. Come, sugar. Come for us, while we come for you. Now, Carrie. Come now.”
Chase reached down and stoked her clit back and forth. Carrie gasped and whimpered around Brian’s cock as her climax was almost, almost there. Then Chase pinched her clit, and her entire body erupted in ecstasy so sharp, so thrilling, that she cried out and felt tears stream from her eyes from the absolute beauty of it. Chase left behind his careful rhythm and began to thrust hard and fast inside her. He growled at the same time Brian did.
Carrie closed her eyes to the magic of the moment. She gave herself totally to the thrill of bliss that swamped her, the taste of heaven in her mouth as she swallowed one lover’s cum, and the solid shiver of the pulsing cock of her other lover, deep inside her pussy.
Chapter 15
As August burned hot with the Texas summer sun and the days came and went, the Benedict North Ranch began to take shape. Chase acknowledged on more than one occasion that Julián was a godsend. He and Brian both appreciated the man’s guidance in getting their ranch up and running. For a man who’d only been away from Wall Street for five and a half years, Mister Alvarez had certainly soaked up ranching and animal husbandry and basic know-how like a sponge.
Chase and Brian had been very specific in the goals that they’d presented to the Town Trust when they’d petitioned to be given this property to work. They wanted the Benedict North Ranch to be a real ranch, and they intended to be real, hardworking, and successful ranchers. They wanted cattle on this land, most certainly. Their goal was that eventually they would be able to produce beef that could be considered organic. That would take a few generations of cows, and hard work and keen attention on their part. They planned to start small, with just a few dozen head. Eventually, that arm of their business would grow and expand. It would damn well flourish if they had anything to say about it.
Despite that determination, and the fact that they were smack-dab in the middle of cattle country, their primary love was horses. More than anything they wanted to be known as horse breeders.
They weren’t, either of them, operating under any illusions. They knew it would be years, likely, before they could build a solid reputation for themselves in the equine world. After consulting with Julián and the Martinezes over in Divine, Chase and Brian had decided to begin by purchasing a number of two- and three-year-old mares. They would also pick up some geldings, and a couple of stallions, for balance, and for honing their skills.
But the mares would be the heart of their operation.
Originally, they’d thought they would go to auction and find all their stock—bovine and equine—there. Julián quickly changed their minds, and everything he’d told them had been seconded by the Martinezes.
Julián pointed out it would be better to acquire horses straight from the ranchers who’d raised them. “You get an idea when you meet the rancher what condition the animals are in,” he said. “At auction, often, you don’t get any opportunity to do this.”
Bloodlines were important, but so was the environment into which those fillies had been born, and raised. There were a wide variety of well-known horse farms—most in Texas, but a few they’d heard of in Colorado—whose business was selling horses. There were cattle ranches looking to cull their herds. Chase and Brian had their trust funds, and they also had the money they’d made in the corporate arena and through their own investments.
This ranch was going to be their life’s work, and so they had no qualms investing damn near everything they had, provided they were acquiring good stock in return.
The cattle were the easiest to purchase because they knew exactly what they wanted. They’d both agreed right from the start their herd would be Texas longhorns. They believed since the breed evolved right here in the state, it was best suited to the unique climate and environment Texas offered. Then, too, longhorns were generally considered to be the most cost effective of all the breeds, based on the higher fertility rates compared to other North American breeds, as well as its documented ease with calving and its resistance to disease.
Granted, their chosen breed didn’t have the pizzazz of Black Angus. But the beef was leaner than other breeds, and lower in saturated fats. The trend in restaurants was toward healthier eating, and the Texas longhorn was tailor made for that trend.
They had plenty of acreage, and fences that were sound now, thanks to their Uncle Jon’s advice. They had water on the land in the form of a creek, and water beneath the land accessible via wells that they could use for irrigation. Because they wanted to aim toward raising cattle that were as free of man-made chemicals as possible, they intended to grow their own hay and corn to supplement the natural grass from the pasture lands.
They asked their cousin, Jordan Kendall, to draw up plans for a bunkhouse. They intended to pay for it themselves, but any additional buildings or ranch improvements—like eventually constructing a manager’s house similar to the one they’d seen at the Divine Creek Ranch—that would come later, when the ranch began to turn a profit.
After discussing the matter with Julián, he and Brian had decided they would hire two hands to begin with, likely in October or November.
There was too much money sense bred into both of them to even once consider spending the rest of their lives throwing good money after bad. They’d invest heavily at the outset, but then the onus would be on them to make this ranch work.
By God, this ranch will work if I have to give it every drop of my blood.
Just because he and Brian had been born into a wealthy family didn’t mean they could lie back and do nothing with their lives. They’d needed to be strong enough to reach out for their dream, and they needed to work hard enough and smart enough to make it a reality. Being wealthy was all well and good, but in the end it didn’t make them men—or men of substance.
What made them men was the sum total of the decisions they made, and the actions they took. What made them men was the content of their characters, not the contents of their wallets.
As Chase sat astride Jasper and took a moment as he often did, to look at the land and reflect upon their progress, he knew they were on the right path.
He turned and watched Julián ride through the small herd of cattle—they only had twenty at the moment—heading toward the gate that would let him out of the large corral on the east side of the barn.
They’d move the longhorns soon enough to one of the smaller pastures.
Brian rode up and joined him, and for a moment neither of them said anything. Finally, Brian sighed. “We won’t find another wrangler who’s as comfortable with the spreadsheets as he is with riding herd as that man right there.”
“I know, damn it.”
Julián had promised them two months, and they were nearly at the end of that time. He hadn’t said anything specific, but he had headed off to Divine a few times on his days off. Chase and Brian both knew he was happy to be here, to be building a relationship with his brother and
his brother’s new in-laws. But they both understood the truth of the matter.
“Maybe he’ll give us a bit more time, but you have to know he’s not completely at home here,” Brian said. “I don’t think Lusty is his place.”
“I don’t think it is, either. I think we should talk to him tonight, see if he can give us another month or so. And maybe we can get him to scout around for someone to take his place. He seems to know a lot of folks. He won’t steer us wrong.”
Brian smiled. “You know, in a way, I think I’d be happier having Julián just as a friend as opposed to an employee, too.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. What does that make us?”
Brian shrugged. “Honest.”
Julián walked his horse toward them. “Those cows seem to be settling in just fine. Once those three mommas found their babies, and they all found the feed and water, they appeared to be in bovine heaven.”
“Good. We’ll get Doc Marshall to come out from Gatesville and give them a good look.”
“Medical records are in on your desk,” Julián said. His gaze wandered to over Chase’s shoulder, apparently looking toward the house and the long lane that led to the front door. “Huh.”
Chase turned in his saddle to see what had caught the wrangler’s attention. The sheriff’s car was making its way down the lane. Whoever was driving sure wasn’t wasting any time getting to them, either.
His heart in his throat, he put his heels to Jasper. The only reason he could think that either Adam or Matt would be speeding toward them that way was if someone they cared about was in trouble.
His family numbered in the dozens in Lusty, but only one name came to his mind and made his pulse pound.
Carrie.
Until he brought his horse to an abrupt stop, Chase hadn’t realized that both Brian and Julián had joined him in racing toward the arriving vehicle.
The driver’s door sprang open. Sheriff Adam Kendall was out of the car before Chase could reach him. “Carrie is fine. She’s at work, none the wiser, and Matt’s at the restaurant, keeping watch.” He exhaled deeply.
“There’s a problem.”
“Yeah, you could say that. I’ll tell you first, but then we have to go into town and tell your woman.”
Chase met his brother’s gaze and then turned his attention back to Adam. “We would never hide anything from Carrie, even if we thought telling her what was happening would upset her.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Adam said.
“Come on,” Brian said. “Let’s put these horses up and then go inside. I have a feeling I’m going to want to sit down to hear whatever it is you have to tell us.”
Adam nodded, his expression grim. “I think you will, too.”
* * * *
“We’re down to three tables, and they’re all fine for a few minutes.” Michelle came into the kitchen and hopped up onto one of the stools kept there for staff. “That was a very busy lunch crowd.”
“And a very generous one.” Emily Anne had come through from the dining room just a few seconds behind Michelle. Instead of sitting down right away, she headed over to the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of sweet tea.
Carrie looked up from the meatloaf she was mixing for the dinner crowd. “I can’t say as I’ve ever seen a meal hour here that wasn’t busy, and I’ve been here a few months now.”
“True.” Michelle nodded her thanks for the glass of ice tea Emily handed to her.
The younger woman boosted herself onto a stool and sighed with pleasure. She looked down at her feet. “I think I need to get a new pair of shoes for these tired old feet.”
“They have some at that shoe store at the mall just as you get inside Waco,” Tracy said. “They’re pricey, but definitely worth the cost.”
“In that case, I think a shopping trip is in my immediate future.” Emily smiled. “This is the first job I’ve had where I’m on my feet most of the day. It’s taking me a while to get used to it.”
“I hear you,” Tracy said. “Before Kelsey opened this restaurant, I worked in Waco at an insurance office, so I was used to being on my butt all day.”
At the mention of the boss’s name, Carrie looked around, expecting some comment from the restaurant owner. “Where is Kelsey?” Carrie felt a little chagrinned she hadn’t noticed before then that they were a couple of people short in the kitchen. “And, come to think of it, where’s Ginny?”
“Kelsey is in the dining room grilling Matt, and I think Ginny is acting as her backup.” Michelle snickered as she said that. “He was squirming like a guilty perp when we came in here. I expect him to break and spill his guts at any moment.”
Carrie looked over at Tracy, who shrugged. Then she turned her attention back to Michelle. “What do you mean, ‘grilling Matt’?”
Michelle took another sip of her tea. “Matt came into the restaurant about an hour ago, ordered a coffee, and then just sat there. He barely drank it and seemed as if he was super wired, waiting for something to happen—like he was actually on duty. When Ginny asked him if he wanted anything to eat, he asked her if the back door in the kitchen was locked.” Michelle shrugged. “It always is, unless we’re getting deliveries, and he should know that.”
Carrie looked back over at Tracy, this time with one eyebrow raised. “That was one of our new policies,” Tracy said, “that we adopted after Kelsey was attacked by that wacko from her past. Matt knows she always keeps that door locked.”
The young pastry chef knew Matt better than she did, even if he was the cousin of the men she loved. “So I wonder why he would ask Ginny that?”
Tracy furrowed her brow and shook her head slowly. “I have absolutely no idea what—”
Carrie heard the door swing open behind her, not an unusual occurrence, but the flash of concern on Tracy’s face made her pivot around to face whoever had just opened it.
She met Chase’s gaze. A flash flood of panic swept her. Then she mentally sighed with relief when she saw Brian standing out in the dining room behind him, looking her way.
“Sugar, can you come on out here and sit with us for a bit? Adam needs to talk to you.”
Carrie couldn’t logically explain the sense of foreboding, but there was something in the way Chase’s voice sounded and in the look he gave her that put her on edge. She set aside the enormous bowl of meat, and covered it. She peeled off her latex gloves and then washed her hands, moving deliberately, bracing herself as she performed the mundane task.
Chase waited patiently for her, and she felt his eyes on her the entire time. When she stepped out into the dining room, he slipped his arm around her. Brian took up position on the other side of her as they led her toward the group that awaited her. Carrie sighed. She felt protected, and that eased the knot in her stomach, at least a little bit. She wasn’t surprised to see not only Lusty’s sheriff waiting for her, but her sister, too. Julián was there, as was one of Tracy’s husbands, Peter, along with Matt, Kelsey, and Ginny, of course.
Carrie sat down at one of the large family-sized tables. She had the sinking feeling that she knew what Adam was going to talk about before he said a word.
Adam took a chair almost directly across from her. “You had an apartment in Dallas, on East Armadillo Street? The building number was 1286?”
Momentarily confused, Carrie nodded. “Yes, apartment number 3C,” she said. “I lived there for a couple of years. I only moved from the apartment when I left Dallas to come here around the end of May. Why?”
Adam cocked his head to one side. “Did you register a change of address with the DMV at the time of your move, Carrie?”
She felt her face color. She hadn’t, and she didn’t understand why Adam would ask such a thing. She didn’t think the purpose of this meeting with so many people looking so very somber had anything to do with her tardiness in filing a government form.
“Actually, I only mailed the form off a couple of weeks ago. I had it and filled it out, but it totally slipped my mind to send it. I do
n’t have my new license yet. Adam, what’s this about?”
Chase picked up her right hand and threaded his fingers with hers. Brian sat close on the other side of her.
“Sugar, two nights ago, there was a break-in at your former apartment. The new tenant was a young man, about twenty-five years old, newly arrived in Dallas from Alabama.”
Carrie’s sinking feeling turned to nausea. She felt as if all the blood had drained from her face. “Was?”
“Don’t you pass out on us, sweetheart.” Matt’s commanding voice pulled her attention to him. “He’s not dead, honey, but he got beat up pretty bad. There weren’t any witnesses and the guy is still in a coma, but the cops processed the scene thoroughly and they came up with the fingerprints of a convicted felon.”
Adam ran a hand through his hair. “Despite our inquiries and duly processed request to be kept advised of any movement or change in the status of George Lockwood, he’s apparently gone missing. Went missing, in fact, a few weeks ago.”
“How could that happen?” Chloe turned to Chase. “Didn’t you tell me the man had been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device? What the hell?”
Adam cleared his throat. “Miss Rhodes, I know you’re upset—”
“Upset? Upset? That sick son of a bitch is out there somewhere. He’s gone missing after getting out of prison? He’s attacked the new tenant at Carrie’s old place? You have to know that means he’s coming after my sister. Do you know what that bastard did to her?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.” Adam’s voice went quiet and Carrie thought he was probably angrier than all of them combined. She didn’t claim to know Lusty’s sheriff all that well, but she understood his anger was because of the situation, and the failure of the system to protect her, and not from anything Chloe had said.
Carrie was terrified and angry, but those emotions would only get in the way of dealing with this situation. They needed, all of them, to be calm.
“Chloe.” Carrie reached out her hand and her sister came to her, took it. Brian got up from his chair and stood behind her so that Chloe could sit beside her.
Covington, Cara - Love Under Two Cowboys [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 17