“I really am sorry,” she told him when they finally recovered and got up to leave.
“I’ll remember not to be quite so forward next time,” he promised, still chuckling, as he put an arm around her and led her back to the car.
“I guess I’m a little out of practice with the whole dating thing, but I’ve had a great night,” she confessed as they rode back toward familiar territory.
“Perhaps we could do it again?” he suggested when they pulled up outside The Melrose Motel.
“Perhaps. Let’s just see how things go for a while, okay?” She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before climbing out of the car. She noticed he looked a little surprised, and hurried around to the driver’s side before he could follow her out. “I can’t invite you in I’m afraid—you can see how I’m fixed.” She waved a hand in the direction of the building. “But listen, I’ve had a great time tonight. Thanks so much for taking me out.”
“You’re welcome. I had a fun time, too.” He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Carla smiled as she headed back to her little room. She couldn’t help sniggering as she let herself in, and wondered what he must have thought of her. It didn’t matter though, she told herself. It was just a one-off date and she was determined that it wasn’t going to lead anywhere. He had been fun to be with and she was truly touched that he had asked her out, but somehow he didn’t make her feel the same way Matt Shearer had. Her mind wandered to thoughts of Matt and Dyson and how they had been with her today. She hoped they would see things differently tomorrow, but even if they didn’t, she had to remember that it couldn’t lead anywhere. She wouldn’t be around long enough, anyhow.
****
Matt Shearer was in a foul mood the following morning, having spent the whole night imagining Carla with Aiden fucking Fielding. Aiden had always been a good friend of the Shearer brothers, and this somehow made it even worse that he had dated the girl that Matt had set his heart on.
“Will you cheer up?” Dyson was clearly exasperated. “I like the girl too but there’s nothing we can do about it if she prefers Aiden Fielding to us.”
“But she doesn’t realize she can have us, does she? In the first place neither of us asked her, and in the second place she doesn’t know how we operate. She might not realize she gets to choose between one of Aiden or two of us.” Matt slammed his coffee cup on the counter and put on his hat.
“Well then, maybe somebody ought to tell her,” Dyson said in a sing-song voice. He was clearly in a real good mood today.
Matt spun on his heel, his eyes wide. “Hey, bro, you’re right. We need to put her straight on a few things before she gets too hung up on Fielding. Damn—I’ve got the vet coming over this morning so I won’t get away until noon at the earliest. Think that’ll be too late?”
“Yup.” Dyson told him. “But I can always take a trip down there and have a word for the two of us when I go to the timber yard. I reckon it’s about time I got to know the girl a little better, anyhow.” He grinned at his brother before stuffing some toast into his mouth with aplomb.
“Great idea. You make sure she knows it’s you this time, though. I don’t want her thinking I’m the mean and moody type—or that I’ve lost my great looks!” Matt ducked as a piece of toast came flying his way, and he chuckled as he headed for the door.
He whistled as he set about his chores, and didn’t even mind when it started to rain. He had a couple of fences to mend before the vet was due and he was darned if he was going to fall behind just because of some inclement weather. Besides, he reasoned, if he got the fences done before the guy arrived to see to his horse there was no reason he couldn’t take a long lunch break in town—hopefully with a certain gorgeous brunette from the general store!
****
Carla was having a good morning. She had got up in a really hopeful state of mind. Things were actually looking good for a change. She’d had a fun night out last night and enjoyed a great breakfast, chatting with Maggie as she ate. The walk into work had been pleasant and it hadn’t even started raining until after she had arrived.
The store was busy and the time just flew. She’d smiled when she’d noticed that Delores had put her flowers into a jug of water, which she’d placed on the corner of the counter, and she’d happily told her and Frank what a great time she’d had with Aiden, although she missed out the part about the bitten finger. She had made a point of telling them that it was just a one-off date though, and that while she liked Aiden Fielding a lot, the relationship wasn’t actually going to go anywhere.
She had just finished serving Mrs. Taylor, promising yet again that she would pop into her daughter’s clothes shop just as soon as she had a spare minute, when the doorbell rang for the umpteenth time.
Carla instinctively looked up and felt something warm begin to glow in her stomach. She straightened her back a little as one of the Shearer brothers walked up the aisle toward her, and she smiled politely. He looked great in a yellow checked shirt and tight-fitting Levis. His hat and boots boasted of the quintessential cowboy—a look which Carla loved.
“Good morning, Carla.” His voice was deep and did unholy things to her girly parts, she realized with a blush.
“Hi there, er, Dyson?” She noticed that he was clean shaven, although the rest of him was the spitting image of his brother.
He chuckled. “Yep. Look I’m sorry about yesterday. Maybe I should have said something. I just didn’t think.”
She smiled, glad to see that he wasn’t annoyed with her. “Why would you? You weren’t to know that I’d already met your brother and thought you were him.”
His smile broadened and she gazed into his handsome face. They sure were good-looking twins.
“So, how was your date with Aiden?” He was still smiling, but Carla couldn’t help feeling that it no longer reached his eyes.
She shrugged. “It was fun.”
He cocked an eyebrow and Carla felt her pussy clench. She flushed and quickly looked away.
“Good. Fancy going out with me and Matt tonight?” His eyes flashed and Carla saw a spark of promise there which took her breath away. He seemed a little more intense than his laid-back brother, and the excitement sent a thrill through her which she didn’t expect.
“Say yes.” He must have seen the indecision on her face, because he spoke before she had even uttered a word.
Carla’s mind was in a whirl. She was deeply attracted to both twins, and didn’t know how she could choose between them. She was more than a little relieved that Dyson was asking her to go out with both of them at the same time.
“Go on, say yes.” Delores was suddenly at her side, cajoling her.
Carla giggled. “All right. Yes, I’d love to go out with you and Matt tonight. Thank you so much for asking me.” She felt a little shy as she looked up into his gorgeous, smiling face.
“Great. We’ll pick you up from here at six.” He winked and turned to go before quickly spinning back ’round. “Oh, and if you’re free around lunch time, perhaps we could grab a quick coffee. Matt’s tied up at the ranch until about noon, but might be able to join us after?”
Carla nodded as the fire in her stomach burned even hotter, and he smiled before making for the door. She watched him go, that pert ass in those tight jeans doing unholy things to her own body, but then remembered that her boss was standing next to her.
“They sure make them handsome in that family, don’t they?” Delores said with a conspiratorial smile.
“Are they as nice as they seem?” Carla took the opportunity to get some gen on the guys, and Delores had obviously known them a long time.
“Hearts of gold, the pair of them,” the older lady said with a nod. “Their parents were just the same. Raised them up good and proper, they did.”
“Are their parents still around?”
“No. Passed away a couple of ye
ars back in a traffic accident. Damn shame, too. Especially with Dyson’s arthritis. I don’t know how Matt managed with that ranch without his daddy once his brother had to slow things down, but he pulled it up by its bootstraps somehow.”
“Grit and determination, that’s how.” Frank appeared in the doorway, handing them each a mug of coffee.
“Must be. Still a struggle for them both, though.” Delores sighed as she took a sip of her drink before following her husband into the back of the shop.
Carla wrapped her hands around the warm cup as the rain began to tap on the windows again. She couldn’t help thinking of the two gorgeous cowboys working out there in all weathers, and smiled as she thought of the possibility of seeing them at lunch time and then again tonight.
Chapter Six
Matt walked into the diner and immediately spotted the beautiful brunette sitting in a corner booth with his brother. His heart lifted and a funny feeling warmed his stomach. She sure was a gorgeous girl—all soft curves and big eyes. Her thick wavy hair fell over her round shoulders and he watched her move her hands around as she spoke excitedly to Dyson.
His brother must have said something because she suddenly turned and looked his way. Her dark brown eyes lit up and her face shone as soon as she caught sight of him, and Matt felt that warmth inside him start to boil. He sauntered over and sat beside her.
“Hi, darlin’.”
“Hey, Matt. How are you? Dyson’s been telling me all about your ranch. How’s your sick mare?”
Matt smiled, and took the liberty of moving a piece of stray hair from her face. Her wavy locks were soft and smelled of pure honey. “She’s fine,” he assured her, touched at her concern.
“I ordered you a hamburger,” Dyson told him, as the waitress brought over their meals.
“Great. I was worried I might not catch up with you in time.” Matt grinned as he smothered ketchup on his lunch.
“The shop was real busy so I told Delores I didn’t mind waiting until things quietened down. Dyson had already told me he was running late, too.” Carla smiled.
Matt looked up at his brother. “Everything okay, bro?”
“Yep. All sorted.” Dyson nodded as he tucked into his fries.
Matt was relieved. His brother was running a check on Carla, ensuring she didn’t have a criminal record—not that they thought it likely but it was just as well to be certain of things like that. After all, they didn’t really know her—yet!
“How did your date go last night?” Matt had to ask the question, though he was dreading the answer.
“It was great.” Carla spoke matter-of-factly before devouring her burger.
Matt couldn’t resist wiping a small dab of ketchup which dripped onto her chin. He loved the feel of her skin. She was all soft and warm. She giggled as he cleaned her up. He loved that sound, and he smiled back at into her beautiful face. It was so tempting to keep touching her at every opportunity. He was glad he was sitting next to her—he could feel the warmth emanating from that gorgeous body of hers.
“We’re all set for tonight,” Dyson announced.
“Fantastic!” Matt was a little surprised as he wasn’t sure if Carla would have made plans with Aiden again. Obviously not! “Decided where we’re going yet?”
Dyson smiled and Matt guessed that they had already discussed it.
“Carla likes country music and dancing so I thought we’d head on over to Hal’s.”
Matt’s eyebrows shot up. He was really pleased that she shared their interests, and was surprised that Dyson had thought of going somewhere like Hal’s. It was a really nice bar set out toward the mountains. There was a large dance floor there and they had live bands on every weekend.
“Great idea. Do you know who’s playing?”
Dyson gave a shit-eating grin, “The Barnaby Brothers.”
Matt gave a delighted yelp. “Great! Do you like them, Carla?”
“Um, I don’t know,” she said, a little sheepishly.
“She’s never heard of them,” Dyson explained with a giggle.
Matt stared at her, wide-eyed. “What? Where have you been, girl? They’re only just about the best country band in the world! Well, around here anyway.”
Carla chuckled. “Well, I guess I’ll have to judge that for myself, won’t I?”
“They’re Matt’s favorite group.” Dyson’s hand came across the table and patted Carla’s, as if consoling her. “He kinda thinks they should be everyone else’s too.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing them, then,” she said with a smile which would light up the Eiffel Tower.
Matt noticed that Dyson still had his hand over Carla’s and he felt the flame inside him glow even brighter. She didn’t seem to mind, which was great. He wondered how she would react when they told her that they both wanted to share her.
****
The afternoon couldn’t go quickly enough for Carla, and she hummed as she worked around the shop. She wanted to keep busy so she went around and cleaned all the shelves, removing the entire stock first, one column at a time, then fully stocked everything up ready. In between that she had several customers to serve. She’d forgotten how busy these little shops got on a Saturday, and met a lot of people she hadn’t seen during the week.
Six o’clock finally came around and the two gorgeous twins strolled into the shop to fetch her. No waiting around outside for these guys! Carla felt her jaw drop as the sight of them caught her eye. She was just finishing with a customer and looked up instinctively as the doorbell rang. Matt looked utterly delicious in tight-fitting Levi’s and a white shirt that had black satin contrasting on the piping, inner plackets, cuffs and collar. He’d topped it off with a black hat and boots. A small tuft of chest-hair peeped through his half-open buttons and Carla licked her lips subconsciously. Dyson looked equally edible in tight jeans, a black shirt with white embroidery on the collar, and a white hat with black boots. Both guys swaggered up the aisle of the shop, tipping their hats politely to the lady who was just on her way out. Carla could hear her heart pounding in her chest and a hot, fuzzy feeling took root in her stomach.
Delores came through from the back of the shop and beamed at the two gorgeous hunks. “Well now, don’t you look good? Going somewhere special tonight?” She gave them a knowing look as they tipped their hats to her.
“Evening, ma’am,” Matt said with a grin. “As a matter of fact we’re planning to whisk away your beautiful assistant and treat her to a night on the town—Cavern County style!”
Carla felt herself flush as she stared up into the two pairs of emerald eyes that were smiling down on her. She felt honored and special to have the attention of not only one, but two of the most attractive guys in the world.
“You ready yet, baby?” Dyson asked her in a soft tone.
Carla was shocked when her pussy suddenly gushed and she squeezed her legs together hurriedly. “I think so,” she said in voice not much louder than a whisper.
“You get on off, honey. You don’t want to keep these guys waiting—they look mighty hungry to me,” Delores told her with a twinkle in her eye.
“Oh yes, ma’am, we certainly are,” Matt assured her with a conspiratorial wink.
Dyson held a hand out to Carla as she emerged from behind the counter.
“You have a great time, fellas, and take good care of her. Carla, I know you’ll have a fun time with these guys. Enjoy your day off tomorrow, too.” Delores called after them as they disappeared out of the shop.
Carla could hardly contain her excitement as she jumped into the middle seat of Matt’s pick-up. She noted that he had obviously cleaned it inside and out ready for tonight and she smiled appreciatively.
“Is it far? I wondered if I could pop back and get changed on the way?” she asked as Matt revved the engine.
“The Melrose Motel, isn’t it?” Matt ca
sually drove them out of the town. “No problem.”
She could smell their aftershave as she sat back in the seat. Matt smelled spicy and fresh, while Dyson’s was a little more musky. She breathed them in contentedly. Both smelled as gorgeous as they looked.
Dyson climbed out when they arrived at the Melrose and helped her out of the truck.
“I’ll be real quick,” she promised, reluctantly letting go of his big, warm hand.
“We’ll be waiting,” Dyson promised with a smile. God, she loved that smile!
She rushed up to her room and looked at the few clothes she had with her. A denim skirt with a pretty peasant top and her cowboy boots would be just the thing, so she quickly changed and pulled a comb through her hair. She paused in front of the mirror, her hands trembling and her heart racing. She quickly fumbled in her makeup bag and added a little eyeliner and mascara and some pretty pink gloss. She smiled at the girl in the mirror. She looked a little flushed, but she looked all right.
“Wow! Don’t you look beautiful!” Dyson actually took a step forward and planted a small kiss on her cheek as soon as she returned outside.
Both had been leaning against the truck waiting patiently for her.
She giggled and climbed into her seat, just as Matt got into his.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured, and not only kissed her, but she felt his strong arm around her shoulder at the same time.
Carla was sure her heart must have missed a beat as his soft lips brushed over hers, and she automatically put her hand onto his chest. She could feel his heart beating steadily, and wished she was as calm as him.
As Dyson slammed the door shut, Matt pulled back with a bright smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye that would put the stars to shame.
“So, how long have you been staying here?” Dyson asked when they started off again.
“Just a few days.”
“You planning on staying long?” Matt asked casually.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t really made any plans,” she said as brightly as she could manage.
Carla's Cowboys Page 5