Why had Derek shut them out? Did he think they wouldn’t care? Did he think his imminent demise would cause them worry? They would have, no doubt about that. But he’d kept them from supporting him in this, locked out a man who cared deeply for him.
Tyler pinched the bridge of his nose. Poor Robert. To be without the one you loved…forever. Tyler couldn’t imagine a world without Tessa in it. Being separated this past year paled in comparison, and it had hurt pretty damn bad. But forever? Hell on earth.
Tessa twisted his way. “Do you mind if I come with you?”
Something else slithered beneath Tyler’s tension. Something that flicked the coil inside. Other parts tightened and swelled. He didn’t have the energy to hide it. It felt wrong to want her, considering all that had happened today. Thinking of losing her forever changed his mind. She was here now, and he wasn’t going to waste a single second.
“I’d like that very much.”
She tilted her head Rex’s way. “And you?”
“Can’t. Someone’s got to put in some face time with the guests. I might even be able to sneak the arrow out of the barn. Though what we’ll do after that, I have no idea.”
Talk about stench. The flies were probably all over it by now. Not to mention the cats or mice. Cold as it sounded, Tyler prayed they didn’t rip up his gear trying to get to it.
“We can wrap it in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer.” Tessa brushed her arms and stared out the window, but he caught her grimace first.
“Won’t freezing it destroy evidence?” Rex asked.
“No more than insects and animals,” Tyler mumbled.
“Stop.” Tessa waved her hand. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Fine by me.” Rex drove toward the little houses at a leisurely speed. Anything faster would have drawn too much attention. “I’ll clean up, put on a smile, and lay on the charm. I’m sure some people will want to know about the plane.”
True enough. An airplane sometimes meant a high-profile visitor, and it always intrigued their guests to think a celebrity visited. It’d be interesting to see which celebrity the gossip rags placed here.
Tyler cringed. That meant paparazzi would start to hover. The day kept getting better and better. “This truck stinks and will only get worse. I’m gonna clean it out.”
He jolted when Tessa’s fingers slid over his knee. “I’ll help. It’ll get the job done faster.” She feathered her fingers halfway up his thigh, then glided away.
Tyler wanted to draw her astride his lap and kiss their worries away. One glance at his hands, at the blood caked under his nails, banished the fantasy. He’d scrubbed his fingers raw in the hospital restroom, to no avail. How could he touch her, looking like this?
“I’ll catch up with y’all later.” Rex parked and opened his door. “I’ll bring dinner.”
Fear rippled through Tyler. They were separated, easily targeted. Just like him and Nate earlier that day. Rex took off before Tyler could caution him they needed to stay together. Ah, paranoia, his new best friend.
“It’s okay.” Tessa unbuckled her seat belt, but her eyes were on Rex, watching him walk to the bungalow next door.
“No, it’s not. It won’t be okay until I find the son of a bitch who’s doing this. I’m not going to sit around with my tail tucked between my legs.” Tyler pushed the truck door open, got out, and started for the storage shed at the back of the carport.
Tessa blocked his path, her palm on his chest. “We’ll figure this out together. I’m going to grab a few things from Rex’s place and be right back.”
She dropped a kiss on his lips. He longed to deepen it, draw her close, and never let go. Anything to wipe the nightmare away. All too quickly, she walked off.
“Fair warning,” he called to her back. “I’m not the domestic god that Rex is.”
Tessa flashed him a smile over her shoulder. “But still a god nonetheless.”
Her wink lifted his spirits. The blood soaking his shirt dampened them. He stripped down to skin, tossing the shirt and T-shirt onto the porch in his haste to reach the shed and the supplies inside. By the time she returned, he had the wet vac running.
“Need your house keys.” She slid her hand into his front pocket to retrieve them.
“I’d forgotten what a flirt you could be,” he said with a smile. “Dig a little farther, and you might find something else that interests you.”
“I do hope so.” She hip-butted him, caught the keys, and walked away.
Tyler enjoyed the view as she bent over to pick up his clothing, then returned to his work once she’d stepped inside. In less time than it took to think about it, she was back at his side ready to work.
They did so in silence, fighting dusk. It was a losing battle but better than nothing. An hour later, he stood back to survey their handiwork.
“Even with the windows open, it’ll take forever to dry in this humidity,” Tessa said.
“It’ll be fine. If not, we can drop it off for a professional detail tomorrow when we pick up Nate and go to the funeral home.” He grabbed the wet vac. Tessa snagged the buckets.
They stank of blood and sweat. Fear and anger crowded back in, and then came the desperate need to wipe it all away. His cock screamed for release, hard and tense as his muscles worked to the breaking point, more from stress than honest work.
After he’d locked the shed door, Tessa looped her arm through his.
“Come on. A hot shower’s calling our names.”
Her voice was deep, husky. A tone that promised everything he’d been missing and the relief that came with it.
Tyler’s heart skipped a few beats, skittered again when she pressed her palms to his chest. The look in her eyes ate him alive.
“Last one in is a rotten egg?” he teased.
A gleam lit her eyes as she closed the minute distance between them. Tessa snaked one hand down his torso, smiling when the muscles bunched under her touch. “I was thinking more along the lines of sharing.” She stabbed her fingers behind his buckle and gently tugged. “Coming?”
Tyler was pretty close to it. “Lead the way, sugar cakes.”
On tiptoe, she flashed her tongue over his chin. “My pleasure. You wash my back, I’ll wash yours.”
Grinning, he wrapped a one-armed hug around her. “Now where’s the fun in that?”
“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll take good care of you.”
Tyler needed taking care of, in more ways than one. Right now, the sexual craving overrode everything else warring inside him—guilt, anger, fear, and the urge to hunt and seek revenge. The last frightened him more than anything. Tyler hated conflict and violence, yet here it was, clawing for freedom.
Arm in arm, they walked to his home.
“It looks like a tornado tore through here,” she said when they closed the door behind them. “And all this time, I blamed Rex.”
“It was Rex. He turned traitor and became a nester.” The truth was they’d more or less reversed roles. When the three of them shared the ranch house with Mike and Derek, Tyler cared about making it nice while Rex spread out like it was his God-given right. When Tessa left, Rex had needed order while Tyler no longer gave a crap.
“If it matters, the place is more or less clean. This is all clutter.”
“The only thing that matters is you.” Tessa brushed her hand over his back. She stepped close, bracketing him with her warmth, shielding him from the world. She tugged his shirt free of his jeans. “I’ve missed you so much.” Her whisper seeped into the marrow of his bones.
“It tore my heart out to let you go.”
“I know that now. I’m so sorry.”
Tessa kneaded her fingertips down his forearms. The tension in his forearms released.
“I hurt too.”
She didn’t know how close he and Rex had come to following in her footsteps. Tyler didn’t know if it was greed, duty, or damn stubbornness that had kept them here. They’d worked so hard
to make Rustlers what it was today, had brought the place back from the brink.
“Let’s not dwell or pick it apart tonight, Tyler,” she said. “We’ll take it as it comes. Take what we can get and worry about the rest later. Go undress and get in the shower. I’ll be right behind you. I want to put our clothes in the washer.”
He gave her what he hoped was a sly smile. “No slow strip seduction?”
“How would I find my clothes afterward in all this?” She waved her hand toward the clutter spreading from living room to kitchen.
“Undress and get in the shower.” She tugged his belt buckle hard. “I won’t be long.”
Two seconds was too long. Tyler wanted to kneel before her, wrap his arms around her knees, and never let go. Wanted to weep for all they’d lost, all they’d never had. Better this than death. Yes, and he’d take it.
Tyler walked into the bedroom and somehow managed to get his boots off without sitting on the bed. His clothes found the basket she slid into the bedroom. Her clothing was already inside. Images of her naked mere feet away swarmed through his head. His cock urged him to seek her out. Common sense prevailed, though not by much.
He shoved aside the aqua shower curtain, stepped into the tub, and twisted the knobs on full blast. The warm spray engulfing him told Tyler he’d made the right choice. He lathered his hands quickly and swept them over his body just as fast, washing the day away. Too bad the memories wouldn’t go with it.
He closed his eyes and lifted his face into the spray, counting the seconds until she joined him. His cock grew heavier. His balls hugged his body. Tyler braced one hand on the wall and idly stroked himself.
“Now that’s quite a sight,” Tessa said.
He pulled upright, still fisting his erection. She stood outside, gloriously naked, hair down, all his.
“I have the water running for you. It should be nice and hot by now.”
“As hot as you?” A grin pulled up one corner of her mouth.
“Not quite.” He peeled back the aqua shower curtain, beckoning her inside. He wanted to take his time looking her over. The bloodstains marring her full breasts stopped him cold, made him sick inside, and reminded him of how badly he’d failed today.
“Tyler…”
One step brought her in with him. He swore she’d glided his way. She brushed her fingers down his arm until she reached his hand.
“Come.” He tugged her closer until she stood beneath the shower with him. Tyler scooped the water over her breasts, washing evidence of this horrible day away, refusing to look at the remnants trickling down the drain. She was his focus. She was all that mattered.
He traced the edges of her perfect breasts, mesmerized by the dark areolas that peaked from the sensation. One thumb flick earned him her sharp gasp. How could so small a thing make him feel all-powerful? He drew her flush against him, wedging his cock against her stomach. He stroked against it, then clamped his hands over her ass and raked harder.
Fingers traced his spine. Short nails bit into his ass. Tyler groaned and thrust harder. Tessa toyed with his crack, going lower with every stroke until she found his hole.
“Uh-uh.” He hoisted her hips higher, pressed her into the tile, and plunged into her pussy. Now her ass was all his.
She grappled for a handhold on his shoulders. Tyler fumbled for the conditioner, scraped a bit from the top of the bottle, then aimed for her asshole.
“Tell me, baby… Did Nate fuck you here?” He slid his finger deep.
She cried out, wrapping her arms and legs around him. Tyler clutched her close and eased them to the bottom of the tub with her astride him.
“I asked you a question, Tessa.” He grabbed the shower brush behind him and brought it down against her buttock.
Her pussy clenched with her moan. He added another smack, then plugged two fingers up her ass. She ground into him, her fingers clenching and unclenching his nipple.
“Put those fingers on your clit. I want to see you make yourself come while I paddle your ass and fuck you.”
“Tyler, please.”
“Oh, I’m going to.” He whacked her bottom again. “Did he?”
“No.” She thrashed her head from side to side, rocking into every thrust, every smack. “Never,” she gasped.
Tyler’s eyes glazed from the beauty of her riding him. He let her set the rhythm, popping her rear every time she lifted her ass for more, sucking her tits when she wiggled them into his face. Coming hard and long when she did.
It wasn’t enough.
They eased apart. He set the brush aside, then stood with her, only letting her go long enough to turn off the water and wrap a towel around her. He scuffed the terry over her hair and body before he did the same to himself. Semidry, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed. He placed her in the center, kissed her hard, stabbed his fingers into her heat. His dick hardened like it hadn’t come just moments before. Tyler expected as much. It’d take a lot of fucking before he was normal again. The only thing missing right now was Rex. But they’d take care of that later.
He drew away and stared down at her. “You left us, Tessa. Said horrible things. Tore my heart out.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She came to her knees before him, eyes downcast. “I…I should be punished.”
It felt like his dick was ready to split in two. “I agree.” But she wasn’t the only one. She’d left, but they let her go. “Into position, Tessa.”
He walked over to his closet, expecting her to obey and giving her time to do so, to think about what was to come. Tyler fingered the rack of belts. His selection was quick—the soft, well-worn one. He slipped it free, looped it in two, then danced it along his cock. It’d been a long time. Too long. By the end of this evening, they’d all have the physical relief they needed. The emotions that went with it were another matter.
Pulling in a breath, he turned. Tessa knelt over a mound of pillows, knees spread, ankles crossed, her pink ass high and too much to resist. He draped the belt over her calves, reveling in her gasp of breath when the leather touched her skin.
He left her waiting and went to the kitchen for specialty items—olive oil and zucchini. A pity their toys were back at the ranch in the closet they’d once shared. That was fine. He had no problem improvising.
Tessa hadn’t budged an inch when he returned. Tyler placed his items in plain view, smiling when her eyes widened, then seemed to glaze over when he retrieved condoms from his nightstand. Her breath caught again when he picked up the belt and tickled it up her thighs. He felt the quiver like it was his own.
“You got a good warm-up in the shower. There won’t be another one. Understood?”
“Yes, Tyler,” she whispered, eyes locked onto their impromptu toys.
He rolled the belt around his hand until eight inches of leather remained, curled his free hand over her hip, then slapped the belt over her ass. Tessa bowed her back on a hard moan, raising her backside for more. It was impossible to punish someone who liked it so much. Something he could attest to personally. There was pain in the pleasure, a rush no drug could match. Any resulting tears were as cathartic as an orgasm. She’d get it all tonight. So would he.
Tyler lashed her ass to a rosy hue. Her cries fueled the heat in his erection, squeezed his balls, and made him want to crawl inside her. He fought the rise. His time would come. Then her gasp became a sob. She’d broken through. Harder strikes followed, bringing her over the edge. Five, ten, twenty until her tension released, and she lay limp upon the pillows. Twenty more lighter ones to sweeten the moment. Then he lay the belt beside her and sat on the bed, absorbing her soft sobs.
Tyler indulged his cock in a single stroke before he ripped open the condom packet and rolled it onto the small zucchini, then tied it closed. Watching her teeth worry her lower lip, he placed the fake dildo on her lower back and unscrewed the bottle of oil. Spreading her hot buttocks, he drizzled oil down her crack and smeared it over her clit and anus. A sof
t groan cut through her crying. Grabbing the makeshift plug, Tyler covered it with oil. He gave Tessa no warning before he thrust it inside her ass.
Her head jerked up on another groan, and he swept his free hand right to her clit. She writhed into the fucking, fingers fisted in the bedsheet. Tyler considered teasing her to orgasm. His own needs argued against it. He shoved his thumb into her pussy and flashed his fingers over her swollen clit. Plumbed her ass nice and slow. Still, he wasn’t prepared for the impact her climax would have on him. The rush, the groan, the way she shuddered through it, screamed to him to join her. Precum oozed to his cockhead. Balls crawled into his groin. And his dick felt like someone had taken a torch to it.
Tyler eased the toy from her ass, tossed it into the nearby wastebasket, then clutched his cock in a death grip.
Minutes ticked by. Time in which her breathing turned normal while Tyler fought for control. Finally, she rolled to her side.
“Now it’s my turn, honey. You aren’t the only one who needs to be punished.”
She came to her knees, vacating the stack of pillows. “Not like that, you don’t.” Tessa snagged a condom, ripped the packet open, and reached for his erection.
Tyler grabbed her wrist. “If you touch me now, I’m going to come.”
“I see.” She gave him the rubber and crawled off the bed. He had a great view of her red ass as she walked from the room. An even better view of her taut nipples when she returned with a pair of her panties.
“Tie them tight around your dick and get into place.”
She tossed the silky undergarment his way. Tyler caught it with one hand.
“I’d offer to do it for you, but…” She picked up the belt, folded it, then gave it a sharp snap.
He wrapped her panties around the base of his erection and double knotted it to stem the tide. The woman was missing her calling as a dominatrix.
Tyler assumed the position. “Don’t be as kind as I was to you. I want to feel it in the saddle tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. You will.”
She laid a hard strike over his ass. Fire rushed across his cheeks, matching the one in his cock. Another followed, stealing his breath. Tessa gave him no recovery time. One stroke after the other, hard and harder, covering him from ass to midthigh. As much as Tyler wanted it, he fought the rise. Tension locked his muscles. And just like that, she eased her hand.
Lies That Bind Page 9