by Jane Jamison
No, I won’t let them take over. At least not outside this room.
Hale drove into her again, knocking both her mind and her body for a loop.
What if, just this once, I give up? What if I let my fantasy play out?
Her pounding heart picked up pace at the possibility.
Hale thrust into her again and again until their bodies seemed as though they’d molded into one. She was climbing ever closer to the pinnacle of the mountain and would soon let her climax jump over the edge.
“Fuck her, Hale. Show her who’s in control.”
Clint took hold of her hair and jerked her head back. She cried out, in pain and in joyful amazement. “You’ve never had a man tell you what to do, have you?”
Other than her father? “No.”
“Then it’s time you found how good it can feel.”
She’d half expected him to call her a bitch and make her feel inferior. Yet, in some strange way, his words sounded more like a promise than a warning.
The sound of the slap hit her a second before the sting sang into her. Shock registered, quickly followed by pleasurable pain tearing its way from the still-aching spot on her butt cheek.
“Hey!”
Hale’s next upward pounding came, urging a yelp from her. The men were getting a little rough, but she liked it. Another spank came to her right butt cheek then her left. Her skin tingled, warming and sending out little flares of pain.
Clint yanked on her hair. “We tried it your way. Now we’re doing it our way. You’ll do what we say.”
She grimaced as she twisted around to see his face better. “And if I don’t?”
“If you don’t want it our way, then say so. We won’t force you.” Clint’s smile was filled with knowing. “But you’ll regret it later if you do. You’ve never had a man take charge in sex, have you?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “You’re going to like it.”
“I don’t know.”
“Wanna bet on it, sugar?”
She shook her head. “I don’t bet on anything but a sure thing.”
He chuckled then pinched her nipple at the same moment he flattened his palm against her butt again. She let out another yelp that changed into a moan with Hale’s thrust.
“You should see her face.” Hale’s pants were coming fast and furious. “It’s fuckin’ awesome.” He paused then licked his lips.
Something flared in Hale’s eyes, and she knew he couldn’t hold on any longer. He slammed into her again, almost knocking her off him, then thrust her to the side. Rolling off the bed, he grabbed for the tissue box on the nightstand.
Before she could think straight, Clint had her on her back. He spread her legs then roughly lifted her hips into the air.
“You’re all mine now, sugar.”
Yes. Take me.
She barely had time to draw in a breath before he positioned his cock at her entrance and slid into her. As with his brother, she was stunned at the width and length of his cock. Her pussy wept as his cock pushed at her walls, driving into her. She tried to give as good as she got, tried to work her hips, but his hold on her prevented her from doing much more than lying there and enjoying the ride.
Clint leaned over her, taking her hair in his hand again as his mouth found her nipple. His body was a flesh-covered machine driving into her. She clutched his hair, holding him to her breast and locking her legs around his waist.
Her body roared with the climbing orgasm. When his curved cock struck her sensitive bundle of nerves, she lost control.
His shout of release came a moment before he pulled out, sending his hot cum spreading over her stomach. Her orgasm burst free, stunning her in its intensity. Together, they clung to each other, their bodies shuddering out their climaxes, their sweat mixing together. The pounding of his pulse showed in the vein on his neck and matched her own.
Clint fell to her side, accepting a wad of tissues from Hale. “Thanks.” His voice was breathy.
Her chest rose and fell as the remnants of her release worked its way out of her. She’d never been as thoroughly fucked as Clint and Hale had done.
She laughed, realizing how much she’d liked having Clint take control. Even the spankings had been amazing, filling her with a need to experience more.
“You liked it. Didn’t you, babe?”
She nodded at Hale, unsure if she should admit to more.
“You’ll like it better once you really let us take charge.” Clint’s dark pupils were only now returning to normal size.
“You think so?” Could she let go? And if she did, would she want more?
“Yeah. I do.”
What would it feel like to give them the upper hand? She’d always thought giving a man the right to tell her what to do would be humiliating. Like how she felt whenever her father put her down, making her feel less than competent. And yet, she’d loved the spankings. She’d even loved the way Clint had yanked her hair.
“Maybe.” Did that mean they wanted to have sex again? Except that they’d want it their way?
“No maybe about it, Raven.” Clint rolled to his side. “Believe me. Women like you—”
“Women like me?”
“Strong women like you enjoy it when the men are the dominant ones.” He smiled, giving her a break. “At least, in sex. Try letting go. Try giving us your power. You’re going to get a kick out of it. You can count on it.”
Would she? The idea intrigued her. Maybe, just maybe, she could get business done and fulfill her fantasies at the same time.
“He’s right, babe.” Hale ran his thumb along her bottom lip. His gaze bore into her. “Next time we’ll show you what it’s like to submit to our demands.”
Next time. She thrilled at the idea.
Still, it was always better to have the upper hand. To lose that could mean disaster once the sex was over. At least that’s what she’d always believed. But what if she was wrong?
She was too afraid to find out.
Raven slid out of the bed, and, not bothering to wrap the sheet around her body, she glided toward the bathroom.
Might as well let them have a good, hard look.
“Where are you going, sugar?” The yearning for more was evident in Clint’s voice.
She turned around slow and easy like. Their gazes went to her breasts then dropped lower before jerking back to her face.
Go on, guys. Soak it in.
“I’m going to clean off.” She flipped her hair back and wished she could give in to her own need to climb back into bed. “You know the way out.” She almost laughed at how fast their jaws went slack.
Hale’s face quickly hardened. “This doesn’t change things.”
She pretended to not understand. They were so handsome it hurt her heart to act so aloof, but she was there to take care of business. As her father had taught her, business always came first. Even when she wanted to ignore that rule.
Watch it. Don’t let them get to you.
“Oh. You mean about me buying the ranches?” She made a face as though he had to be joking. “Of course not. That’s business.” She pointed at the bed. “This was personal.”
“Check you later, guys.” Shutting the bathroom door on them was one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
* * * *
“She’s a tough one.”
Clint couldn’t deny that Hale was right. “Maybe too tough.”
His brother took hold of a bale of hay and tossed it into Cavalier’s stall. “We always said we wanted a woman who could keep us on our toes. Maybe we should’ve been more careful of what we asked for.”
“Nah.” He slung the saddle onto the bench and began wiping it down. Taking care of a ranch meant more than running cattle and riding horses. Long hours of mind-numbing chores to keep the buildings and the fences in good shape happened all too often.
“At least we know she’s great in bed. And beautiful.”
Again, his brother was right, as well as stating the obvious. “Yeah, but
she’s got to learn that she’s not the dominant one. At least not in the bedroom.”
Hale went after another bale. “She’ll learn. Once she does, she’ll love it.”
“I hope so. If not, maybe she’s not the one for us.”
“So you’d turn her loose if she’s only into vanilla sex? Or if she didn’t have a spine?”
“If she didn’t have a spine, she wouldn’t be Raven. I’m just thinking out loud. We know she’s not going to be boring, and she’ll get into us being the ones in charge. She’s already shown signs of liking it the way we do, even if she probably wouldn’t admit it. I just wonder if she’s going to be able to let go completely. To learn to trust us.”
“I see your point. But, hell, man, give her time. We’ve only been together the one time.”
He rubbed the leather, making it shine. “Would you change the way we want sex if she decides she’s against it?”
They’d never talked about the possibility that the woman they wanted wouldn’t like a Dom/sub relationship. It was something they needed, if only in the bedroom.
“You mean sex without the spankings? Or cuffs and paddles? Bite your tongue.” Clint crossed his arms and studied him. “Still, if we had to make the choice, I would. I’d hate it, but I would. And hope like hell she changed her mind.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” But something worse was bothering him. “What if she doesn’t want to give up her rich lifestyle? There’s no way we’re ever going to give her the kind of home she’s used to.”
“If she wants us, she won’t care.”
They’d challenged her to stay on the ranch to convince her to stop buying their neighbors’ land and preserve a way of life for all those in Garner. But they’d had another motive, too. They’d hoped to show her how wonderful being their woman could be.
“Like I said, give her time. She’s got the looks, the brains, and the spunk.”
“And her job sucks.”
“Yeah, it does. But what if she’s ready for a change?”
“She likes what she does. You can see it in her eyes.” Was it greed or determination? It was a problem they’d have to resolve. No way could they love someone who was cold and calculating.
“Maybe. Then again, maybe it’s all she knows.” Hale slapped him on the back. “We brought her to the ranch to show her what she’s making people give up. And to show her what it’ll be like with us. Like I said, give her a chance. We’ll turn her around. I’m sure of it.”
Clint nodded and went back to work. Would they have enough time? If she kept buying ranches at the rate she was going, she’d be gone before they could make her theirs.
Chapter Five
Hale heard the crunch of gravel as a car pulled in front of their home. He and Clint had already been out on the range and had come back to grab a quick breakfast. He’d just started to see if Raven was awake when the sound drew his attention. By the time he’d pulled the curtain back, she was already inside the car.
Where’s she going?
The only way he could find out was to haul ass out to his pickup and follow her. Unless she was headed to a ranch, then she was most likely going into town. He slid behind the steering wheel and checked the clock on the dashboard.
Eight thirty.
Not too many places were open at that time of the day. As far as he knew, only Kat’s Kitchen and maybe the feed store were open.
He coasted along, keeping her car in sight. If her driver noticed the pickup behind them, he probably wouldn’t think much of it.
By the time she made it to town, Hale had a sinking feeling that he knew where she was headed. His suspicion was confirmed when her driver let her out in front of Martin Herant’s office.
Maybe she was only checking in, seeing if there were more leads. Surely another rancher hadn’t already decided to sell his ranch. How could she have wrangled a deal so fast after sewing up Zucker’s place?
He parked the pickup across the street and stayed in his car. Even before a few minutes had passed, a red truck drove up and slid into the remaining parking space in front of Herant’s office. Holter Lenning slid out of his vehicle, glanced around, and then hurried into the building.
Damn. It figures.
They should’ve seen it coming. Especially after the way Holter had acted at the meeting. Plus, he’d forgotten about Holter’s wife. Cindy had been diagnosed with breast cancer a few months earlier and was undergoing treatment. Expensive treatment. They’d asked after her, offering Holter help in any way they could, but they’d assumed he had health insurance to help pay for his wife’s medical needs. Maybe they’d assumed wrong. If anything could get Holter to sell a ranch that had been in the family for generations, the burden of medical bills could.
Damn. If only he’d talked to us first.
He didn’t know what he and Clint could’ve done, but at least they could’ve made an effort. The town would’ve pulled together to help them, but Holter was known for his pride. He’d never accept anything that smacked of charity.
Maybe it wasn’t too late. Having an ill wife was hard enough, but to lose a home on top of it was adding salt to the gaping wound. Hale got out of his truck and stalked toward Martin’s office.
He burst into the office and found Raven and Holter seated in front of Martin’s desk. Holter, with pen in hand, leaned over a stack of paperwork. His brow was furrowed, his face dark when Hale interrupted them.
“What the hell’s going on, Martin?”
His intensity caught Martin off guard. Clint was the one known for his temper, not him.
Martin started around his desk. “Look here, Hale, you don’t have any right barging in and demanding to know what’s going on. I’m handling a business transaction, which has nothing to do with you.”
As angry as he was, Hale still couldn’t deny Raven’s beauty. Her black hair shone under the lights, and her emerald eyes held a hint of alarm in them. Maybe even a little guilt.
“Nothing to do with me? This has to do with everyone. With the future of Garner. Hell, man, don’t you have a conscience?”
Holter got to his feet. “Hale, calm down. Martin’s only doing what I want him to do. Someone’s got to do the transaction. I’d just as soon it be a friend.”
So far Raven hadn’t uttered a word. Would she? Or was she content to listen to them battle it out? Had they pegged her wrong? Did she lack compassion?
“Do you really want to sell your ranch? Do you want to move your wife and kids out of their home?”
Holter dropped his gaze to the floor. “I don’t have any other choice.” His face was a mask of torment when he raised his eyes again. “You’re only making this harder. Just stay the hell out of it.”
Anger flooded out of Hale. In its place came empathy and pity. “Holter, let us help you. Let everyone help you.”
His friend closed down, his jaw tensing, his face darkening again. “I don’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity. Come on, man. We all need a little help at one time or another.” He understood the man’s pride, but couldn’t he see that he was dooming their small town by selling? “If you won’t do it for your family, do it for your friends and neighbors.”
“I’m going to ask you again to leave.” Martin took a step closer, although he could never physically move Hale outside.
“The deal’s already done.” Raven picked up one of the papers. “The money’s being transferred to his account as we speak.”
Flashes of Raven naked and in bed struck him, rocking him to the core. He’d been foolish enough to hope their one time in bed would change her mind.
“I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”
She blinked then frowned. “I don’t have a problem with what I do. In fact, I like to think I’m helping people find a better life.”
“That’s a load of horse shit, and you know it.”
Although what he’d said was true, seeing the hurt on her face didn’t make him feel right about
it.
“I didn’t force Mr. Lenning to sign the papers. He made the decision to sell.”
“But do you know why he has to sell?”
Her frowned deepened for a second. “No…” Worry crossed her features then was gone. The hard-hitting businesswoman was back. “His reasons don’t matter. It’s just business.”
“Damn, I wish you’d stop saying that.” Hale pushed his hat back then ran his palm along his face. “He doesn’t want to sell, but he thinks he has to.”
“Hale, don’t go talking about me.” And yet Holter’s voice held no conviction.
“His wife is ill. Is that how you like to do business, Raven? Do you like preying on people who don’t have any other way out of debt except to sell their homes?”
Her luscious lips parted, and her expression grew softer. “I didn’t know. Really, I didn’t. But like I said before, I’m not concerned with his reasons. I have a job to do.”
He glanced from one person to the next, half hoping Martin or Holter would change their minds. But nothing had changed. Still, he had to try one last time.
“Holter, don’t do it. I swear we’ll do everything we can to help.”
“Thanks, but I take care of my own.” He took his seat again, picked up the pen, and scribbled across the bottom of the paper. Once he was finished, he let out an agonized sigh and put the pen down. “There’s no turning back now. It’s done.”
* * * *
Raven’s knees went weak in the same moment her heart picked up speed. Hale barging into the real estate office had surprised her, but she’d gathered her composure soon enough. At least, she’d tried to.
Hale and Clint affected her more than any other men had ever done. She’d chalked it up to a huge sexual attraction, one she’d thought she’d get past now that they’d had sex, but when she saw Hale’s angry face, she realized how very wrong she’d been. Not only did he set her pulse racing, but she also had the fleeting hope that he’d shown up to see her. Not only to see her but also to tell her how much he and Clint cared. And to tell her they wanted her back at the ranch and in their bed.