by Jane Jamison
She’d held up the dress in front of her and had remembered how the Young men looked at her every time she caught them watching her. They hadn’t seen the flaws she always saw. They hadn’t noticed the extra cellulite on her legs or the way her stomach stuck out. Instead, they’d called her womanly and hot and more words that made her heart soar and her pussy heat up.
Once she’d given it a better look, the trailer had turned out to be a nice one. A small commode and shower was stuck in the corner of the one and only bedroom and she’d spent more time than she should have letting the warm water wash over her. She’d had to let her hair air dry, but that was okay.
She studied herself in the stainless door of the refrigerator. Her waves suited her face, especially since she’d added a dash of the makeup she always kept squirreled away in her purse. She swished the silky dress and let the material float over her skin. If she didn’t say so herself, she didn’t look half bad.
A low whistle brought her around to find the men standing in the doorway. She blushed and hoped they hadn’t dropped in on her too early. Having them admire the finished product was better if they hadn’t actually seen her go through the process to get there. After all, a girl needed a little privacy and mystery about her.
“Sienna, you’re freakin’ gorgeous.”
Collin groaned and whacked West on the arm. “Freakin’? Really, man? Still, he’s right about the gorgeous part, baby. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever seen.”
She ran her hands down the skirt to smooth out the wrinkles. If she’d had an iron, she could’ve made it look even better. “Do you really think so? I mean, am I overdressed for a dance at a rodeo?”
“Hell if I know.” Joe stepped into the trailer. “But you’re definitely going to stand out from the crowd.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what he meant. Was he afraid Big Dan’s men might be there and see her more easily because of the dress? And yet, she didn’t want to take it off.
“Joe’s right. The men are going to fall at your feet and the women are going to want to scratch your eyes out. Either way, it’s too much attention.”
“So you’re saying that I should change?” She gave Collin a pout. “Do you really want me to?”
“Hell, no. But yeah, you’re going to have to get into some jeans and a shirt so you don’t stand out.” His tone was filled with remorse. Even so, his smile came back fast enough. “Besides, even without the dress, you’re still prettier than a speckled pup with a rhinestone collar.”
She laughed at his comparison. Still, a compliment was a compliment and she’d had far too few of them in her life.
West brightened her mood, too. “He’s right. You’ll still be the most beautiful woman there. No matter what you wear.”
Could he have said anything sweeter? His flattery almost made taking the dress off worth it. But she wanted to make sure it was worth it.
Before she’d met them, she never would’ve had the confidence in her body to do what she did. Yet now it seemed like the most comfortable thing in the world to do.
Instead of changing in the bedroom, she reached behind her and undid the hooks on the dress. The men’s mouths parted as they watched the silky material fall to the floor. She stepped out of it, wearing nothing else.
“So, guys? What do you think? Should I go in my birthday suit?”
Chapter Six
Joe shoved his friends aside, but Sienna had a different thing in mind. Before he grew too close, she spun around and ran into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
He hit the door a second later. “Aw, come on, Sienna. That’s just plain mean. Open up.”
“Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin. Which, by the way, there’s none of.”
He grinned and bumped his shoulder against the door, not hard enough to break it in but enough to play the game with her. West and Collin came up behind him.
“Baby, I’m thinking we ought to stay in for the night.”
“Yeah, Joe’s right. Why take the risk of someone seeing you? In a dress or in jeans, you’re still going to be the best-looking girl there. Everyone’s going to notice you.” Collin motioned for West to join in.
“They’re right, you know. We should keep you hidden.”
“Oh, no you don’t. You guys promised to take me to the dance and that’s what you’re going to do.”
Joe stepped back, forcing the other men to do so when she opened the door. She was dressed in plain jeans and a blue blouse that complemented her shiny, dark hair. “West was right. It doesn’t matter what you wear, you’re still incredible.”
“Although naked is your best look,” quipped Collin.
She pushed them aside and they followed her like they were her subjects. Somewhere, somehow, in the short time they’d known her, she’d managed to take over their lives and Joe wasn’t a damn bit sorry that she had.
They followed her out of the trailer and into the night air. She led the way, following the sound of music and laughter that came from the other side of the arena. They passed horse trailers and pickups along the way as she made a beeline for the dance floor. Once there, she snagged Joe’s hand and tugged him onto the dance floor.
“Whoa, hold up. I said we’d go to the dance.” Was everyone watching him, ready to laugh at his awkward moves? “I never said anything about me dancing.”
She grabbed him again when he pulled out of her hold. “Uh-uh, Joe Young. You’re doing this whether you like it or not.”
“But I’ve got big old boots on. I wouldn’t want to crush your toes.” From the way she laughed, she thought he was kidding, but he was dead serious. Still, he let her draw him into her arms, defying his fear of public humiliation. Then again, what man wouldn’t do whatever she asked?
“Just relax.” She cast him a coy look. “Sheesh, you’d think a man who does what you do wouldn’t be afraid to kick up his heels. Come on, Joe, loosen up. You’re not going to die.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
Her sweet laughter lifted into the air as he took a deep breath and tried to convince himself that he wouldn’t look like a damn fool. He ached to look into her deep, rich eyes and study her sweet face, but as hard as he tried not to, he dropped his gaze so he could watch their feet.
She was graceful and acted like she was born to move easily over the makeshift wooden floor. He held on and prayed he wasn’t sweating too much.
“It’s so pretty.”
He did a quick check around him, for the first time taking in the different colored lanterns and streamers. “Yeah. They did pretty good for a simple rodeo crew.”
“I’m guessing the ladies did most of the work.”
“Probably. Although I’m sure the men put the floor together.”
He grew comfortable enough to enjoy having his arms wrapped around her waist. Slow dances weren’t so bad after all, but he still had to concentrate to keep from stepping on her toes.
“See? Look at you. You’re a natural.”
“Well, I have to admit, I’d rather hold you than a stinky calf.”
“Gee, thanks.”
He wondered how many more laughs he’d get out of her. If he had it his way, she’d laugh all night. That is, until he made her moan.
“You know what I mean.” For a moment, as he gazed into her sparkling eyes, he forgot they were on the dance floor surrounded by other people. “And I’d love to tie you up.”
She was the one who stepped on his toe. “Oh, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She could step on his toes a thousand times and he wouldn’t want the dance to end. But his cousin had his own ideas about that.
“Mind if I cut in?”
Joe grumbled and tried to ignore West’s hand on his shoulder.
Sienna glanced from him to West and back again. “If it’s okay with you, West, I’d like to spend a little more time with Joe.”
West didn’t like it, his face scrunching up in irritation, but then Joe could
n’t blame him. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever you want, Sienna. Collin and I’ll grab some grub and head on over to one of the tables. You can hobble over there once you’re through letting this lug trounce all over your feet.”
A few choice words came to him, but when Sienna put her palm on his cheek, Joe forgot all about them. She could mesmerize him with her voice or with her touch. Suddenly, he needed to know more about her. He swallowed and asked himself the hardest question of all. Was she the one?
“Tell me what you want out of life, Sienna.”
He didn’t go in much for worrying about his future, much less anyone else’s, but he had to know. Could she see a future with them? Would she even consider it? And what about her daughter? Would she think them good enough to be part of Shelby’s life?
“I guess I want what everyone else has. You know. A family, a good life, maybe a nice home with a big yard for Shelby to play in.” She smiled as though recalling a fond memory. “If you asked Shelby, she’d say all she wants is a pony.”
“She does?”
“Doesn’t every little girl?”
“You’re asking me?”
They danced a little longer in silence. When that song ended and another began, they were still on the dance floor.
“So what are your dreams?”
Did she just blush? He hoped so, because that would mean she was thinking of dreams other than mundane ones.
“I have a few dreams, I guess. Like I said, the usual ones.” She tilted her head to the side. “Or were you talking about fantasies more than dreams?”
Oh, shit, yeah.
“Let’s go with the fantasies.”
“I have a few of those, too.”
He wanted to take a deep breath to make his chest even bigger when she skimmed her gaze down him, but he resisted. Instead, he encouraged her by telling her his fantasy.
“I have one.”
“Yeah? Okay, cowboy, let’s hear it.”
“It’s a fantasy, dream, hope, whatever you want to call it, that West, Collin, and I share.”
“Really? That sounds very interesting. Go on.”
“We’d like to own a ranch. It’ll be part of Gabriel’s land, but that’s the deal he’s made with most of us in the organization. After we’ve worked for him for a while and proven our worth, we can choose a few acres for ourselves.”
“For him? I thought you said you work with him?”
He loved the way her big, brown eyes held hints of gold under the colored lights of the lanterns. He drew in a slow breath. Did she find perfume in the trailer? Or was that her natural, seductive fragrance?
“It’s really kind of both. The boys and I want more land than he’s willing to give up, so we’re hoping to buy the land across from Second Chance Ranch’s lower forty.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“It does?” She’d come from Los Angeles, so he’d taken her for a city girl. But maybe, just maybe, she’d consider living her life on a ranch. “I didn’t figure you as the type who’d like the country much.”
She laughed, filling his heart with the warm sound. “I don’t. Or at least I didn’t.” She dropped her gaze down his body then back up. “But I think my opinion is changing.”
“You mean you kind of like the idea of ranch living? That maybe it sounds nice?”
“Yeah, it does.” She got a little closer to him. “I’m beginning to realize that it’s not where you live, but who you live with that really matters.”
His words almost got caught in his throat. “Yeah. I agree.”
If she gets any closer, I might just lose control right here on the dance floor.
“Would you like to hear about another dream of ours?”
“Of course I would. Please, tell me.”
Her gaze met his, taking his soul and everything he held dear. But it didn’t matter. He’d have offered it to her anyway.
“We want to find that one special woman and have her live on our ranch with us.” He held his breath. Although Collin had said that she’d taken to having both of them without a problem, he still couldn’t help but grow leery. What if she said no to his joining in with them?
“You’re talking about only one woman for the three of you, right? And not any other women?”
He lowered his voice, not wanting any of the other dancers to hear. “Yeah. Just the one. But one will be enough if she’s the right one.”
Something passed between them. It was a kind of unspoken connection that made him hurry along in case the moment died. “We think you’re the right one, Sienna.”
She blinked then swallowed. “You do?”
“We do.” His heart pounded and he glanced around again, surprised that no one else seemed to notice the monumental moment happening right beside them. “We haven’t officially sat down and discussed it, but I can tell by the way they treat you. They’re as sold on you as I am.” He cringed and wished he’d said that better and less like she was a filly they wanted to buy.
“But how do you know? It was only yesterday—”
He cut her off, unwilling to let her deny him, to deny them. “It doesn’t matter if it was yesterday, last year, or even in the past hour. I think I knew it the first moment I met you.”
“Was that before or after you wanted to throw me off Daisy’s roof?”
He grinned, his nerves easing a bit with her joke. “Okay, maybe it took a bit longer, considering we were busy hightailing it out of there.”
“Wow.” She trembled. “Wow.”
“Yeah. Wow.” He stopped dancing, not caring if anyone noticed or not. Taking her face between his palms, he brought his mouth to hers.
The kiss started light and sweet because he didn’t want to overpower her, but the wait had been too long. It flashed into a flame that consumed him as he swept his tongue into her mouth, claiming her with the kiss as he’d claim her with his cock soon enough.
She moaned and leaned her body against his. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and just as he lifted a hand to cup one of them, the cowboy next to them let out a fake cough that didn’t really cover what he said.
“Get a room, you two.”
Sienna and Joe broke apart laughing and the pink of her blush flowered into her cheeks.
“Don’t give me an answer yet. Take some time to think about it. I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.” He decided he had to change the subject before he ended up pushing her for an answer anyway. “Remember when I said I’d like to tie you up?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then tell me, baby, would you like getting tied up?”
Her eyes widened and she whispered, “I don’t know. Although I have to admit I’ve had a few fantasies about it. So I guess I’d have to say that if you’re offering, then I’m buying.”
He would’ve sworn his cock would rip his jeans apart with her answer. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He expected her to argue, to complain that they’d just gotten there, but she didn’t. West and Collin saw them dashing toward the end of the dance floor then on to the horse trailers. They dropped the food they were eating and followed.
“Where are we going? Our home away from home is the other way.” She questioned him, but she didn’t resist his taking her with him.
He kept pulling her along as he looked for his friend’s horse trailer. “You’ll see. Just keep an open mind, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
He came to a stop at the rear of an aluminum trailer that had the logo Cela’s Country on the side. “Here we are.”
“You’re kidding. What are we doing with a horse trailer?” She peered her head over the top of the rear doors. “Obviously we’re not going riding since there aren’t any horses inside.”
He yanked up the bar that kept the door leading in to the trailer closed and swung it wide. “Nope. We’re not going to do any riding.” He turned and gave her a wicked grin. “At least not that kind of riding.”
“What’s going on,
Joe?” Collin looked as confused as Sienna did, but Joe doubted he would for long.
“Don’t worry. This is Cela’s trailer and I saw her cleaning it out earlier today. It’s as clean as the place where we’re staying.”
West picked up on the conversation fast and headed toward the side of the trailer where the tack items were kept. “And if I know Cela, her gear’s even cleaner.”
“That’s right. It is.” Joe stepped up into the trailer and held out his hand for Sienna. She took it, but she didn’t act like she was catching on yet.
West was back and carrying a large blanket as well as hog ties and a hobble that cowboys used on a horse’s legs to restrict its movement. Collin carried a couple of hog ties and a set of spurs as well as small rags that were just as clean as the rest of the items.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Yet to Joe, Sienna seemed a little less anxious than before. Was she starting to understand what he had in mind? “We’re about to make one of your fantasies come true. Along with one of mine.”
“Damn, man, we’re really going to do this?” Collin stepped into the trailer and it wobbled under their combined weight. West followed him inside and draped the horse blankets over the divider that separated the compartments so that two horses could be transported at once. Joe closed the door behind them.
Joe skimmed a hand over Sienna’s cheek. “If you’re willing, we are. But I want you to understand. We’re in control of the situation. You can call it quits any time you like, but unless you do, we’re telling you exactly what to do and how to do it. Are you game, baby?”
She took them all in, and then glanced at the tack before nodding her head. “This is going to be interesting.”
“You can say that again.” Collin tossed the items he carried onto the shelf at the head of the trailer along with his hat. He turned to Sienna and put her back to him as he skimmed his lips along the nape of her neck.