After promising to pass on his greetings to Maya, Frank had gloated for the rest of the afternoon. Once he had the contents of that safe-deposit box he’d be happy. He could fuck her until he got tired of her then off her when she became a nuisance, just like Morgan.
* * * *
Maya fought drowsiness as the pickup truck ate up miles and miles of Interstate Highway 10. When her head bobbed for the third time, Kendall chuckled and reached into the back seat and pulled out a thick, fluffy flannel jacket and balled it into a pillow.
“Want to lean over and rest your head on the console? There’s no point in us both losing sleep.”
“You don’t want me to help you stay awake?”
“No. I’m doing great. If you’re sleepy, don’t fight it.”
If Kendall only knew what all she was fighting at the moment, what would he think? She’d seen his reaction to her words in the kitchen and had frankly enjoyed it, but she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable on the long drive, and so she’d kept her impure thoughts to herself.
She laid her head down on the voluminous jacket, enjoying the scent of man permeating the thick flannel. It didn’t smell like Kendall.
She stroked the flannel, which she could tell was red by the lights of the dashboard. “Whose jacket is this?”
“Richard’s. It should be fairly clean. Is it all right?”
Richard, who was so tall and quiet with pale blue eyes that fascinated her.
“Yes. I was just wondering. It doesn’t smell like you.”
She turned her nose against the fabric and inhaled again. It smelled faintly of laundry detergent, manly musk, and the outdoors. She liked it, and noticed her body liked it, too.
Pondering her reaction to the unfamiliar scent, she wondered at the way she was wired. Though deeply in love with Morgan and happily committed to him, she’d always felt a loving, deep connection to Kendall. Morgan was witty, professional, and dominant, where Kendall was all outdoors, earthy, and playfully sexy. Loving them both would’ve been incredible. She’d always had a resounding need for the differences which made them unique.
But being one of the top real estate brokers in the Texas hill country area made Morgan much too visible and vulnerable to public opinion. For that reason she’d never asked.
Now, here she was, reacting to another man’s scent. What did that say about her?
She closed her eyes as Kendall stroked her long hair and caressed her cheekbone. His touch sent tremors through her, and a note of sadness for what could never be echoed in her heart, followed by the refrain of Morgan’s words in the letter. Be the daring girl I married…have the life you wanted and didn’t dare ask for.
Kendall’s voice in the quiet of the cab plucked at her heartstrings. “I wish I’d known.”
Her heart clenched and a tear leaked from her eye, but for the first time in a long time it didn’t feel like grief. It felt more like longing. She’d had days in the last year where she thought she’d never laugh or smile ever again. Somehow that tear marked the beginning of a new chapter between them.
“I wish I could’ve asked. I imagine you must be wondering what kind of woman I am,” she murmured, voicing her real fear.
“I know what kind of woman you are, Maya. You’re the kind who has enough love in her heart for more than one man. I happen to like that about you. Do you think it’s possible you could feel that way again?”
Except for the fact she’d reacted to Richard’s scent on the jacket, she might’ve been surprised by his question. Maybe it was just the way she was put together, to want more than one man loving her and to be capable of loving more than one man with all her heart.
“I’d have to give it some thought, but yeah, I suppose it’s possible. Why?” She looked up at him in the dim light and saw the slight smile on his lips. “Boone and Richard?”
He looked down at her, stroked her temple, and replied, “Maybe. Yeah. But we have plenty of time to mull that over.”
* * * *
Maya awoke to the sensation of Kendall’s warm hand rubbing her upper arm. She glanced at the clock on the dash and saw it was almost four in the morning.
“We’re here,” Kendall said as he continued touching her. She glanced out the window into the darkness and couldn’t tell much about “here” beyond the light shining on the front porch of the ranch house. “We’ll tuck you into bed as soon as we get inside.”
Maya was wide-awake now, with images shimmering in her mind of what tucking her into bed entailed. She stretched and Kendall climbed from the truck and came around to open her door and help her down. She loved his old-fashioned manners, a trait he’d had in common with Morgan.
He lifted her luggage from the bed of the pickup truck and escorted her up the stairs. Stepping quietly, hoping they weren’t disturbing his brothers, she followed behind him expecting the house to be dark inside. A dim light was on over the stove in the kitchen, and two big men were sitting with coffee cups at the dining room table.
“Hey. You’re awake,” Kendall said.
Maya looked around the cozy, low-lit interior of the ranch house’s front rooms. The spacious living room did, indeed, have two comfortable-looking couches situated in front of a fireplace. The house was tidy and well cared for, judging by what she could see. She admired a man who was willing to clean up after himself.
“Yeah. We couldn’t sleep. Finally gave up a little while ago and put the coffee on,” Boone said as he and Richard rose from the table. Both were already dressed for work.
Boone’s sensual lips turned up in a smile as he opened his arms. “Hey, Maya. Welcome home.” His husky tone had a touch of sexiness to it that made her nerve endings fire up and take notice. She went happily into his arms and they hugged for a few seconds. His chest was a solid, deliciously-scented wall of heat against her cheek, and his well-defined muscles rippled under her hands as he stroked her back. Boone had grown a beard and moustache, and his sandy-brown hair was shorter than it was the last time they saw each other. His dark brown eyes twinkled as he said, “We’re glad you decided to come, Maya.”
“Thank you, Boone. I’m so happy to see you both.”
Boone released her, and she turned to Richard, who had always been a bit of a puzzle to her. The moment felt strangely discombobulated to her. All their circumstances had changed since the last time she’d seen either of them.
She knew both Boone and Richard had come with Kendall to Morgan’s funeral, but she’d been in too much of a fog to really recall their presence. The last time she’d seen Richard he’d been in love and planning to propose to the woman he thought he’d spend his life with. They had grief over the death of a loved one in common.
Maya could recall feeling intimidated by Richard’s size and absolute masculinity when she’d met him several years before. He had pale blue eyes which seemed to look right through to the depths of her soul. He had a habit of making direct eye contact and keeping it, which she found a little disconcerting, though she knew that wasn’t his intention. His handsome, tanned features were rugged with a square jaw and a chiseled nose. His brows were dark brown, like his short hair and well-groomed beard, and were arched over his haunting eyes.
The smile on his face was tentative but genuine, his eyes slightly hooded as if he were trying to put her at ease while at the same time appearing a little unsure of himself. Her heart went out to him, and she reached for him and hugged him hard. A tremor went through his chest muscles, and she heard him catch his breath. The same manly scent from the jacket in the truck enveloped her, and she held on tight, probably longer than she should, knowing something had just shifted between the three of them.
A slow, muted sigh escaped her lips as a sensation akin to relief washed through her. She was surprised by the lethargy that followed quickly on its heels. She released Richard and looked up at the three of them, all standing so close to her. She was struck by the rightness of the moment, and she smiled, feeling content.
“Look at th
ose sleepy blue eyes,” Boone commented, reaching out to stroke her shoulder. “We’re putting you to bed.”
Again with the comments about the three of them putting her to bed. She’d let them put her to bed, all right. Just as long as she wasn’t alone. She really did feel sleepy again, so she nodded.
Maya wondered if Kendall was going out to the JWB or if he was going to go to bed for a few hours, too.
Answering her unvoiced question, Boone said, “We got a few hours of sleep, so we’ll go by the ranch and check on everything and get the morning chores done before we go out to the Rockin’ C. That way you can get a few hours of shut-eye.”
Kendall acknowledged Boone’s offer with a nod. “Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that.”
Maya said, “I could do with a nap. I hope you didn’t go to much trouble. I don’t want anyone giving up their bed for me, so you can put my things in Kendall’s room.”
The unspoken communication between the men was not lost on Maya. The look of approval in Boone’s and Richard’s eyes might’ve made any other woman nervous. It had the opposite effect on her. She felt safer here with them than she had in a year.
“It was no trouble at all, Maya,” Richard said as he lifted her garment bag and overnight case. She followed him back to the rear bedroom and happily discovered this room also had a fireplace. She thought how romantic it would be in the wintertime.
“This is Kendall’s room, and we put some things for you in the bathroom, if you need them,” Richard said as he hung the garment bag in the closet.
Grinning, Maya turned to Kendall and asked, “You’re the middle child. How did you swing claiming the master bedroom?”
Kendall chuckled as he placed her suitcase by the closet. “I whipped their asses in poker, that’s how.”
Richard grumbled good-naturedly. “I still think he cheated.”
They bantered with each other for a few moments, and Maya had the impression they were trying to set her at ease. In the dim light cast by the lamp on the bedside table, Maya looked up at the three of them. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to lay in that big king-size bed, surrounded by these handsome men, cozy and well-loved. A pool of hot moisture seeping through her swelling pussy lips was the answer to that thought.
Boone’s hands were reassuring on her shoulders as he kissed her cheek, very near her lips, and said, “Rest, Maya. We’ll see you later this afternoon. We left our cell numbers on the kitchen counter. Call us if you need anything.”
He retreated to the doorway, and Richard took his place. Her heart surged in her chest as he tilted her chin and looked into her eyes. Richard was hard to read, but she thought she saw hesitancy in the way his brows knit together over his eyes.
The woman he’d adored and lost must have been going through his mind, which could explain his tentativeness. They were comrades in suffering in that moment. She knew what it was like to look forward to a lifetime together only to have the dream stolen away.
Feeling inexplicably guilty, she looked down at his chest and moved closer to him so he could hug her again if he wanted. She hoped he didn’t think ill of her for being open about her decision to share a bed with Kendall. There was no point in going through the motions of staying in the other bedroom when this was what they both wanted. She wondered what Richard and Boone thought of her reacting to them the way she was. Life was unbearably short, and there didn’t seem to be any point in pussy-footing around with the precious time they had.
Richard hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. His lips lingered in her hair and his hands felt indescribably gentle as he caressed her spine.
“We’ll talk more tonight, Maya. Have a good nap,” Richard whispered as he pressed his lips to her hair one more time before releasing her. “Later, bro.”
A moment later, they were both gone.
Kendall pulled the covers back on the bed. “Come on, let’s get you situated, sleepyhead.”
Maya grinned and slipped off her shoes. She was struck with a quandary as to whether she should undress or leave her clothes on. Exhaustion trumped all her questions for the moment, so she climbed into the bed as she was while he sat down and removed his boots and socks. She watched him as he undressed to his knit boxers and then climbed under the covers. Smiling like he knew exactly what she was thinking, Kendall leaned toward her, kissed her, and said, “Catch up on your rest for now, babydoll. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later.”
Suddenly all she wanted to talk about was how damned fine he looked in those snug, white knit boxers. He hadn’t bothered to hide the semierect cock he was sporting, but Kendall looked exhausted, so she kept her naughty thoughts to herself.
Chapter Five
Richard stared out at the dark expanse of road as he drove down the state highway toward the ranch. A fringe of tall grass billowing in the hayfields was lit by the truck headlights. Boone was rattling on about Maya, but Richard was lost in his own thoughts as he slowed for the turn off the highway onto their ranch. The pipe rail entry, painted red, sported a metal cutout that was fashioned after their brand, the initials JWB surrounded by an oval.
“You’re not hearing a word I’m saying, are you?”
“I hear you flapping your jaws like an old woman, but I stopped listening about two miles back.”
“Asshole.”
Richard’s thoughts dwelled on the uncertain look in Maya’s eyes right before she’d glanced away from him and had allowed him to hug her. He hoped he hadn’t scared her.
“I asked what you thought of Maya’s reaction to the two of us.”
“I don’t know. She’s just as beautiful as I remember, and sweet, too.”
Richard was afraid he’d made her uncomfortable, and for the tenth time that morning he wondered if she could look beyond his size and appearance. He’d even admit he was unsure if he would ever be ready to love a woman again. Sex was one thing, but to really love a woman…He wasn’t sure.
Michelle had been the answer to his prayers when she’d stolen quietly into his life and had made him happier than he’d thought was possible. Even now, the sting of grief pricked his heart when he thought of her loss.
Did he want to love Maya the way he had Michelle? Could he risk loving like that again? The memory of the phone call from the hospital that tragic day wrenched his heart.
“Do you?”
“What?” Richard ground out. Boone kept asking all these fucking questions when he was trying to think.
“Fuck, but you’re pissy this morning considering you just held a beautiful woman in your arms. If I’m pissy it’s because I had to walk away with a hard-on and leave her alone with Kendall.” Unasked was the reason for Richard’s black mood.
“She could hardly look at me.”
There, he’d said it. Every morning when he looked in the mirror, he saw his ugly mug. The beard and moustache helped, but all he saw was the hulk, the unruly curly hair he kept cut short, and the eerie, wolf-blue eyes that had always put people off. He wasn’t coyote-ugly, but he didn’t see much to recommend him as a prime catch. His quiet, solitary nature didn’t help that image either.
He wondered if he was working himself up for nothing. He remembered the hug they’d shared and the way she’d sighed so deeply, like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders, and then she’d melted against him. He knew how she felt, having lost someone she loved very much. He also remembered how good it felt to hold her lush, curvy form in his arms. She’d lost a little weight since the last time he’d seen her, but she was just as gorgeous as ever and her full, plump breasts had felt incredible pressed up against him.
“Damn it! Listen to me! Stop here!”
“Fuck! What?” Richard yelled back, slamming the heel of his hand down on the steering wheel and applying the brakes hard.
“The fence. We’ve got work to do, damned googly-eyed dumbass!”
Richard had to grin good-naturedly at the sound of his brother’s frustration. Boone hat
ed to be ignored, and he’d been in his own world not hearing a word the asshole was saying.
Boone was right, of course. He’d spotted a section of fence that needed repair. He climbed from the truck to help Boone. It was pitch-black outside except for the headlights, and the humidity was especially high though it wasn’t very warm yet. After they finished with the fence they continued down the drive and checked on the barns and the animals. When the morning chores were done on the JWB, they drove over to the Rockin’ C, where their workday would begin.
Boone had lapsed into silence since Richard was once again lost in thought. As he drove back up the long driveway, Richard wondered what Maya would think of their beautiful spread. Gentle rolling hills, hayfields, wildflowers, and herds of Hereford cattle made for a pretty picture in his mind, with the exception of the wreckage that remained of their old farmhouse. Now that they’d heard from the insurance company, Richard was anxious to begin plans to rebuild. Or maybe it was because Maya was there. Maybe he wanted her more than he thought if he cared what she’d think of the place.
“You think too much.”
“You’re just pissed because I’m not yimmer-yammering on like you. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“What are you talking about?” Boone asked, giving him the quirky eyebrow stare.
“You’ve got good looks on your side, and the tattoos don’t hurt, either. Women eat that stuff up.”
Boone chuckled and said, “Fine, let’s go get your ass tattooed.” He held up two hands in front of him. “I can see it now. ‘Richard is a pansy-ass mother—’”
“I’m being serious here, damn it.”
“And you think you have some sort of disadvantage?”
“We’re all so different. How can she be attracted to all three of us? You and Kendall are natural conversationalists and more at ease than I am. I’m just big and…ugly.”
“You sound like a teenage girl. You’re tall, decent to look at, and sometimes quiet is good. You have an advantage in that sense. You can draw her out and get her talking. You’re not reading her right, Richard. I don’t get the impression she’s put off by you at all. She didn’t look unhappy in your arms this morning.”
Rainier, Heather - Maya's Triple Dare [Divine Creek Ranch 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4