by Morgan Fox
“Delilah, welcome to Turtledove Ranch,” Hunter said, with a showcase grin. “This is heaven on earth, and I bet it’s exactly what would tempt you into staying in our lovely, little town.”
She smiled shyly. “Sorry, Hunter, but it’s going to take a lot more than just a breathtaking ranch to keep my feet rooted. There are still so many other things I’ve got to consider before I allow myself to stay in one place.”
“You mean Warren?” Clay muttered in question.
She inclined her head in his direction, feeling the bitterness of his words slam into her. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”
“Delilah, that man is behind bars,” Clay argued. “He’s not going to come after you. Not with us here to protect you.”
She sucked in a breath. “That’s what you think?” she asked. “I was a fool once before to think his threats were simply idle. I know what he’s capable of. He only cares about himself, and his mind is fixed on me like some deranged person. I wish things were different, but until I’m truly rid of Warren, I can’t put down roots for fear he’ll hurt anyone I care about.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “You really think he’ll come after you and the people you love?”
She put her hands on her hips. The pressure of having to get these two men to understand where she was coming from felt like an elephant sitting on her chest. “Didn’t you just go through this with Abby? Didn’t she have a strange stalker track her down? Is it really so hard to imagine Warren being that crazed?”
Hunter shook his head and admitted, “No, I guess not.”
Delilah smiled and shook off the worrisome thoughts. “Enough about him, let’s get to enjoying our night. What do you have planned for us, Clay?”
“I’ve got a basket full of goodies in the back just begging to be sampled,” he shared, reaching into the back of his truck to pull out a wicker basket and a blanket.
She arched a blonde brow. “Basket full of goodies, you say?”
Clay grinned. “Yep. All the wine you can drink and delicious food to eat while we sit under the stars.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Delilah replied.
Hunter stepped up and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “Should be, it was my idea, after all.”
Scowling, Clay asked, “Your idea?”
Hunter chuckled. “Okay, so it wasn’t all my idea.” He locked gazes with her and shrugged his shoulders. “Clay might’ve helped…a little.”
Clay huffed. “I did more than a little,” he said, closing the distance between them. He tenderly brushed the backs of his knuckles over her still-bruised cheek. She felt the warmth of his body seep into hers. Her skin tingled deliciously as he caressed her. His eyes darkened as he stared down at her. “I personally packed this scrumptious meal, and I did it without any influence from Hunter.”
“But,” Hunter said, raising his index finger as if to indicate his thought. “It was my idea to show you Turtledove Ranch, so I totally earned points for that, right?” He winked at her and she giggled.
“Well, I’m impressed by what you’ve both done,” she told them, her heart swelling with pride and passion.
Clay smiled. “Good, then maybe you’ll be really impressed with what I’ve got planned for us next.”
He reached down, took her free hand, and then slowly led her and Hunter toward the back of the house. They followed a paved trail from the rear porch until they reached the banks of a bubbling brook. Clay opened the blanket and sat the basket down on the far corner.
Clay waved his hand out over the blanket. “Have a seat,” he told her. She knew Hunter would also follow his instruction.
Delilah sat between the two men. She studied each item Clay pulled out of the wicker basket, a chilled bottle of wine, cubed cheeses and sliced meats, red and green sliced apples and grapes, as well as a loaf of fresh bread. The aroma of the bread was divine and suddenly had her belly growling.
“Ever had a picnic under the stars, Delilah?” Hunter asked as he poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her.
“No, I’m afraid I’ve never had the pleasure, until now.”
“Good,” Clay said, grinning. “I like that we’re your first.”
Delilah sipped her wine as her mind darted back to the night she’d slept with Clay and how sweet he had been as they’d made love. Then, she glanced over at Hunter, who was eyeing her with heated interest, and wondered if he was thinking about how incredible their afternoon had been in the barn. Here she was with the two men she’d been drawn to almost immediately. She considered that the fates had something special in store for her.
Why else had she been given a night like this?
The evening was perfect as she sat on the blanket under the stars. A slight breeze blew up from the south, and the company she kept couldn’t get any better. If she had plans of leaving town in the morning, she knew these two men wouldn’t make it easy on her. She already felt the pull of desires anchoring her to Temptation. She wished, more than anything, that Warren had never intervened in her life, but without him and his devious ways, she never would’ve made the drive to Texas.
In a way, she owed Warren for the chance meeting of both Clay and Hunter. Without his persistent interference in her life, she wouldn’t be having this quaint dinner under the vast Texas sky on a ranch that would’ve been perfect for her.
“You know, I’m not really as hungry for food as I am for a sexy sheriff and a cute-ass cowboy,” she said aloud, glancing from Clay to Hunter over the rim of her wineglass. The smile that pulled at her lips was too hard to hide.
Clay and Hunter both stared at her with their mouths wide open.
She felt the need to giggle as she watched their expressions change. The need for the men she loved was too much to resist. “I’m sorry. Did I say something that you weren’t hoping for? If that’s the case, I can always retract that comment.”
“No!” Clay and Hunter said in unison.
Delilah’s smile broadened, and she licked her lips. She waited for the first one to make a move. She had an idea who it might be, but the anticipation had her nipples hardening and her pussy growing wetter. Eager to be satisfied by her lovers, she practically ripped her own clothing off, but she didn’t. Instead, she waited, silently praying they wouldn’t take long.
* * * *
Warren brought his tan Mercedes-Benz to a complete stop just outside the perimeter white stone fencing of Turtledove Ranch. As his luck would have it, just before he was released, he’d overheard the name of the property spoken by the deputy in a conversation with an older woman named Sophia. Thankfully, his stepfather’s money had paid for an expensive attorney who provided him a quick exit from the pathetic jail system and its incompetent sheriff.
Small-town folks really do have feeble minds.
His Armani-dressed lawyer had him released in a matter of minutes after arriving in Temptation. He’d warned Delilah not to mess with him, not to tempt him with what he would do if she defied him. Now, he would make good on his promise and show her and her two protectors exactly who they were dealing with.
Pulling a large hunting knife from under the front seat of his car, he flashed it around, staring at the shiny silver blade. His chest swelled joyfully as he envisioned what he would do to his precious Delilah once he got his hands on her. The fear he would discover in her heavy-lidded blue eyes as he taught her the lesson she clearly deserved had his cock jumping in his black slacks. Taking a firm hand to her was only one of the things he intended to do.
First, he would show her who her master and ruler truly was. Her incessant need to disregard his warnings would be ignored no more. The two men she traveled with wouldn’t be able to protect her once he placed them in the grave. He would ensure that neither man would be able to save her. Once he had killed them, they would no longer be a nuisance. The thought had him smirking broadly.
A sparkle of sinful desire emerged as his plan unfolded in the deep trenches of his mind. He would gut the men i
n front of her eyes and allow her to witness the destruction of others. Then he would remind her that it was her own doing that gave way to the end result.
Ultimately, he couldn’t wait to take his stubborn little vixen and fuck her within an inch of her life. Once she felt his cock pounding away at her slick cunt, she’d never forget what a man like him could do to a woman like her. He planned to own her, rule over her as he should’ve been doing long ago.
Now, there was no stopping him. Yielding to her was not an option. All he wanted was for her to do as he demanded. Was there anything truly wrong with that?
Warren opened the door to his car and closed it silently behind him. Slowly, he made his way toward the sound of Delilah’s voice. Stepping quietly, he listened intently to her giggles and the laughter of the men with her. Soon the only sound he would hear would be their screams as he sank the serrated blade into the soft guts of the men who dared to challenge him.
Glancing back over his shoulder, he made a note that the sun was now dancing above the horizon. Grinning, he wondered if Delilah and her protectors knew just how perfect it was that they had picked dusk to have their little rendezvous. With the shadows that night provided, they would never see him coming, and they would never escape him.
Finally, everything would be perfect, and he would no longer have to chase the one thing he’d always desired.
Chapter Ten
Clay gently took hold of the wine flute Delilah drank from and placed it to the side. Crawling onto his knees, he made his way to her, kneeling just in front of her. With a steady hand, his fingers gripped the nape of her neck, pulling her to him. His lips were quick to claim hers.
As he had expected, she responded to him with the same need and intensity he had seen looming in the depths of her gaze. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Feeling her lips against his, her fingers digging into the muscles of his arms, and soaking in the warmth of her passions confirmed his deepest wishes.
“I don’t mind watching, but I hope this isn’t all I get to do.” Hunter’s voice teased with sarcasm.
Delilah slowly pulled away and smiled warmly up at Clay, who was both annoyed and extremely aroused. His heart thundered wildly in his ears as his blood raced through his veins. He knew that things might get tricky where the three of them were concerned, but he also had to accept the fact that Delilah wanted both men in her life. Their situation might be different, but he was determined to make it work.
His eyes settled on hers. “Once I get her naked, you can join in,” Clay said with a low growl in his voice.
Delilah giggled. “Is that so?”
Nodding once, Clay reminded her, “You want us, both of us. If you didn’t, you never would’ve come out here. You long for a night like this. Two men you desire, pleasuring you in all ways.” He stroked the side of her face with the backs of his knuckles. “Don’t start playing hard to get, Delilah. I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to control myself if you suddenly denied me the pleasure of loving you.”
Her eyes rounded. “Loving me?”
“Yes, loving you.”
She placed her palms flat on his chest. “You mean fucking me?”
“No,” Clay said in a sharp tone. “I mean exactly what I said. I’m in love with you. I know it happened fast, but it happened, and I don’t care if I sound like a sap for telling you how I feel. I couldn’t let you leave Temptation without knowing how much you are wanted here. I’ve never been in love like this, and I’m damn sure I’ll be devastated if you left. So don’t.”
“Clay,” she breathed.
He cupped her face in his hands. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but please let Hunter and I have this night with you. Allow us to show you all the reasons you should stay with us in Temptation.” He took a deep breath. “Then if you are not satisfied you can leave, and we won’t stop you.”
“Speak for yourself. I might try to stop her,” Hunter teased with a grin, and Clay shot him an evil glare. “Okay, we won’t stop you even if inside we’re dying.” Hunter scooted on his knees to kneel beside them, and he took her hand in his. “It’s not just Clay who’s in love with you, Delilah. I’m just as crazy about you as the big guy.” He hooked his thumb in Clay’s direction. “I’ve known since the moment I kissed your lips and held you in my arms that you were the one for me. I thought I’d been in love before now, but after the emotions you’ve caused in me…I know everything else I’ve ever felt was just lust. What I have with you is real and intense…and a little scary.”
“Scary?” Delilah asked, sounding taken aback.
Nodding, Hunter explained, “Yes. I’ve never had someone possess my heart like you do. I don’t have a choice where you are concerned. I’m head over heels for you, babe, and that’s the honest truth.”
“Wow, did I sound that sappy?” Clay asked, smacking Hunter on the shoulder.
All three laughed and giggled. Delilah smiled wide, and he marveled at the sparkle of love he saw reflected in her eyes. He prayed that it wasn’t just because she appreciated the kind, heartfelt gesture of their affections but in turn felt the same way they did. For a long moment Clay waited in silence as Delilah gazed from him to Hunter and back again. The bones of his body felt so constricted, as if his flesh was pulling so tight that it might actually peel right off.
She licked her lips. “I can’t believe you both feel this way about me. I can’t believe that a car accident brought you both into my life. More importantly, I can’t believe that I’ve found two men to love me.” She reached out and caressed Clay and Hunter’s faces. “Gentlemen, you are not the only ones who’ve found love. It just so happens that I’m”—she winked at Hunter—“head over heels for you both as well.”
Hunter gave a “yee-haw” howl and asked, “So does that mean we get to have sex now?”
Clay scowled at him. “Seriously? We have a moment where we disclose our feelings, and that’s what you are concerned with?”
“Hell yes,” Hunter spat. “I’ve wanted to make love to her again since my foot found my mouth in the barn.”
Clay frowned. “Well, my foot’s about to find your ass if you don’t settle the hell down.”
Delilah folded her arms over her chest and stared from one to the other. “Is this how it’s going to be?”
Clay swallowed hard. He hoped he hadn’t upset her with his need to spar with Hunter. He might sound angry with the young cowboy, but he would never truly harm him. He cared about the kid. He simply wanted him to handle things with a little more finesse.
“I’ve never had two sexy men fight over me before, at least this kind of teasing fight. I kind of like it,” she shared with a grin. “Tell me, will we be able to play nice while we make love?”
Clay’s throat felt drier than ever. He needed a drink.
“I know I will,” Hunter chimed in, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt.
Clay held her fiery gaze. “I’ll try my best,” he admitted honestly. “I’ve never shared a woman’s affections before, but I’m willing to give it a shot if it keeps us together.”
She nodded, her eyes revealing her understanding. “I couldn’t imagine sharing your affections with another woman, and I’ll never be able to, so I know how hard this must be.”
Clay’s heart squeezed in his chest and he told her, “Not having you in my life would be even harder to bear.”
“Then I suggest you make this night worth my while and get to pleasing me. I’d hate to waste the night in idle conversation when I could be feeling every inch of you sampling and loving my body instead.”
Hunter slapped him on the back. “Well, don’t just sit there, man, get to pleasuring our woman. Make her howl like the wolf.”
Clay cocked his head in Hunter’s direction, and for the first time he felt the pull of laughter bubble up from his throat. Clay smiled at the silly personality of his cowboy friend. Clay knew he would be the one to start the evening’s events. Shit, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
&
nbsp; “If that’s what the lady wants,” Clay said, pulling his shirt up over his head in one fluid motion.
“Oh, yes, that is most definitely what the lady wants,” she told him, her eyes dancing impatiently over his body as he unbuckled his pants.
Clay loved the way her eyes twinkled with longing as she stared at him. Studying her breathless anticipation left him begging for more. Never had he seen a woman more desirable than Delilah. His cock rubbed against the front of his jeans uncomfortably, and the thought of being naked in front of another man was fleeting. He simply didn’t care. Not if it meant being buried deep inside Delilah’s warm body, feeling her lips on his skin, hearing her pants of pleasure, and enjoying her fingers kneading his arms, shoulders, and back.
With his pants opened wide at his hips, he crawled back in front of Delilah, wrapped his arm around her waist, and gently tugged her beneath him. Her dress rolled up her thighs, and his eyes drank in her newly exposed milky-white flesh. Licking his lips, he sank back onto his heels and sighed heavily.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, her face paling.
Clay shook his head. “No, Delilah, everything is perfect.”
Scooting down, he reached under her dress and slowly tugged the black, lacy undergarment from her hips and slid it down her lean legs. Tossing her panties to the side, he laid flat on his stomach, parting her legs and settling in to kiss and lick her pussy. The moment his mouth settled over her clit, she writhed underneath his hold, and he couldn’t help but feel the swell of his chest.
Probing deep inside her cunt with his tongue, he tasted her sweet honey. He licked and sucked at her pussy and clit like a man starved for it. She tasted divine, and he couldn’t help but want to feast on her flesh for hours.
Glancing up, he watched as Hunter unbuttoned her dress, exposing her supple breasts. As Clay sucked on her clit, Hunter continued to massage and torment her erect nipples, kneading her breasts and kissing her lips. He thought the sight of Hunter pleasuring her would piss him off, but it didn’t. Watching the rosy color fill Delilah’s face as her men pleasured her made everything worthwhile.