Monroe, Marla - The Hired Hands' Dilemma [The Men of Space Station One #3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “What if it’s not from the creatures at all? What if it’s in the food we’re eating? I mean, we grow our own food and eat it. All the fresh vegetables were grown here.” Keeton kept his eyes on the cows as they talked.

  “Well, for that matter, we’re eating the beef that is eating the grass on this planet. Who’s to say we all aren’t affected?” Andrew added.

  “I guess that is a possibility,” Danny agreed. “Maybe we should bring all this up to the doc. I’ll tell him when I go tomorrow.”

  “You might mention to him that the women have noticed that our gardens are growing at a fast pace and the food is larger than usual,” Keeton added.

  “Yeah, Rachel mentioned that the tomatoes are bigger than they were last year. I just figured it was good soil and her taking such good care of them.” Danny stopped his horse and turned in the direction of a calf wandering away from the herd.

  He took off after it, and the rest of the men broke up to attend to their appointed duties. Keeton had fence duty. He rode along the fence line making sure nothing was broken or down. It gave him plenty of time to think, probably too much time to think.

  There was nothing he could do to change the way things had turned out, but he could take some of the pressure off of Ashley by maybe doing some of the gardening. He could get up a little early and go out before breakfast. He’d have to find out what she did, though. He didn’t have a clue what it involved outside of tilling up the earth and planting the seeds. He was sure there was much more to it. He could probably borrow one of her books and read up on it.

  Keeton stood up in the saddle to look ahead of him. Something was caught in the fence. He pulled out his gun and rode toward it. There, in the barbed wire, was the ugliest-looking creature he had ever seen. It looked as if it had tried to climb through it but got caught and then fought it. It was bleeding a yellowish goo from a hundred different cuts. He didn’t know what to do until the thing began thrashing again and opened its mouth to revel a set of razor-sharp teeth and swung lethal-looking claws in his direction. He knew what to do then. He shot the thing in the head twice.

  It wasn’t long before the others came riding up at a full gallop. They’d heard the gunshot and come to see if Keeton needed any help. He was glad he didn’t, but he didn’t know what they were going to do about the creature in the fence.

  * * * *

  “Why can’t I see it?” Ashley whined.

  “Because I don’t want you anywhere near that thing. It’s bleeding that yellow shit all over the place.” Keeton stood outside the house talking to her.

  He had forbidden her to come outside while they were cleaning up using the outside hose. They’d decided the creature needed to go to the city for them to study it. They needed to know how dangerous it was. It was the same one that had attacked both Danny and Rachel, or at least one like it. They really had no idea how many of them were out there. Ashley shivered.

  “How soon before you will be home?” she asked.

  “Should be home in a couple of hours. Danny is taking it into the city. We’re just going to help him load it. We wrapped it up earlier. Now all we have to do is load it when they get the transport out there.”

  “You be careful and don’t let any of that stuff get on you.”

  “I don’t plan on it, baby. We’ll both be careful. Now go back in the house and we’ll be back as soon as we can.” Keeton waved her inside.

  Ashley closed the door behind her then looked out the window as the transport pulled up and both Boyd and Keeton climbed in. She hated for them to go, but knew it was necessary.

  Once the transport was out of sight, she went back to fixing dinner. Maybe if they looked at it in the city, they would figure out what was in her and Rachel’s blood. She hadn’t said anything to the men, but she was scared of what it would do to her baby. If it was in her blood, it would be in her baby’s blood, too.

  Ashley had been reading up on babies and what they looked like at different stages of pregnancy. The more she read, the more she worried. She didn’t let on to the men. She didn’t want them any more worried than they already were. Keeton especially seemed bothered by it all.

  She wished for the thousandth time that they had phones or at least a radio. She wanted to talk to Rachel and see what she thought about it all. She was going to ask the men to get a radio if there was any possible way. She knew they carried hand radios with them when they were out on the range, but she didn’t have one she could use to call them if there was a problem. With her being pregnant, she needed one in case something happened.

  She finally finished preparations for dinner and decided to relax on the couch while she waited on the men. Keeton said a couple of hours, and it had been close to that now. She picked up one of the baby books to keep from falling asleep, she hoped. No sooner had she started reading when Keeton stuck his head in the kitchen door.

  “We’re back. We’re going to strip off out here and clean up to be safe. Is there anything in the washing machine?”

  “No, it’s empty.” Ashley put down her book and walked into the kitchen. When she drew close to the door, Keeton warned her back.

  “I don’t want you anywhere around this stuff, baby. We’ll be inside as soon as we can.” He closed the door but not before she heard Boyd cursing.

  She hurried to the window and watched the men strip out of their clothes and rinse off with the hose she used to water the garden. Ashley grinned at the fact that they were naked in the backyard. If they’d had neighbors, they would have gotten quite a show.

  The men balled their clothes up and walked around the side of the house to where the washroom door was. She heard them come in and dump their clothes in the washer. She winced when she heard Boyd ask how much soap to put in.

  “Hey, you guys. Just close the lid and I’ll add the soap and bleach to it. You’ll mess it up,” she called to them.

  “Don’t open the lid at all. Since you have the dispenser on the outside, I’ll let you add everything. Make it strong and wash them a couple of times.” Keeton emerged from the washroom nude with Boyd right behind him. “Don’t touch us. Wait until we’ve had a chance to shower off.”

  “I’ve already got whatever it is swimming around in my bloodstream, so I don’t think you have to be this careful,” she complained.

  “We’re not taking a chance, baby.” Boyd blew her a kiss and hurried upstairs to shower.

  Keeton followed behind him after leveling a stare at her and reminding her not to open the lid of the washing machine.

  Ashley shook her head and walked into the washroom to start the washing machine. She added the necessary soap and bleach then set it to heavy duty and left it alone. The room smelled of sweat and some other foul-smelling odor she guessed had to come from the creature. She hoped it would dissipate soon. She didn’t want the house to smell like that.

  Keeton was the first one down. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I feel fine. I only needed one nap today.”

  “Don’t try and stay up just to be stubborn. If you need the rest, take it.” Keeton’s expression had turned stern.

  “Believe me. I’m not going to forgo a nice nap just to be stubborn.”

  Boyd walked in wearing jeans and nothing else. His hair was still damp, as was Keeton’s.

  “Give me a kiss, baby.” Boyd pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the mouth and then on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  Ashley sighed. “If I’m going to have to repeat everything twice, I’m getting a tape recorder and playing it for both of you.”

  “Don’t get sassy,” Keeton warned with a smile.

  “Look, is there any way we can get a radio so that I can talk to Rachel and get in touch with you in case something happens? I’ve been thinking about it. For one thing, you both could be gone when I go into labor.”

  Keeton’s eyes got wide and he sat down on one of the kitchen chairs at the table
.

  “Fuck! She’s right, Boyd. We need radios.”

  “I’ll talk to Andrew tomorrow about how they got theirs and see if we can get one in the city. I would think every outlander should have one.”

  “Outlander?” Ashley asked. “What is that?”

  “That is us,” Keeton explained. “They call all of us that live outside of the city outlanders.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know that.”

  “Danny should be back later tonight and we’ll find out tomorrow what the doctor said about his blood. It may be a while before they know anything about the creature, though. Someone has to set up a way to study it without being contaminated by it.” Keeton pulled Ashley onto his lap.

  “Dinner’s ready. You two sit down and let me get it on the table.” Ashley tried to stand up, but Keeton held her tightly in his arms.

  “It can wait for a little while. I like having you in my lap.”

  Boyd grinned at the two of them. “You look good together like that. I almost feel jealous, but I know I can have her later.”

  “Get me out of Keeton’s lap and you can have a kiss now,” Ashley bartered.

  “Not going to risk Keeton’s wrath, baby. I’ll get my kiss later.”

  “Then you put dinner on the table. It’s all on the stove.” Ashley leaned back against Keeton’s chest.

  She secretly didn’t want to get up. He’d actually relaxed around her for the first time since they had found out she was pregnant. She planned to savor the experience while it lasted.

  She directed Boyd on where to put things and then was surprised to have Keeton feed her.

  “Come on, one more bite, Ashley. Don’t forget you’re eating for two,” he said.

  “I don’t think I need to gain more than a few pounds a month, Keeton. At the rate you’re trying to feed me, I’ll gain it all in one month.” Ashley grinned at him.

  After dinner was over and the dishes had been done, Ashley, Keeton, and Boyd climbed the stairs to the bedroom to go to bed. The day had taken a toll on the men. They were asleep even before Ashley for a change. She sighed. It didn’t help that she was horny on top of everything else. Well, she would wake one of them up with a blow job in the morning, and they would take care of her then.

  She snuggled between the two men and thought about how it would be when she was big with their baby. How would they all fit together then? She smiled. They would get kicked either in the back or the stomach, she was sure. The thought of Keeton waking up to their baby kicking him in the back through her stomach had her giggling quietly. Then she wondered what she was going to do about the garden and putting up vegetables and handling the house all at once. The entire situation sobered her somewhat. Still, she couldn’t help but rub her belly where the baby resided and go to sleep thinking about baby names.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Boyd woke the next morning to Ashley’s lips around his cock. He hummed his approval and ran his hands through her hair, digging his nails into her scalp. She loved it when he did that, so he made sure to scratch her head as she went down on him.

  When she pulled up and sucked around the rim of his cockhead, Boyd blew out a breath. It felt freaking wonderful when she did that. Then she licked his slit and gathered the drop of pre-cum that had gathered there. He threw back his head with a growl. He held her head still for a few seconds while he face-fucked her. She let him without balking. She trusted him not to hurt her or choke her. That trust was a heady thing.

  When she deep-throated him and swallowed around him while she did, he shouted out. His balls began to draw up, and he felt his cum begin a slow boil. Ashley tightened her grip at the base of his cock and worked him with her hand as she worked him with her mouth. The combined effort had him on the brink of coming in no time.

  Boyd felt the electrical current begin to travel down his spine and settle in his aching balls. They were so tight now, he felt ready to explode in any minute. It wasn’t until she reached between his legs and raked her nails across his balls that he knew a moment of panic that maybe he couldn’t handle the coming explosion. But it was too late. She had already done it and he was shooting his cum down her throat as he shuddered with it.

  * * * *

  Ashley sat up and grinned at him. She licked her lips and then licked at the residual left on his softening cock.

  “Whoa, baby. Much more of your tongue and I’ll be ready to go again in no time.”

  “Since I’m horny, that’s not such a bad thing, is it?” she asked.

  “Between the two of us, I think we can take care of you,” Boyd said.

  “What about us?” Keeton murmured, still a little asleep.

  “Boyd said you’d take care of me. I’m horny, Keeton.” Ashley rubbed his chest, then scratched over his nipples lightly with her nails.

  He slapped at her hand. “Stop that. It tickles.” Then he grabbed her and rolled her under him.

  Keeton reached between her legs and found her wet. Sucking Boyd’s dick had gotten her all hot and excited.

  “I’m ready for you, Keeton. Fuck me. I need you.”

  “I think I want a little breakfast first.” He sucked on one of her nipples then nibbled his way down her body until he situated himself between her legs. “Now this is what I call a breakfast of champions.”

  Ashley gasped when he licked her slit from top to bottom and back up again. Then he lapped at her juices along her legs. When he moved on to circle her clit with his tongue, she moaned and tried to tilt her pelvis just right so he would lick over it. He was too smart for her, though, and avoided her clit regardless of her maneuvers.

  “Please, Keeton. I need to come. I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour to wake you guys up.” Ashley reached down and grabbed his head in an effort to keep him where she wanted him.

  Boyd showed back up and pulled her back down on the bed, where he began to play with her breasts, giving Keeton room to work. Ashley groaned and begged both men to let her come.

  “We’ll take care of you, baby. Just let Keeton play a little. He likes to play with you.”

  Keeton sucked in her clit just then, and Ashley exploded. Before she had even come down, Keeton was powering into her wet cunt. His cock stretched her pussy wide as he pushed forward. He stopped just short of bumping her cervix. Over and over he tunneled into her until she began to climb up the mountain to another climax. She dug her nails into Boyd’s head as he licked and sucked on her nipples.

  Ashley squeezed her cunt muscles with all her might to push Keeton higher. She wanted him to come hard for teasing her. Only squeezing set her off, and she ended up flying instead. She screamed out when Boyd suddenly bit down on her nipple and pinched the other one. The climax seemed to go on forever. Fire burned between her clit and her nipples. Then she felt Keeton’s cum bathe her cunt. He held himself still inside her, growling out her name as he did.

  He finally collapsed, half on her and half off her. They were both breathing like champion racehorses. Boyd was shaking his head at her when she reached out and petted his dick.

  “Haven’t you had enough for this morning?” He chuckled.

  “I’m just petting it. It was a good boy earlier.” She smiled then rolled her eyes when Keeton reached down and rubbed her clit.

  “Don’t, Keeton. I’m already overstimulated. You’re going to make me horny all over again.”

  “Seems like you do that all on your own, baby.” Keeton laughed and curled up when she went for his cock with her hand.

  Both he and Boyd rolled out of bed. They left her there to get ready for work. She finally climbed out herself and cleaned up before putting on her clothes. Today, they would find out about Danny, and maybe they would see about getting a radio for them, too.

  The men left right after breakfast and promised to come home for lunch and fill her in on what they’d found out from Danny and Andrew. She busied herself in the garden, then cleaned up and made sandwiches for them when they made it in. It was after noon before they rode u
p on the horses.

  “Well?” she asked as soon as they walked in the kitchen.

  “What? No ‘Hi, Keeton and Boyd.’ Or at the very least, a kiss,” Keeton said.

  Boyd chuckled and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Then he passed her off to Keeton, who held her tightly in his arms. She struggled halfheartedly. What she really wanted was to know what they had found out, but she played their game and kissed Keeton.

  “Danny has the same thing in his blood, but so do several other people in the city, as well as a family out on a farm north of us. Their names are Cam, Phillip, and Lacy. Evidently Rachel knows Lacy. They came over on the same shuttle. Lacy is pregnant, too, but she’s further along than the two of you are.” Keeton let go of her and walked over to sit down at the table and dig into the sandwiches.

  “There is another shuttle due to land in the next week or two with more families on board as well as more supplies. We put in for a radio base station and a handheld radio for you. We should be able to get them from the next shuttle.” Boyd picked up where Keeton had left off.

  “Can I use one of your radios to talk to Rachel tonight for a few minutes?” she asked.

  “Sure, I guess that will be okay.” Keeton looked at Boyd.

  The other man shrugged. Ashley smiled and couldn’t wait to talk to Rachel.

  “So if others have it, then it doesn’t necessarily come from the creatures. It must be in the food we are eating or the air we’re breathing,” Ashley concluded.

  “That’s what the doctor decided, too. He wants all of us to give blood so he can keep up with who has it and who doesn’t,” Keeton said around a mouthful of sandwich.

  “So he still doesn’t know what it means or if it’s doing anything to us.”

  “No, he’s working on it, though. Now with having the creature, they can study that yellow stuff and see what it is and what it might do.” Boyd picked up a sandwich and took a bite. “This is good. Are these tomatoes out of our garden?”