She gasped. His steady glare said he wanted to shock her. Maybe he half-expected her to try to escape him. His hands closed hard around her hips.
She lifted her chin. “Do you have a condom?” she asked, proud her voice hadn’t quivered.
“In the pocket of my jeans. You’ll have to reach for it if you want it that bad.”
She firmed her lips and her glare, but reached beside them to his crumpled jeans.
“Front pocket.”
His cock already nudged between her folds. God she was tempted to slide right down this very moment. But she rooted into the pocket and pulled out the small cellophane-wrapped square, holding it between them.
He plucked it from her fingers, tore it open with his teeth, and cloaked himself expertly. When he was done, he arched one dark brow.
She gritted her teeth, really hating that expression he donned every time he expected her to bolt. Instead, she centered her sex over the tip of him and drove downward.
He didn’t help her, didn’t move, just sat on his haunches while she tried to still the trembling inside her and forced herself down his shaft. When she was seated, her pussy clenched tightly around him, their faces were even.
She read anger in his expression.
She wondered what she betrayed. Regret? Because she was feeling it now. She wanted to take back what she’d said, wanted him to caress her body like he gave a damn about her.
Dani took a quivering breath. “I’m sorry.”
“For what, Dani?” he said, sounding a little tired.
“I don’t know…precisely.”
He snorted. “What do you need from me? Be precise.”
With their bodies connected, she felt a little less inhibited by her own pride and tried to reach out, tried to breach the emotional distance separating them. “I want…for you to care.”
“But this is just a fuck, isn’t it? Revenge, maybe, because I shot your dreams all to hell.” His words were harsh, but his hands were cupping her ass gently.
“You didn’t dash my dreams. You couldn’t. They were mine and based on…nothing. I didn’t know.”
A muscle alongside his jaw flexed and he dragged in a deep breath. “What do you want from me, Dani?” he repeated, his gaze lifting above her head.
“I’m not sure,” she said, leaning closer and nuzzling his neck.
“Don’t lie.”
“I want you to touch me. I want you to hold me.”
His hands roamed up her back, lightly. Teasingly. “Like this?”
She shook her head and gave him a sheepish glance. She bit her lip. “Leave bruises.”
He grunted. “Want me to mark you? You won’t be able to forget me in the morning.”
Dani let him see the longing in her face. “Justin, I never forgot you.”
“And yet, you never sought me out again,” he whispered. “Couldn’t meet my gaze whenever we passed on the street.”
“I’m sorry.” She set her hands on his shoulders and smoothed them up his sturdy neck, locking her gaze with his. “You scared the shit of me. I was really young. I didn’t know I wanted those things.”
“What things?”
“Damn you, you know. I let you do whatever you wanted, would have loved for you to take so much more.”
“So you turned to Rowe. Made him give you what you needed.”
She nodded, and it must have been the answer he’d wanted because he gripped her harder and lifted her, driving her down on his shaft. Dani’s eyelids drifted closed.
“Don’t,” he said roughly. “You have to look at me while I fuck you. I don’t want you pretending I’m anyone else.”
Her mouth opened, her jaw sagging as his strokes heated her inner walls. “How could I?”
“Dani,” he breathed and his head fell against her shoulder.
Dani wrapped her arms around his shoulders and placed her cheek against his. “I never forgot. Always tried to recapture the feeling…but it was never the same.”
“Don’t care why. Not now. Jesus, hold tight.” Justin leaned forward, cupping her bottom to keep her pussy clutching his cock, and got his knees under himself to take her down to the blanket. Balls-deep inside her, he pushed into her, rooting deeply, his hips lifting, pulling his cock away, then slamming deeper still.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and sobbed into his ear. “Justin, more. God, please, please, don’t stop.”
His arms shot under her knees and he pressed her legs upward. His cock dug impossibly deeper, forcing out her breaths in short feminine grunts. He unleashed a storm inside her, thrusting endlessly, his strong, muscled body dominating her in the most fundamental way.
Dani couldn’t breathe except to drag in his breath, his scent. She couldn’t move except to counter his strokes, lifting her bottom to slam her pussy against his groin. She couldn’t think about anything except the way he filled her, rushed into her, cramming so deep, filling her so completely, she never wanted it to end.
But at last, his frenzied movement built the sensual tension that curled around her womb…tightening…tightening—until he rocketed her into an orgasm that left her shaken, shivering and gasping for breath.
His strokes slowed even though his cock lost rigidity as though he too didn’t want the experience to end. When he halted, she slowly opened her eyes.
His gaze bored into her, glittering with triumph.
Dani felt a chill pass through her. “I can’t breathe,” she whispered, pushing against his shoulders.
He rolled away and covered his eyes with his forearm while he dragged in deep breaths.
Dani sat up, wrapping an arm around her breasts and pressing her thighs together to still the tremors that faded slowly away. God, she’d given him everything he’d wanted. More than she’d intended. And now, he meant to mock her?
“I need to go home,” she said, keeping her voice even by sheer willpower.
His chest lifted and he lowered his arm. “Right. Get dressed.”
He rocked to a sit and reached for his shirt, dragging it over his head. Then he stood, his cock glistening in the moonlight, and quickly stripped off the condom and dragged on his jeans. He was dressed before she’d moved and standing with his hands on his hips.
Dani moved like an automaton. She managed the pants, but her hands began to shake so badly, she couldn’t get the shirt over her sweat-sticky skin.
He sighed and turned her away. His hands gripped the lower hem and pulled the shirt efficiently down.
Then he whistled softly and his horse ambled toward them. Before she could gather her thoughts and her shattered pride, he had the horse saddled and was helping her up. They didn’t speak all the way back to the house. Dani didn’t know how she made it up the ladder, must have been the hands steadying her legs and ass all the way up, but when she’d entered her bedroom, she closed her doors and turned the lock, drawing the curtains closed behind her.
A light clicked on behind her and she stiffened. Sweet Jesus, not now. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head and weep.
“I heard a noise and got worried,” Cutter rasped behind her. “Imagine my surprise when I saw you disappearing over the balcony.”
Dani closed her eyes briefly then turned to glance over her shoulder and meet her brother’s enraged glare.
“Cutter…”
He rose from the armchair next to her bed and strode over to her. Before she could back away, he lifted his hand and turned her face into the light. “Didn’t even bother to kiss you goodnight? Don’t know whether I should chase him down and beat the shit out of him or not. Who were you with, Dani?”
“Rowe—”
“Not Rowe. I called him. He hedged, so I guess he knew damn well who you were with. Which leaves me wondering…” His gaze bored into hers. “Couldn’t have been Cruz. You have better sense.”
She flinched, giving him his answer.
Air hissed between clenched teeth. “You haven’t been back even a day. O
r did you stop by to set up your little rendezvous before you came here?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
His jaw ground, then he shook his head. “Guess you’re old enough to make your own decisions, but if Cruz thinks he’s gonna get a piece of this spread, he’s in for disappointment. Mom and Dad had the good sense to leave this place in my care.”
“He’s not after this ranch.”
“You know that for a fact?” He raked a hand through his brown hair. “What’s he want then? You? Think he’s been waiting around for you to come home?”
“I’m not sixteen anymore. I don’t need you to protect me or vet my dates. Justin isn’t anyone special to me.”
“Well, that makes me feel so much better,” he snarled.
She stared at him through a wall of shimmering tears. “Dammit. Don’t you dare make me feel like a whore. You aren’t exactly a monk.”
“I don’t sneak around. Any man who is a man will come to our door.”
“Like you’d let him date me?”
“You said it. You’re not a child.” Cutter’s gaze condemned her one last time then slid away. “I’m tired. I’ll say goodnight. I hope I don’t have to worry about anyone else knocking at your window tonight.”
Dani let out a deep breath and sat hard on the edge of her bed. Her relationship with Cutter had always been a little one-sided, his way or the highway, but he was right.
She couldn’t sneak around. Not and keep her self-respect. Not that Justin hadn’t stripped it all away from her already. He’d used her tonight, proven he could get to her with very little effort.
Damn him. And damn Rowe for putting her in this position.
The things they both made her want were all wrong. However, she couldn’t get the image out of her mind of Rowe closing his eyes and sinking down Justin’s cock while Justin’s hot glare nailed her. She’d quivered then grown wet.
Hot, nasty lust still held her in its grip and she thought she might be like a crack addict, haunted by visions of what her life could be if she could just shake the gnawing need.
But Justin hadn’t fully appeased her appetite tonight, hadn’t slaked her thirst for his brand of loving. He’d given her teasing glimpses of the man he could be before slamming the door shut. The haunted intensity of his gaze when he’d knelt in front of her couldn’t have been just another weapon in his seductive arsenal. If there was even a slim chance she could chip away his armor and prove a caring man really did exist, she had to give it a shot.
Dani didn’t know how she knew it, but she knew that she and Rowe would never be completely happy, completely free, if Justin wasn’t there with them.
Chapter Four
Rowe found Justin in the barn the next morning, saddling his mount. Another ranch hand was mucking out stalls, but Rowe gave him a jerk of his head, telling him silently to get the hell out. “Justin, we have to talk.”
Justin glanced over his shoulder, his face settling into a frown. “What’s wrong?”
The chilliness in Justin’s voice didn’t put him off a bit. Rowe wasn’t in the mood to pussyfoot around. “What the hell happened last night?”
Justin aimed a cool glare his way. “Gonna ride my ass for seeing Dani? Told you I’d handle her.”
“I got a call from Cutter, looking for her last night. After I stuttered my way through a lie, I took a look around. You weren’t here. I would have appreciated knowing I had to cover for your ass.”
Justin’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. “You don’t. And I didn’t know I had to ask your permission for a damn thing. Dani’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”
Where Justin was concerned, Dani was a lamb being led to the slaughter. And Rowe should know. Even now, as irked as he was, Rowe hated Justin’s cool tone. Hated himself for feeling this needy when he wasn’t sure where he stood with Justin. “Dani loves Cutter,” he said, his tone softer. “He’s always looked out for her. Stepped up when their parents were killed. She might not like him bossing her around but she doesn’t want to hurt him.”
Justin smoothed his hand over the bay’s side then reached for the cinch. “Is she willing to stay his little sister forever?”
“All I’m saying is, if we want this thing to work with her, we have to have some respect.”
Justin’s flinty gaze showed no sign he understood what Rowe was really asking. “You think I don’t have respect?”
Anger tensed his muscles, but Rowe saw a shadow cross Justin’s face. Justin didn’t know how to give respect, because damn few people had ever given it to him willingly. But Justin’s pride was a prickly thing. He reacted better to sarcasm than empathy.
Rowe snorted. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have any for her or me. Didn’t bother me too much before, but I knew what I was getting into. I’ve had time to think it through. But we kinda blindsided her yesterday.”
Justin’s lips curled into his trademark smirk. “Buddy, the girl likes to be overwhelmed.”
Rowe stepped closer and braced his legs apart, ready to fight if that’s what it took for Justin to stop acting like an asshole. “Maybe when it comes to sex, but there’s more to her, more to most people, than pleasure.”
Justin glared, and then turned back to the horse. He pulled the strap hard beneath his horse’s belly and buckled it.
Rowe sighed. He hadn’t gotten through.
“What do you want me to do?” Justin asked quietly.
Rowe closed his eyes for a second, relief washing over him. “Cutter’s probably put two and two together and figured out you were with her last night. He’s not gonna be happy.”
Justin snorted again. “What’s he gonna do, ground her?”
“Cutter’s not a complete control freak, but he’s protective. He’s had to be parent and brother to Dani. And it’s hard for him to see her as anything but his kid sister. It’s why Dani and I used to meet on the sly. She didn’t want to disappoint him, and frankly, he used to scare me.”
Justin’s lips twitched. “Hard to picture that, looking at you now.”
Rowe shrugged. “Everyone grows up. And I never gave Cutter a reason to want to call me out. Besides, I don’t think he would have minded it being me all that much.”
“You have to plenty to offer,” Justin said, his voice dead even.
“You think Dani’s all about what a man can give her financially?”
“Why shouldn’t she be? A woman has a right to expect a comfortable life.”
“You can support a wife and family. I know what I pay you.”
Justin flashed a quick smile, and then rubbed the back of his neck. “With the two of us, she’d never want for a damn thing, but do you really think she’ll go for it?”
“We won’t know unless we try. But Cutter’s a problem. Dani won’t be happy if he can’t accept this. He’s all the family’s she’s got left.”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“You need to make it right. Go to her place, her front door, and ask her out. On a date. Let’s ease Cutter into this thing.”
Justin gave a soft, amused huff. “A date? Dinner and movie?”
“Dinner for starts. What happens after that is between consenting adults. But let’s give it a rest for a couple of days. Let everyone cool down.”
“Friday night, then.” Justin’s smile was tight-lipped. “Want to make it a threesome?”
Rowe grinned. “You get her off her ranch. I’ll join you later. No use getting Cutter hotter than he already is. She might be all grown up, but she’s still his kid sister. If he gets a whiff of what we wanna do with her, he’ll skin us alive.”
Justin gave him a steady stare. “You’re okay with this? You got over your reservations pretty damn quick.”
“I saw Dani’s face yesterday too. She wanted in. She just doesn’t know how to surrender.”
Justin’s expression lost its usual hard-edged certainty. “Dani’s gonna want more than a wild fuck. A helluva lot more. She expects a ring, a fan
cy wedding. Kids. Can’t have two grooms. Once we start her down the path, which one of us is gonna step aside?”
Rowe locked gazes with Justin and wished he could step closer and put his arms around the other man. He’d known him long enough, knew enough about his past to understand his insecurities. Justin was a strong man, sometimes damn hardheaded, but he needed to be loved.
However, public displays would never be something they could share. There were too many people around, and as long as they lived in Two Mule, their relationship had to stay on the down low. “Let’s take it one step at a time. You’ve already got me convinced we can share. Maybe we’ll find a solution that won’t leave one of us out in the cold.”
“Afraid I’ll change my mind? That I won’t choose you?”
Rowe drew a deep, slow breath and dared to state the bald truth, however much it might get Justin’s back up. “I’m not stupid, Justin. You like what we have. You get off on the power you wield over me. But you need me more than you know.”
A snarl curled Justin’s lips. “It’s just sex. Damn good sex, but don’t think it’s anything more than that.”
“And who else have you fucked since we started this thing, besides Dani?”
Justin’s face hardened. “Maybe I’ve just been a little busy. You’re pretty demanding.”
Rowe couldn’t help it, one corner of his mouth tilted up. “I’m not the one issuing the orders, bro.”
Annoyance flushed Justin’s cheeks, but Rowe strode away whistling.
His phone vibrated against his hip and he unclipped it from his belt. “Dani. I was just thinking about you, darlin’.”
“We’ve gotta talk,” she said, her voice small and miserable.
“About what happened last night?”
“You know?”
He snorted. “Who doesn’t?”
“I sincerely hope you’re just being cute.”
“The only people who know are the important ones. Promise. Now, what’s bothering you?”
“Damn. It’s hard, talking to you about another man.”
“Almost as hard for me,” he said smiling. “Tell me, did big brother bust you?”
“Cutter was waiting for me when I got back. Like I was a teenager who’d snuck out to toilet paper a house. He was furious.”
Unbridled: Lone Star Lovers, Book 1 Page 5